One of my favorite things with learning about other cultures is how social networking happens. In India, there are small chai shops on nearly every street corner, and these are usually where people will meet up to talk business or life. In South Africa there is no designated space for social networking. If you're driving and you see someone on the side of the road that you know, you pull over for a minute to talk about anything.
When I was a child I never imagined myself being just 21 years old and thinking about the word network and actually getting excited about it. But that’s exactly what is happening these days.
I’ve realized that throughout history and in multiple cultures and societies, people have been the most successful when they work in teams. And not just in teams where all the people have the same talents or passions. Sometimes not even precisely the same values or beliefs. But the powerful people are the ones who work in diverse teams. People who have different strengths, different focuses, different methods of accomplishing things. The one unifying thing in these teams is this: having a common mission, vision, and goal that holds LOVE as the highest value. That is when people have the power to truly make an impact and can work in a fluid, forward motion.
A network is defined as a system of interconnected people or things. On a deeper level, networking is “to interact with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts”. To me, this is so empowering. This is what I want for the rest of my life. That no matter what I’m doing, I know it’s a part of a bigger picture with a community which will help me to be successful because they ground me. In April I have a really exciting opportunity to do just that.
Ten Thousand Homes has invited me to go to a leadership conference at the end of April. The conference is called Growth Resourcing Group (you can check out their website if you would like to know more). Its mission is to “mentor leaders of churches, businesses, and nonprofits to develop healthy cultures that positively influence people’s lives and change the world”. It is a label for people from all over the world from every sphere of society to come together to teach, to learn, and to grow with each other. I’m so excited to be part of this! Some people that I already know from working both in South Africa and Kenya will also be attending this conference.
After April I wish to continue this lifestyle of networking on a regular basis. I hope to challenge myself to continue to make new connections and relationships with other artists, missionaries, and community leaders. In order to do this to the best of my ability, I would love to have a few extra tools. Things like this include a car, some art supplies, training sessions and classes, and some funding to buy new tools and technology. Thus far, I’ve been surviving monthly on about $300. So far it has worked well, but I realize that in order to grow and to have a “networking lifestyle”, I need to have a bigger budget. That being said, I struggle with asking for money. $300 already seems like a lot to me. But the more I prayed and thought, I felt challenged by God to dream big. To think about things in the long run. And so I’m taking an extra big step into that. I believe that if I receive $1,250 in monthly support, I will be better equipped to do my job better, to grow in my skills, to make a deep and lasting impact, and to connect with more people on a deep and personal level. Here is a graph that shows how far I have to go.
Would you consider partnering with me on a monthly basis? By doing this you are not only empowering me to be a leader, but you are also helping me to empower those that I work alongside with. You are being a part of the ripple effect. To help me continue with my work at Ten Thousand Homes and to go to the GRG Conference, you can donate and follow my progress at this link:
https://www.purecharity.com/staff-support-phoebe-giffey-brohaugh/updates
Thank you for your support so far. Your thoughts, prayers,
letters, and donations mean the world to me.
Thank you for your support so far. Your thoughts, prayers,
letters, and donations mean the world to me.