• the opposite of poverty is not wealth

. . . The Big News, Finally!

In January (2009) I will be moving to Colorado Springs.
    About a month ago I received an email from my long-time friend, Curtis Fletcher. Attached was the job description for a position in an organization that he had been working for only a few months—Compassion International. That job, especially the desired skills and experience they were seeking, read like my resume.
    As many of you are aware, I have been job hunting for about a year. I have applied at Pixar Animation Studios, Apple, Google, IDEO, Yahoo, and several other organizations in the Bay area.
    After two trips to Compassion and ten interviews I was offered the position of Compassion Experience Manager—or as my new boss, Scott Barnes, calls it CXm. I like that.
    There are a lot of great non profits and faith-based ministries around. Compassion is one that I have known about since the 1980’s. The independent evaluator, Charity Navigator, has ranked Compassion in the top one percent of thousands of organizations they have surveyed for seven years running.
    Compassion has centers in twenty five countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central, and South America. There, children are registered for sponsorship. In March of this year Compassion registered their one millionth child. For $32 a-month Compassion provides health, educational, life skills and other opportunities—through high school. Another program sponsors college students.
     Other Compassion programs are in prenatal care, malaria intervention ("Bite Back"),  AIDS, and other health initiatives. You can find a thorough telling of Compassion’s work around the globe on their very rich website—click "About Us.”
    As CXm (Compassion Experience Manager) I will be responsible for a team of folks who lead daily tours (10, 12, and 2 pm) of the Global Ministry Center (GMC) in Colorado Springs. We will be looking to enhance the current tour and develop C.I. Tour 2.0 to include facility enhancements that create immersive experiences, At Disney Imagineering I took to calling it “environmental storytelling.” The real life stories of Compassion, I believe, are those of a young doctor, school teacher, or attorney, who were lifted out of poverty through the sponsorship of a Compassion Partner.
    There is value to showing visitors the working environment at the GMC—most people have no idea what is required “behind-the-scenes” to carry on an effort of this scope that began in 1952. I hope to expand and emphasize the story of changed lives, “lifted out of poverty in Jesus name.” 
    The website puts it most succinctly:

"Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty, and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults."

    Many of the individuals, families and organizations that are Compassion sponsors, partners, and advocates are Protestant Christians, but there are also hundreds of folks from Jewish, Roman Catholic, and other faith traditions (as well as folks with no religious affiliation) who are assisting Compassion's global effort.
    This is an organization that does good work and they do it well.
    I am proud to be joining the staff of 720 in Colorado Springs. My years of coaching speakers, directing plays, writing scripts, and designing theme parks is a good fit for  plans to design new “Compassion Experiences.”  In the near term this will include designing a traveling environment for festivals, conventions, etc.   
     “The opposite of poverty is not wealth.” So says Compassion President, Wes Stafford, in a introductory video.
    “The opposite of poverty is enough.”
    What is enough? In the third world “enough” is very little by our lifestyle standards.
    In the coming months I will share the creative work we’ll be doing to invent new experiences that tell the Compassion story. I will also continue blog posts on living a more “actively creative” life.
    You can stay in touch with me through this site, my personal email (see link under my photo, above left), or signing up for my free email list at McNairWilson.com.
    Many of you have already told me of your own long connection with Compassion as sponsors. I hope many more will choose to participate as I share the work.

Colorado

Of all the towns, in all the states, in this great land, I probably have as many good and long-time friends in Colorado Springs and Denver as almost any other burg I could be relocating to for a new career.  This makes the move all the more exciting. Leaving the delightful Bay area will be very sad. I love it so and have many great friends here, not the least of which is my long-time, very great friend, and grand encourager, Susan Kennedy. Parting will be (bitter) sweet sorrow. I will be looking for any excuse to come back for a visit or long layover.
    There will be some international travel associated with this great position. I have only been to thirty countries, so...I’m just getting started.

Moving  

My good friend, and coach through this last year of ch-ch-changes, Wes Roberts, has challenged me to “get rid of half your stuff before you move.” I have already purge 60% of my clothes and shoes, nearly half my books and DVD’s, and taken innumerable shopping cart loads to the dumpster. There are stacks and stacks of magazines and other paper products leaving, daily.
    By Christmas I will be so tired of picking through the collected debris of my artistic life that I will just give the heave-ho to lots more “precious memories” that are merely collecting dust.
    As I am not likely to find a 1600 square foot loft in Colorado Springs, having less is more and more enjoyable every day.
    There is no way I could have known a year ago, when I began this journey of changes, that our Creator would provide such a remarkable job, and the opportunity to make a contribution to a cause so much greater than my own efforts could ever produce. That I will be using so many of my skills and professional experiences—while being greatly challenged by this assignment—will be hard work, in all the best ways.
    Onward and  upward!

[ Right, My great friends Ken & Diane Davis on a recent Compassion Sponsors trip. ]

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Comments

[Ian Durias]

Welcome aboard!

[Steve K.]

You + Compassion International = Crazy Delicious

Congrats, McNair!

[Heidi Renee]

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yippee! Doing the snoopy dance with you McNair! Such wonderful news! Close to Judy & Wes - what fun! We will be praying!

[Dan Olson]

I echo that 'WOOHOO!' Of all the international groups in the all the world trying to help all the people in said world with all necessities all the time, you had to work your way into mine. Rather, one that I really enjoy ;) I'm glad to hear that you're in with the good folks of a finely tuned ministry. I wish you the best, and I hope Colorado is as lovely to you as I wish it was for me!
Peaces,
Dan

[Wes Roberts]

...welcome home!

...indeed...welcome home!!!

...your Colorado family awaits you!!

...somewhere in the Bible is the inference that the mountains are the sanctuary of God...so it's about time you moved closer to Him. :-)

...this was a great post, McNair...thanx!

[Soni Cido]

WOW! How EXCITING McNair~! I'm totally trilled. I was praying for you whenever I come across one of your books or your video on my shelf. You are such a great person and this YOB will totally benefit from your presence (not to mention everyone you are about to develop relationships with-I envy them).
If I ever have cash flow I can count on, I'll totally sign up-over the years, I have often wondered which charity I would use. Thank you for the info.
And you are going to be RIGHT THERE for the Christian Writer's Conference!!!! Even though I wish you were moving to Tucson, I love Colorado! you are so blessed!
Soni

[Shannon]

So exciting! Super huge Congrats, McNair!

[Michele Cushatt]

Congrats, McNair. All of us in Colorado are glad to have you. Looking forward to catching up again soon!

[Meredith]

I have heard wonderful things about you and am looking forward to meeting you! I work with Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Barnes in the marketing department.

Have a blessed holiday season and a safe trip here!

Sincerely
Meredith Dunn

[Jim Tice]

What a fantastic opportunity for you and Compassion too! Love what C.I. does and look forward to hearing about your adventures there.

Will continue to pray for your transition and connecting in Colorado Springs.

Don't forget the sharpies!

Jim

[Dennis]

I attended the 50 year anniversary celebration for Compassion in Colorado Springs. They took us on a journey through what the next 50 years might look like ending in a news story of a Compassion sponsored girl who grew up to become president of her African country. That was the best portrayal of a vision that I have ever seen. I left with the feeling "I want to sponsor that girl right now!"

I no longer live in Colorado, but hopefully will get a chance to come visit and will add a stop at Compassion to my list of things to do.

[Len]

Very excited the landing has happened and looking forward to hearing more.

[Anj]

Yeah - that is awesome!

[Trisha]

Awesome! Amazing! Wonderful! That's YOU! :)

[Misty P]

I recently started sponsoring a Compassion child! How wonderful!

[Tina Parker]

Congratulations! May your compassion shine as brightly as your talent and enthusiasm. I look forward to hearing more.

I hear Colorado is a pretty wonderful place to walk.

[Niki]

:D Let me join in the celebratory congratulations! YEAH! I'm glad you're coming to CO. I've been looking forward to seeing you again. I believe in you and I believe in Compassion International. What a team! We've been sponsors through CI for years. I'm glad all of the prayers sent up for you over the past year of job searching are producing fruit that you're excited about. Have you ever heard of flylady.net? Her "27 fling boogie" worked wonders for me and my decluttering self. Best wishes as you lighten your load over the next month. You can do it! :)

[Lauree]

Blessings! Blessings! Blessings! I would like to think that even creative YOU will be surprised by what God will show you next.

[Gene]

Congrats McNair!! My wife and I are on our 3rd Compassion child. We've been sponsoring children with them since 1987. We love getting updates from the kiddos! You'll bring a lot of life and fun to Colorado Springs. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Gene Jennings

[Irene]

Hey McNair,

I'm Compassion Australia's Digital Marketing Specialist, & your blog came up on Technorati while I was sussing out this social media platform ... I'm absolutely DELIGHTED that you're coming on board to the Compassion family!!! My God-given passion is stage performance - I LOOOOVE singing, dancing, acting & directing! (Not quite experienced in designing theme parks, but YAY anyways!) What an asset you'll be at GMC, to educate our supporters on our responsibilities in communicating with the field & in bringing their support to it! Again, welcome on board!!!

Blessings,
Irene

[Juli Jarvis]

Welcome to Compassion's ministry! You're going to love the GMC!

[scott stover]

McNair,

Please don't purge the 100's of Be Our Guest cards you must have collected over the years. We have Chick-fil-A's in COS! (There are no In-and-Out Burgers that I'm aware of...)

Scott

[Ken]

Can't wait to bring my middle schoolers!!!

[wilsonian]

:) Quite a party going on here!

One more stopping in to say congrats. I got a call from someone at Compassion, making sure I had received a letter from my sponsor child. You know... that's never happened before, and I've had interactions with lots of different groups. They clearly care in a broad way. You will empower and inspire, and we will all benefit. Seems like a great match to me.

Peace (and lift with your knees...)

[Suzi Jouvenat]

Does this mean that you will get to celebrate your birthday in Colorado???? I'll bring the cake.

I am beaming for you...and for CI! You are both blessed to have each other and make a mighty difference in our world.

You + Compassion International = An Awareness that echo's the lyrics, "It's a Small World After All..."

I am motivated and excited to sponsor a child now! Knowing that YOU are involved, it has got to be the real deal...as you are one of the most authentic people I have ever met.

Bravo McNair, bravo!

Warmly,
-suzi