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As I look back on how I started this journey of wanting to help people in need, I find myself looking back to age 6 and my first “missions” trip. Now, I would imagine that most people, when hearing the word “missions”, would immediately think about religion. Throughout history, the phrase "missions trip" doesn’t have the best rap. There are many accounts in history telling of religious “missionaries” coming to a new land to force their worldviews on people; some even going to the extreme of death if they didn’t change. As some people see it, religion was just a way of spewing their rhetoric to a people group for the purpose of not helping them, but to try and change or control them. However, when I say I'm going on a missions trip, I'm not trying to change anything. I'm just trying to help where need be. So when people say "Humanitarian" or "Missions Trips", they’re all the same in my eyes. We are just trying to help.

I have a heart that wants to serve, therefore, I have been on many of these "trips" throughout the course of my life. Especially when there is a direct need for basic human needs such as clean water, sustainable food, medical help, education, or injustice etc. This is what we want for Lavego; to help motivate, promote and equip individuals to help those in need around the world more effectively. If the tables were turned and you were the one crying out for help, wouldn’t you be praying for someone to just help you? Even if it was just a glass of clean water, a bed to sleep in for the night, or a piece of bread? As small as some of these things are to us, it may mean the world to someone that needs it. It doesn’t take much to help and it's not the amount….its just making that choice to help.

Even if we can just create a tiny ripple that might spur some motivation to create another ripple... One might say, “How is a ripple really going to help in an ocean that's dead calm?” In response, “A small ripple could mean thousands of lives helped……so it’s worth trying.”

why we do it

We all play a particular role in this big game we call life.  My role so far has been that of a husband and dad.  I've been thinking about why we're going to be a part of Lavego and what part we'll play.  I keep coming back to two things in particular.  A conversation that I had with my uncle before I went to Africa and something a man said about why he is there in Africa.

About a month before my trip, I ran into my uncle at work and he asked me why I was going to Africa.  I hesitated to answer because of our different views when it comes to faith.  I wasn't going to Africa to convert people, but it certainly would have come off that way to him.  Still, I had a hard time trying to explain that though I was going to help put a building up that would be used as a church and a school, my focus was about being there serving.  It was about bringing a well to a community without water.  It was about the experience of being in and seeing Africa.  Meeting the people there, getting to know better the people I was going with and making memories.

But while I was there, Africa did something to me.  I would say it changed my world view.  I have been to Argentina and El Salvador.  I have seen poverty that I can't begin to describe, but it was nothing like Africa.  There is a desolation there that...you would just have to see.  The man that we were with the whole time, Ron, was great.  He has devoted his life to bringing clean water to the people in Tanzania and Kenya.  I have heard mission statements before.   Most busineses have them, schools, churches, even fast food restaurants have them.  Ron was the first person I have met who has his own mission statement.  It kind of threw me for a loop, but it got me thinking about my role in this game of life.  So after a great deal of thinking I guess I have one too.  I want to make One difference in One person's life One more time.  

This will be my role to play in Lavego.  Lavego is how I can play my role in this game called life. I think we all want to be a part of something that makes a positive difference in the world.  Every small part each one of us plays makes a big difference.  I'm looking forward to seeing how Lavego can equip all of us to play our parts.  

News

Hello Peoples, well we have some good news coming from our camp. First of all we want to thank all who are helping with this project. We couldn't do it without you. We also want to encourage anyone that wants to help....to do so. We need more like minded people. The only way this project will work is if we have a network of people to support it.

A little update, we are starting our initial website for exposure next week. This site will hopefully be up in a month, including a short film telling the story around Lavego (also starting next week!!!!), a social networking aspect to help keep everyone informed and involved. Its very exciting to see this project come together and we'll have something tangible to touch, feel and see in a month.

So again we encourage anyone interested to get involved!!! We can't do this without you....

A Nation

I’m in Washington DC at the moment and have been touring our nation’s capitol and it’s not difficult to be inspired. This is OUR country and being in Arlington National Cemetery and seeing all the gravesites of people that have served this great nation its hard not to be motivated. These are people that believed in an ideal and fought for OUR freedom to pursue what an individual wants for their life. They were all involved with serving something bigger than themselves. Today in our culture everyone is so self involved and they miss the very meaning of this wonderful capitol. This country is dissolving on the very facet we were born on, freedom to pursue what we want as an individual. This ideal is so far off course that we don’t allow our self to give beyond ourselves. Everyone from politicians, business owners, to the general public we all have a sense of entitlement that is just plain ugly. This is nothing new however, I read today in the journal about a politician that took a 11 day “political trip” touring 7 countries and expensed it all to the tax payer. He said that the whole trip cost $2800 however he used a private military jet (most likely a Gulfstream 550) so it’s estimated as being close to a $70,000 trip. I restate this; the sense of entitlement is ugly.

When we look at our founding fathers they fought for an ideal that was bigger than themselves and created, arguably, the greatest country in world history.

How can people today be motivated just like our founding fathers? Have we completely lost sight of what America is? Or are we the epitome of being an American, self absorbed? With America’s blessings we need to help our brothers that are less fortunate. Think of the change, the movement that a nation can bring if we all contribute to a bigger cause, especially finding where our heart is leading us to go. Lavego wants to be that avenue to help impact, motivate, equip, people to DO.

Please join the cause by networking what we’re about and helping build this project.

We need prayer, people and funds......get involved!!!!!

Quick Overview

Lavego is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based non profit organization created with the intent of assisting and expanding humanitarian projects locally, nationally, and globally via a web-based social network. The Company intends to provide a flexible alternative for non-profit organizations, churches, missionaries, or foundations to advertise a need, financial or other, via a social website in order to reach a larger network of potential funders or collaborators.

The website will be designed to provide an avenue for non-profit organizations, churches, or other foundations to propose a need for funding, or other means of support, to organizations or individuals whom are interested in contributing. By creating a bridge between those in need with those willing to help, Lavego aims to expedite the project development process by helping generate a larger audience to meet the stated need. This type of online social site will help facilitate relationships between like-minded organizations and individuals for future collaboration and project development. With these relationships built, the number of humanitarian projects globally will increase.

First & Foremost

Hello Peoples, welcome to the very first post for Lavego. We are a newly formed non profit company here in Minneapolis. With that said, this is my very first "blog" so to be honest I really don't know what to say because.......well I'm basically talking to myself as there isn't anyone following the new super sweet blog for Lavego yet. However, I want to give you some confidence that we will be having some very witty banter (round of applause for Mr. Dragert ((that's your que dude)) in this blog while updating you with the developments for Lavego.

What is Lavego you say.....well we are here to help other non profits, foundations, missionaries and all you people that have a heart for serving but don't have the avenue to get there. We are here to support, either helping you get there, or helping you be more effective in fulfilling your mission.

We are currently in the process of gathering the necessary tools and resources "we" need so you will be able expedite this process in the future. Does that make sense? Well if you're interested follow us here on this blog or on Twitter (yeah its the first time tweeting too, I think its twitter.com/Lavego). Feel free to contact us as we are wanting to create a community around this project.

Don't worry there will be much more to come.......I bid you good day!!!