the brains or the face? LX blog profile

http://lifexchange7.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/the-brains-or-the-face/

Born in 1983, I had a simple life growing up in a small town in a district called Zululand. Through my father’s farming days, South Africa and its diverse range of people have always been part of my life and the transition between the end of the apartheid era and the beginning of post-apartheid was barely noticeable. After finishing school in 2000 I ran school camps in KwaZulu Natal, then travelled and lived in the UK, exercising polo horses for the royal family, returning to study a degree in Sports Science finishing off with a Post-grad diploma in Education. After university days I worked for ACTS, a tour company that facilitates the logistics of mission trips into Southern and Eastern Africa. After a year of travelling with ACTS I came down to Cape Town to be based in their SA head office where I hosted teams based in The Team House, headed up ACTS Volunteers and began Able Africa. At the beginning of 2010, after a quick 3 month stint in the US, I came to a clear understanding that some big changes were on the cards and this lead me to joining LifeXchange.
http://lifexchange7.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/the-brains-or-the-face/

My passion is to see people do and achieve things that they never thought was possible. To use the cliché, ‘making the impossible possible’. Seeing this happen in someone’s life gives me great Joy and in this, to come to know the Peace and Love of Jesus Christ that transcends all understanding; that being the greater and ultimate purpose of all things.

My role in LifeXchange is basically being a co-pilot to Cobus and keeping this crazy show on the road. I would say that my main focus is something as simple as networking, connecting with people and broadening LifeXchange’s supporting networks. Support not in the sense of finances, that’s a different thing altogether, but in filling the needs, paving the way for LifeXchange and its members. This ranges anywhere from things such as finding tattoo removal studios, sewing lessons for a future fashion designer, places to study motor engineering, learner’s license, job shadow opportunities in journalism, and so the list goes on, spreading out big, far, wide and deep and always different. Another portfolio involves organizing camps and activities, which brings in the extreme sports and adventure activities side of LifeXchange; rock climbing, surfing, kayaking, paintball, ultimate Frisbee etc. And then comes the range of responsibilities that are shared, such as projects, mentor recruitment and communication, marketing and media communications and many more.

madrap wisdom #7 :2011 new year's resolutions

be excellent; in everything you do, do it as if doing it for the Lord
be consistent; find your standard and stick to it
be real; it's the only thing you can be
be content; with yourself and who you are
be discipled; allow yourself to grow in faith through other's input

pulling the trigger

When you travel with company the memories formed are easily refreshed and repeated every time you gather together again with your travel mates. Each person inserts their different account of the journey, feeding off each other, adding a memory to the story you thought you'd forgotten.

I'm in the midst of a trek up from South Africa through Zimbabwe and into Zambia with my aunt, uncle and cousins. I am consumed by the memories flooding out from the archives of my brain. Memories that present themselves with such clarity that its as if they're being
repeated, and such fondness whether that experience had been good or bad. They are so rich and so vivid that they bombard me with such force and they want to jumble out my mouth. I mostly manage to refrain myself.

I never realised how many memories had been locked away with no trigger. And in modern times when photographs provide this outlet, I have none. So instead, I sit here in silence, staring 'into space', reliving the memories that are suddenly strong and alive in the confines of my mind, and I'm enjoying it!

madrap wisdom #6

we busy ourselves so we can get time to quiet ourselves. it seems a little backwards to me.

madrap wisdom #5

when uncertain, always give the benefit of the doubt

words can never...

How do I explain my life when it is made up of emotion rather than action, moments rather than events. I can never explain the emotion when a 19 year old boy, previously thief, is released from a year in prison, having been raped, beaten, tortured, comes out and gives you a big hug, smiles from ear to ear and says, “Lets go for a Wimpy burger!”, immediately putting a CD into the car’s CD player pumping track #8, a song about the rappers mommy who stood by him.

When a 20 year old, previously drug lord, sits at a table with knife and fork in his hands, as clumsy as if he’s using chop sticks, (because he’s never eaten with a knife and fork before nor at a dining room table) and after finishing his meal says to the host in his strong coloured accent “Thank you for having us for dinner, the food was lovely”.

Sitting with a mother in her treasured one bedroom flat while she’s telling you about the change she’s seen in her son’s life, a previous druggie and gangster, and through that the whole household has changed with him.

A previous gangster and fighter makes a phone call and nervously, yet bravely, discusses the beginnings of an art career, the phone call being a huge achievement, taking ownership over his future even bigger.

How do I explain my life… words can never

madrap wisdom #4

you don't teach 'life skills', you live it.

all I know

Speak of which you do not know,
This thing you call my home.
There’s something I hear in your tone,
This land you say; Is so.

Two lies and a truth in your case,
That’s what you know.
Don’t you see it’s what they sow,
Of a land that is my place.

Two truths and a lie, a case more real,
Let me show you how.
Come listen with your feet,
Come see with your heart,
Come hear with your eyes,
Then you will see the truths I appeal.

Two truths you ask? Curious to learn.
Dimmed by your cloud of disbelief,
It’s impossible to make it brief.
Slow down, come listen with a heart that will yearn.

The lie you so quickly believed,
Is one of desperation and oppression.
It makes you feel better about your position.
Empty promises from a land that pretends to grieve.

And the truths you ask?
We have the truth that time allows,
Which for you finds itself used,
Rushed beyond and abused.
With time; happiness and love follows.

Freedom is a word that too,
Is beaten up and chained.
The truth in freedom that we gained,
Is to live and be as you.

This land you say; Is so
This land I say; Is all I know.
… It’s all I have to show.

branding - from within

On the ‘Old Boys’ LifeXchange camp this weekend we spent most of our sit-down sessions brainstorming “Branding”. We wanted to try find solutions from within, from ‘the horses mouth’ so to speak, as well as learn what the expectations are as LifeXchange members. The outcome was very interesting! After discussing what they felt or thought when seeing brandnames like Nike, Coca-cola we asked them what they felt and thought when they saw the LifeXchange brand. And this is what they said…..

From the inside LifeXchange members want to see:
LifeXchange become financially stable,
To have a LifeXchange office/house where they as members can come “hang out”, play pool, play games, have their classes and for it to be ‘their space’,
They want membership to be exclusive and not just for everybody,
They want to feel LifeXchange pride in who they are and what the brand means,
They want to “stand out” from the rest.

From the outside LifeXchange members want the public to see:
Members of LifeXchange having bright futures,
Members that are well disciplined, educated and trustworthy,
Members that have good leadership skills and are talented, but that’s not all.....

Lastly, we spoke about the publicity of the lives of our ‘youth-at-risk’. We discussed how if a person has reached point “B” and has become a world renowned artist, has travelled the world and has his own studio, it’s an interesting read, but that it only brings value when you talk about point “A” - where he was when he started - sitting on the street corner, unable to read or write or tell one day apart from the next because of his drugged-up stupor! Only then does the story of point “B” become alive; extraordinary, amazing, outstanding, significant, noteworthy, astounding, remarkable, incredible, astonishing…..all the possible words you can think of to describe the life change that has happened.

Because of this, it becomes appropriate to speak of point “A” (with consent) even when that person is still AT point “A”. But, only because we have seen that point “B” is possible, through the success of other members, and so this becomes a story that the public can read and hear about, they can follow their journey and give support knowing that point “A” will reach point “B”

Have we started tapping into our solution to the “Branding” issue?

madrap wisdom #3

taking a leap of faith requires taking a leap. go figure.