The Empowered Road · Journal
Retirement With a Purpose… and a Road With a Purpose
Campground neighbors, Belle’s birthplace, and a new friend at WorldWide Lab
Monday morning gave us something we had not had much of since leaving Minnesota:
A little room to breathe.
We took advantage of the morning to walk around the campground, stretch our legs, and meet some of our neighbors, each of whom, we quickly discovered, was on a journey of their own.
One of the unexpected things I am already enjoying about life on the road is hearing people’s stories. Campgrounds are filled with people coming from somewhere and heading somewhere else, and almost everyone has an interesting reason for being there.
That morning we learned about a group called NOMADS, a camping organization whose tagline is: “Retirement With a Purpose.”
I love that.
These are people who enjoy traveling and seeing the country, but their travels are about much more than sightseeing. They use their time, skills, and resources to serve others, helping churches, camps, nonprofit organizations, and communities that need an extra set of hands.
Traveling… but with purpose. That obviously resonated with us.
We also met a wonderful couple from San Diego. Within a short time, we were swapping stories and discovering common interests, and we fully intend to find them again somewhere down the road.
Maybe that is another thing The Empowered Road is already teaching us: some of the most meaningful stops aren’t on the itinerary.
Back to Where Belle Began
Later that day we toured the factory where our camper, Belle, was built.
After the mechanical adventures of the past month, I will admit that our relationship with Belle has been slightly… complicated.
We love her. But there have been moments… Lots of moments.
Walking through the Brinkley factory and seeing the people, processes, and thought that go into building these campers restored some of the confidence that had been shaken during the weeks leading up to our departure.
After all the repairs, phone calls, parts, service appointments, and unexpected problems, it was good to see the other side of the process.
Then we pointed Belle toward Holland, Michigan.
And somewhere along the way, reality returned.
The Road — and the “Real Job”
One of my goals for The Empowered Road is to be fully present with the people God puts in front of us. But I am also still the President and CEO of Haiti Empowered. That job didn’t disappear when we pulled out of the driveway.
So while Mo drove, I opened the laptop. Emails, phone calls, planning. Questions from Haiti. Decisions that needed to be made. And, looming rather significantly in front of us, Hope Night, our major fall event.
Even now, only a few days into this journey, I feel the tension between the literal road we are traveling and the figurative road I am responsible for helping Haiti Empowered navigate. There are moments when I wonder how I am going to do both well.
And then I remember the extraordinary team surrounding me.
There are people back home taking ownership, solving problems, making decisions, and carrying pieces of this mission while I am away.
I am incredibly grateful for them.
The Empowered Road was never supposed to be something I did instead of leading Haiti Empowered. It is one of the ways I am trying to lead it.
And Holland reminded me why.
Old Friends and New Possibilities
While in the Holland area, I had the opportunity to spend time with an existing Haiti Empowered partner. This conversation was so encouraging. It is great to have people who have walked alongside this ministry for years still asking questions, still caring about our students and families, and still willing to share our story with others.
That matters more than they probably realize.
But Holland also brought us a completely new relationship, one that left me almost overwhelmed by how closely the pieces seemed to fit together.
His name is Ed Bos, President and Founder of WorldWide Lab.
Ed and I had exchanged emails and spoken several times before this trip. Nothing prepared me for meeting him in person.
When Mission Meets Mission
Ed and his wife built their organization together more than 30 years ago. Last August, Ed lost the love of his life. He speaks with tremendous confidence that she is healed and with Jesus, and yet the depth of how much he misses her is impossible to miss.
Within minutes of sitting together, our conversation became about much more than laboratory equipment.
We laughed. And yes, we cried. We talked about calling, loss, faith and mission. And we talked candidly about the reality that sometimes doing work you believe God has called you to do does not mean the road will be easy.
Ed understands that road in ways I am still learning.
For decades, WorldWide Lab has helped mission organizations around the world establish medical laboratories in their communities.
But what captured my attention was how they do it.
Their model isn’t simply to deliver equipment and leave.
They equip local people to operate, maintain, and eventually sustain the laboratory themselves.
Read that again.
Equip local people. Build capacity. Create sustainability.
If you know Haiti Empowered, you probably understand why I was getting goosebumps.
That is exactly how we want to approach ministry. Not simply doing something for Haiti. Coming alongside Haitian professionals and giving them the tools and opportunity to do more for their own communities.
What Could This Mean for Léogâne?
A functioning laboratory at our medical clinic could dramatically expand what our Haitian medical team is able to do.
Right now, there are tests our providers need that either cannot be done locally or require patients to travel somewhere else. Many times it is simply too expensive or too dangerous for them to risk their lives getting to where the test has to be done!
Having those capabilities available within our clinic could lead to faster diagnoses, better treatment decisions, and more complete care.
But there is another part of the vision that excites me just as much.
Sustainability.
WorldWide Lab has successfully helped establish laboratories in communities near ours (okay, so near is still 4.5 hours away), which means our two future Haitian laboratory technicians could potentially receive hands-on training from people already operating similar equipment.
They would also have people nearby to call when questions arise.
And as the laboratory grows, it has the potential to generate income that can help support the medical program itself.
That is empowerment.
Of course, there is work ahead.
We need to make sure our facility is fully prepared for the equipment. We need to ensure that we have the right people in the right positions. And we need to raise the resources necessary to make it happen.
Our current estimate is approximately $25,000 for equipment and shipping, along with roughly $15,000 per year during the first few years of operation while the laboratory develops toward greater sustainability.
Those aren’t insignificant numbers. But sitting across from Ed, they suddenly didn’t feel impossible. They felt like the beginning of a plan.
Another Door Opens
There was a point in our conversation when I realized that this was about more than finding someone who knows laboratory equipment. I had met a new friend. And perhaps a mentor.
Someone who understands mission work, understands sustainability, understands loss, understands perseverance — and understands enough about Haiti to know that what lies ahead will not necessarily be easy.
And yet, he is willing to walk beside us and help us find a way.
I left that meeting incredibly excited about what could happen. But even more than that, I left grateful.
Grateful for Ed and for our longtime Holland partners. Grateful for a team that allows me to be out here having these conversations while the work continues at home and in Haiti. And grateful for another reminder that God seems to be opening doors ahead of us before we even know they are there.
As we drove across Michigan toward our next stop, our hearts were full.
This weekend we will have another opportunity to share Haiti Empowered with hundreds — perhaps thousands — of people at the Westland Multicultural Festival.
We don’t know who we will meet or what conversations will happen. We don’t know which connections will matter six months or six years from now. And, maybe we don’t need to. We simply need to keep showing up. We need to keep listening. And we need to keep walking through the doors that open.
I know that God is already somewhere farther down the road, preparing the next one.
Every mile tells a story.Every stop changes lives.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A few answers for friends following along
What is NOMADS?
NOMADS is a camping organization whose tagline is “Retirement With a Purpose.” Its members travel the country and use their time, skills, and resources to serve churches, camps, nonprofit organizations, and communities that need an extra set of hands.
Where was Belle built?
Belle is a Brinkley camper. During this leg of the trip we toured the Brinkley factory where she was built, which helped restore some confidence after a month of repairs.
What is WorldWide Lab?
WorldWide Lab was founded by Ed Bos and his wife more than 30 years ago. For decades it has helped mission organizations around the world establish medical laboratories, training local people to operate, maintain, and eventually sustain the labs themselves.
Why does the clinic in Léogâne need a laboratory?
Some tests our providers need cannot be done locally, and patients often have to travel somewhere else to get them, which can be too expensive or too dangerous. An on-site lab could mean faster diagnoses, better treatment decisions, and more complete care.
How much will the laboratory cost?
Our current estimate is approximately $25,000 for equipment and shipping, plus roughly $15,000 per year during the first few years of operation while the lab develops toward greater sustainability.
How would the laboratory become sustainable?
WorldWide Lab has helped establish labs in communities near ours, so our two future Haitian laboratory technicians could train with people already running similar equipment and have someone to call with questions. As the lab grows, it could also generate income to help support the medical program.
Where is The Empowered Road headed next?
Next up is the Westland Multicultural Festival, where we will have the chance to share Haiti Empowered with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people.
How can I follow The Empowered Road?
Visit the Empowered Road page for updates from every stop along the way.