Why?

      Many of you might be thinking to yourself: why would I move to Hong Kong? That’s a great question, one that I am continually asking myself. To get a clear picture of why I would do this I need to go back to high school. I was able to mission trips to both Rwanda and Guatemala in high school with Kivu, the camp I now work at during the summer. Both of those trips opened my eyes to the drastic problems that the poor face in developing countries. Luke Parrott, the Men’s Director at Camp Kivu who I have known since high school, brought the job idea to me in March of this year and I was immediately interested. I then traveled with Luke to San Francisco and met with the ICM children’s choir that was touring in the United States. Check out a bit of what I got to see in the video below!

At the time I was struggling with deciding if I was going to go. But after meeting the kids, several staff, and the Chairman of the Board, the decision was clear. ICM, even though based in Hong Kong, was the place I needed to be. The professional approach to working towards solving poverty and not merely temporarily bandaging the problem is something that I get excited about. I am going to have the opportunity to see real change happen of the lives of people making less than 54 cents a day. That’s not something many people get to do.
     Obviously I am excited to help the poor; it’s something I am called to do as a follower of Jesus. I am also excited for the personal development that will happen while working for ICM. I have no idea what God is going to teach me, but I know I’m going to learn a ton. ICM is directed by the business professionals and as a business school graduate; I will be able to learn from some of the best of the best. I'm extremely excited for all I will get to experience and learn over the upcoming years!

Hello!

    Welcome to my new blog! I have just been presented with an incredible opportunity to work with a Christian non-profit that does it's work with the ultra poor in the Philippines for the next two years. I will be living in Hong Kong and traveling to the Philippines leading groups to show what the organization is accomplishing. As the description says; if you are interested in keeping up with my work with ICM (Website) and travels between the Hong Kong and the Philippines, this is the place to be. I will be posting about the adventures and what I learn along the way. The goal is to get an update on here at least once a week.
    Here's a link to a great video that explains exactly what ICM has done and is doing in the Philippines: ICM History

    I am am equally excited and nervous for the opportunity. It is a once in a lifetime chance to work with such an incredible organization and I know the Lord is going to teach me more than I can understand. This is exciting, but growth isn't easy. There is a lot of fear in my life that surfaces when facing the challenge of moving to a place I have never been, to do a job I have never done.

   Another challenge I am facing is raising money to support my salary. All of ICM's employees in Hong Kong work as volunteers and raise the money needed to pay their salaries. I will be working for ICM for nine months, then I will be back at Kivu during the summer, then finally another nine months back working for ICM. This means I will be needing to raise a little over $20,000 for each nine months  I will be working. The cost of living in Hong Kong is high but my salary will cover those costs. All travel costs while I am in the Philippines are covered by the organization. Support and prayer would be greatly appreciated. If you are willing and interested in donating please contact me at colecrawford23@yahoo.com, I would love to give you any more information you would like to have.