| Hey, I’m back from vacation! And did you hear the crazy news? PathLight International, an organization I co-founded and greatly admire, has hired a sixty-something snarky white guy to become their Chief Executive Officer. Worse, he has no academic training in missions, never lived in a foreign country, only speaks English, has never been a teacher, earned no degree in theology, has no cross cultural training, and lives in what some call the spiritual wasteland of California. I would add he’s bald and a little chubby, but that’s getting personal. He has one advantage: he works for free. That’s a pretty big advantage. So who is this under qualified new CEO? Ahem. It’s me. How did this happen? My friend Roger Dermody was PathLight’s top dude for seven years. But an opportunity came up that he just couldn’t ignore, and all of us at PathLight reluctantly agreed he was perfect for the open position. So the PathLight board of directors, in a moment of panic, asked me to become the CEO. I plan on leading PathLight by being quick with Dad-jokes. Okay, so to be honest my goal is to help more kids get through high school, more teachers develop the skills needed to impact their students, and more people engage with Belize. But that sounds boring next to the opportunity to tell Dad-jokes, don’t you think? Well, maybe not. Despite my concerns (mainly about the PathLight board asking someone like me to do this), I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity. And full transparency, the board gave me the job for just six months and put “interim” next to my title. At least they showed a little sense. Can I be serious for a moment? A few weeks ago my wife and I were reflecting on how far PathLight has come since the early days. It struck me that PathLight—started fifteen years ago by four friends who had little idea what we were getting into—has an actual chance to change the course of an entire nation. That’s not hyperbole … I think it might happen in my lifetime. (Which is even more inspiring if you think about how old I am.) So it’s time to roll up my sleeves and get to work. We’re adventuring together, and I suspect we will sense God’s presence along the way. I’d greatly appreciate your prayers and, honestly, your donations. But more on that some other time. Thanks! |
Nope, no age discrimination here!
