Countries, countries, and more countries!

Hello readers!

It has been a bittersweet week here at Partners Worldwide. First, my dear friends Lora and Pellagia have both left for a month. Lora is getting married and Pellagia is off to Zambia and Zimbabwe to do some work for Partners! I am excited for them, but I will surely miss them in the office!

Second, I am working on a wonderful project that is taking me on a journey around the world. I am in charge of creating country profiles for the countries that Partners is working in. There are 20 of them, so I have quite a lot to do! I learn about their political history, their economic situation, their culture, and some advocacy issues that need to be addressed! What fun!

Anyways, I hope all is well for everyone. For those who have contributed to my internship so far, a HUGE thank you to you! To date, I have raised $1450 of the $3000+ I hope to get! Like I said, the more over $3000 I get, the more exciting opportunities await! More on that later!

Take care and God bless all of you!

Justin

A Christian Workplace

Hello readers,

How is everyone doing these days? I have received a number of reply cards from people who read my letter. All I can say is THANK YOU! I am already encouraged by your generous contributions to my internship this summer.

I have been thinking lately about what a blessing it is to work and live in a Christian environment. I was at church on Sunday (Madison Square) and I thought, a lot of these people work in sales, the trades, and many more jobs where their faith is tested every day. This can be very valuable in your walk with God, but it can also be very exhausting. I am extremely blessed to work in an environment where I am surrounded by Christians. These are not your usual Christians either! These Christians are passionate about and involved in making this world a better place for ALL of God's children! This in an environment where my faith is not tested, but strengthened from day to day!

Thank you again to those who have already made a contribution to my work this summer, and I pray that God blesses all of you with joy, hope, and peace!

Take care everyone!
Justin

P.S. Ghana 2:1 USA (Go Ghana!!! They now move to the knockout round and face Brazil!)

World Refugee Day

Today is a day that world sets aside to remember the plight of the millions of refugees around the globe. Take a minute to say a prayer for everyone involved in the refugee dilema, from the government officials to the refugees themselves.

For more information on refugees, check out unhcr.org or www.interaction.org

Take care!

Justin

A New Day, A New Week!

Greetings readers!
I am about to start another exciting week at Partners Worldwide! Last week I sent out my fundraising letters, which many of you received. If you did not receive one and would like to, just leave a comment and I will send one out asap!

I am excited to see how God will work through this internship and through Partners Worldwide this summer. My goal of $3,000 seems to be very attainable, and if I raise more, there may be some exciting possibilities! So give generously, and pray that God uses me in His perfect will to benefit the lives of people at home and around the world!

I have some thoughts developing about working in a Christian workplace, so keep an eye out for the next blog! Until then, take care and God bless!
Sincerely,

Justin

God works in wonderful ways!

Hello everybody. I am now on my second week of interning at Partners Worldwide and it is still fun! That is a strong indication that it will remain fun and interesting until I am done at the end of the summer!

I have been working on a few projects. First, I have been working hard at getting all my fundraising letters prepaired for their journey across the United States and the World. Second, I have been working with Lora on the playbook (a handbook used to train our members). We are trying to create a comprehensive book that will be hosted on the internet for quick and easy access in the field. Finally, I am just scratching the surface on an advocacy project. I am especially excited about this one, as it will involve tackling some tough issues and putting my research skills to use!

God has blessed me in so many ways and I am extremely grateful to be able to work for such a wonderful organization!

Until next time, take care and God bless!

Justin

p.s. Be sure to cheer on the African nations in the World Cup! Especially Ghana!!!

My First Day

I think an appropriate way to start this blog is to share with you a little about Partners Worldwide.

Partners Worldwide is a faith-based international partnership of business and professional people who want to follow Jesus Christ in eliminating poverty and transforming lives. Partners Worldwide seeks to accomplish this goal through the following four activities:

-Developing Business Partnerships

-Offering Business Mentoring and Training

-Increasing Access to Capital

-Advocating on Behalf of the Poor

Partners is currently working in 20 different countries with over 3,500 members. These members have been instrumental in creating and retaining 4,742 jobs. All of this is done with a strong conviction that business is indeed a spiritual calling.

There you have it! What a great organization, and as the title says, this is my first day here in the office. Every first day can be fun, nerve racking, and exciting, but today seems pretty quiet. I have a meeting this morning about advocacy, social justice, and hunger action. This is my dream internship!

I hope everyone is doing well. I will try to get into a routine with this blog so you can stay up to date on my work here at Partners!

Blessings!
Justin