Behind the Scenes

Someone mentioned to me that they hadn't seen an update from me recently. A proper extensive update. Not a FaceBook type update.

Let I just say, that if you are not on FaceBook, you will be. : ) I say that with strong confidence that #1 it's not going anywhere, #2 adding over 600,000 new members PER DAY ~ it in many cases is replacing eMail and other forms of communication. If you aren't on, dive in. If you are concerned about fraud or identity theft, just be cautious of what you post, and who you befriend.

That said, I update Facebook nearly daily. I have begun to move away from Twitter, because of several reasons. I advocate using twitter in many cases, but for me personally it looks like it has run it's course and I'm focused on fBook.


Hear and Tell, our family web-site is updated about once per month. With more extensive updates, (like this one).

When the above mentioned person asked why I hadn't updated my response was something like, "nobody wants to hear about behind the scenes stuff, like marketing, rebranding, logo creation, web-site re-development and organizational positioning statements." After a day or so it came to me, maybe they do?

So, instead of a pithy Facebook update on what's going on behind the scenes here is a proper update on some of the unseen developments.

Building Hope Foundation (BHF) is an organization that I've worked closely with for the last 4 to 5 years. They have been the importers, distributors, and trainers of the EvangeCube for that time. A husband and wife team that systematically left their careers to pursue this. They grew over the years not only in training and importing but in hands on work going into schools and rural areas. When e3 Resources, my employer for the last 7 years, released a new product, the HIV/Aids cube, it fit perfectly into what BHF was doing, and again they grew. BHF was one of several international distributors whom I was privileged to work with at e3, but they always held a special place in my life, as we worked together often. I continued to feel that I didn't just want to work with them via skype from the US. But, wanted to come along side and serve with them. So we chatted about that for a year or so, and finally the opportunity was ripe, where my whole family and I could come for a year.

After now being here for 3 months, one month where we were apart from each other, (so really 45 or so working days) I have gleaned the foundational information needed to help form a substantive goal with them for our time here. It's simply this: By the time we leave, the impact of the Greenberg family on BHF is to triple their impact.

Some of the ways we are going about this is in step with my background experience from both Gospel Light & e3 Resources. We are working through the contextualization of their specific organization, keeping an eye on the cultural differences (between here & US), and working within the financial context of this sized organization, to achieve the goal of tripling their impact.

BHF is about to add a new facet and focus to what they do; Human Trafficking. How to join the fight against and make an impact on modern day slavery. Then, the three-legs of the organization will be: evangelism, HIV/Aids and Human Trafficking with activities around training, equipping & hands on implementation.

So, one of the first issues addressed was the corporate logo. The logo that existed was very much AIDS focused. We have just finalized a new logo and the board of directors are all pleased.

Here is the original logo:

Here is the new logo:

To get to this stage took several days of meeting and focus finding, as well as a wide variety of looks and feels, working with an outside designer and so on.
Changing corporate identity then moves into re-address many things like: business cards, shirts for trainings, letterhead, marketing brochure and more.

A complete new brochure, is at this stage half-way written and moving along.

This is the big-one. A complete new web-site. We are right in the middle of this proccess and I'm excited about the direction we are headed. Discovering and determining focus and goals. Other issues with that are, items like a new computer system to handle video editing and the new web-site. What is the ideal program or web-platform to accomplish long and short-term goals. What look and feel, how does a person navigate through the web-site, what are the goals and objectives for each page, colors, themes, and so on.
Stuff that I really don't think you want to hear about in an update.
So... behind the scenes there is a lot going on, in addition to the, frontline items that we try to keep you abreast of through FaceBook like:
Jennifer participating in a potential traveling music team; attending human trafficking awareness meetings; educational meetings for HIV awareness in public schools, and more.

Homeschool: As you may know we are homeschooling for the first time in our lives. We really wanted Ethan & Sarah to experience a classroom situation while we are here in South Africa. But in each attempt we have made we have run into brick walls. So, most of the time Jennifer is with them while Aidan is at a pre-school within our neighborhood. Sometimes we need to tag team, and I get to stay with them. While Jennifer attends functions that are in her focus areas.

Moving into our house. We've been in now for exactly one month, consider all the things that go with that, finding the place, moving in etc. We have over time had furniture, beds, cutlery, dishes and more donated. So in a very short period of time we have a fully functioning house that we really like, (if you have not seen photos, it has a roof made of grass!). We have been donated two cars from two families. One very early on, through a facebook update. The other from our friends from the US who lived in Pretoria for about 7 years and are now in the US. We can use their car until they come back in June. It's been amazing to see the kindness and generosity of people.

One of the cars has been in the shop twice. So, you can imagine that just doing life in another country, establishing relationships, staying close as a family and working very hard behind the scenes mixed with frontline/hands-on experiences; is fulfilling, but not without it's challenges.

A couple other items. When I made a list of the various organizations that I want to work with, or somehow be a part of while we are here:
Example, Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley my friend their Pastor Todd Tucker, who is married to a South African, has an orphanage Lily of the Valley that we would like to visit and serve at. It is quite a distance from where we are, but on our radar screen for the near future.

Another organization is called Every Home for Christ. They are the reason Tom Doyle and I came to Pretoria six years ago and my first ever trip to Africa. This is where Johan Minnie first discovered the EvangeCube and is working with Building Hope Foundation today!

The African director of Every Home is Hennie Hanekom. Hennie has become a dear friend and someone I've grown to highly respect over the years. They work in 30 African countries and have tens of thousands of staff across the continent. Hennie & I have been trying to work closer together for a very long time, including with his personal visit to Franklin, TN at the e3 offices.
As we have kept up communication he asked if I was able to spend some time with EHC, serving in any available capacity. We have since had several lengthy meetings. There is no way even with studying, and detailed meetings going over who they are, and where they are going, I can only scratch the service of my understanding about them and their reach. As our relationship deepens I can see myself assisting in a few areas. Hennie has asked both Jennifer and I to join them in March to travel to Zambia in order to focus in a village on engaging a community and identifying needs in all aspects of personal and community life, (things like education, agriculture, micro-business, health, etc).
So, we are now working on if all five of us could/should go or just Jennifer & I in March to Zambia.

Zmbabwe: this month, (spelling name wrong until we've gone & come back). In a couple weeks I'll be headed to Zimb for a training much like Tom Doyle & I did here in Pretoria 6 years ago. And much like Steve Cretin did in Nigeria that continues to have massive residual impact. I've been asked to teach for several hours, and am preparing for that ~ with the main focus being the theme of 'Hope.'

I think that's enough for now - there's many nuances that can be added, but we will save it
Be on the lookout for a video update ~ I may wait until we get back from the March 8-12 trip to Zambia.

Regardless - thanks for your emotional, spiritual and physical support. We are thankful to be on this journey with you.