A Chronicle of Old Posts

Over the next few days, I will be reposting a series of old blogs from my travels on the race. For myself, as well as for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about when I say the World Race, I'd like to look back on my time in the nations and recount what God did. With that said, here's the first one!

Hello Franklin Graham; I'm Jessica Smith

One of the most incredible jobs I have ever had in my life was when I worked for Operation Christmas Child (OCC) as their media associate. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse (SP), an international non-profit organization seeking to aid the hurting and afflicted in the name of Jesus Christ. OCC works with a large network of volunteers collecting and distributing shoe boxes filled with goodies for children in third-world countries at Christmas time. I had the honor of working local media outlets for the Southeast and Florida. Pretty much a dream job for a young girl hoping to work for an international non-profit as a career. 

Call me crazy, but I actually really enjoyed the 8-5 work-day lifestyle. The organized schedule, the detailed computer work, and sitting in their air-conditioned rooms meeting about upcoming events is really alluring to me. Don't get me wrong, I need, no, HAVE to have the occasional travel days and the hustle and bustle of running large events, but generally speaking, 8-5 hours get more and more enticing every day I am on the race. (Don't loose me here; I see all you 8-5ers raising an eyebrow in genuine concern as I write this ;))

Not only did OCC offer that beautiful mix of 8-5 office work with glorious travel days and running/planning events, they mentored me on the ways a successful international non-profit is run under the guidance of an Almighty God. I had the tremendous privilege to see how OCC operates stateside, and how they help build the Kingdom all over the world from a little office in Alpharetta, GA. 

While most of you know the God-shaped way of putting us in this specific ministry location, (for those of you who don't read my blog, "Mistake Turned Miracle) He also had a special surprise for me waiting here. The first day on site I found out that this is the base for earthquake relief for Samaritan's Purse in Haiti. Can you picture my blonde hair bouncing off my shoulders as I jumped up and down with excitement upon this revelation? Let's just say that my squeals of joy echoed across the Haitian mountains. 

After we were introduced to some of the SP international staff, any time I had a few extra hours in the day, I would meander up to their offices, poke my head in the door, and ask the project manager, Clint, if he had any extra work I could help him with. The first day I inquired, his Small Projects Manager, Emily, had some Creole editing I could do. Lucky for me it was just finding and replacing accents marks. My years of Spanish studying didn't prepare me for this dialect of French, so I was glad to find out that the hard part was already done for me. 

The material I was editing was for a children's bible study SP is facilitating in the tent cities they built for the people who lost their homes in the earthquake. It's really neat actually; the communities formed as a result of these temporary shelters have been connected with local pastors and churches to encourage them to get involved with the local churches. One way they are connecting them is by preparing lessons for bible studies and raising up leaders within the village to facilitate them. You see, here in Haiti, being given the responsibility to lead is a tremendous way to give Haitians the encouragement and self-worth they need to cultivate a Christ-centered mindset. Samaritan's Purse is the really a tremendous catalyst in giving Haitians the know-how to equip leaders for this next generation, and it has been so rewarding to have even a tiny part in that. 

One day when I was helping input data to give to the United Nations for SP, (WHAT?) I heard someone mention that the president of the organization would be coming here the tomorrow. The president, being Franklin Graham. A true example of good stewardship of the great commission and simply a brilliant mind for excellent non-profit leadership, my inquisitive little mind immediately went to work. I straightened my back and peered over the rustic but functional plywood desk I was working on to the project manager's cubicle. Listening over the buzzing of the flies and cool breeze whipping the trees outside, I overheard Clint say that Franklin Graham, yes the Franklin Graham, would be coming to this base tomorrow for a few hours to oversee how everything was going. 

My nerdy, star-struck side immediately kicked in and I thought about what I could ask him if I met him. Where in the world did you just travel from?  How would you describe your life as a world traveler, influencer of leaders around the world, and general president of one of the biggest non-profits known? I began researching this possibility and how I could hear him speak, or better yet, meet him. 

I later found out that he would be arriving at two, and I yes we would be able to hear him speak, and possibly meet him. So the next day after a morning of ministry, I grabbed my telephoto, put on my nicest REI quick-dry skirt, and marched myself up the graveled path to the pavilion where he would be speaking. I swung my legs over the edge of the pavilion seating, readied my camera, and put on my paparazzi face to capture his entrance. Ok, I know he's not a celebrity, but I was super stoked!

Snap, snap, snap went my camera as he entered the pavilion and went to the podium to  give his congratulations to the international team for their great work.  After he finished up, he made his rounds to meet and greet the stragglers anxiously awaiting his handshake. Being the bold person that I am, I worked my way around the line and eagerly stuck my hand and said, "Hello Franklin, I'm Jessica!" I immediately regretted not saying 'Mr. Graham,' but his overall amicability proved true when he graciously shook my hand and listened to us tell him about the World Race and pepper him with questions about his travels and Samaritan's Purse. 

We ended our little chat by taking some pictures with him and Colby interviewing him on video. Franklin Graham shook our hands and taught us how to effectively present the gospel. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, isn't Franklin Graham presenting you the gospel kind of like Jimi Hendrix sitting down with you and saying, "Can I just play you a couple of bars of Freedom?"