Do I Miss It?

April 20, 2015
by Rodney Olsen
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image

There’s not usually a week that goes past without someone asking me if I miss it. It was such a big part of my life for so many years you can’t blame people for wondering.

I started working in radio on the 8th of May, 1988. That’s almost 27 years ago. It was my full time job for almost twenty of those years and something I did part time for most of the years in between. Towards the end of November 2013 I took the leap from working in radio to working for Compassion Australia as a Relationship Manager.

At the moment I’m on the Gold Coast where this week I’ll be representing Compassion the Christian Media Australia Connect 2015 Conference. I’ll be surrounded by radio people and others involved in media. No doubt some will ask me if I miss working in the industry.

Even after all these years, nothing beats the excitement of being live on air, knowing that anything could happen. Being able to communicate to thousands of people through such an ‘immediate’ medium is both challenging and rewarding. And let’s be honest, when it’s all working as it should, it’s a lot of fun. It can also be an opportunity to communicate important, even life changing truths.

Well maybe ‘almost nothing’ beats working in radio. When you have the chance to play a part in releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name and seeing that difference that can make, I can easily say I don’t miss radio. Yes, there are times that I hear of someone interesting heading to Perth there’s a moment where I wish I could interview them, but overall, what I’m doing now is what I want to keep doing for a long time.



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Released to Dream

April 17, 2015
by Rodney Olsen
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Silas

I’ve met many inspirational people through my job at Compassion. Those who inspire me aren’t always those who have achieved great things as most of the world would see it. Most of the time they’re people who have beaten enormous odds and have then gone back to the place of their greatest challenges in order to help others.

Silas is one of those inspirational people.

He has overcome great challenges and has exceeded the kinds of expectations that poverty placed upon him. Silas refused to believe the lies that poverty told him.

Silas Mwangi Irungu was born and raised in Mathare, Kenya’s second largest slum after Kibera. As the first born in a family of three, he grew up in his no more than 10 by10 feet mud house, wondering why life was so unfair. His family struggled to find their place in the immensely populated, narrow, dark and dangerous alleys of the slum.

Silas’ father survived being stabbed during a robbery attempt, and as a young boy, Silas was rushed to hospital, unconscious, after he was injured during one of many violent raids in the slums. He lost many of his friends to crime and drugs. Even more tragic was the loss of his only brother, who was shot and killed in his neighbourhood.

Yet, there was a tiny ray of light that shone through the rusty iron sheets when he was enrolled into the Compassion program, and sponsored by an American couple, Mr. &Mrs. William Jackson who went on to support him for over 15 years.

Thanks to a sponsor who lived half a world away, Silas was able to not only survive where others didn’t, he proved again and again that poverty doesn’t have to define a person.

SilasandRodney
It was an honour to have Silas in Western Australia to tell his story and to inspire hundreds of people through a number of speaking engagements. It was even more of an honour to spend some time with him and to get to know him a little.

I really don’t know that I would have the kind of resilience that Silas displays if I had been born into poverty. I guess that understanding the extreme privilege of being born and raised in Australia reminds me of my responsibility to speak up for the many millions who have no voice.

While Silas was in Perth he was interviewed by Tim Long at 98five. You can be inspired by hearing his story too. Just click the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

Silas joined Leadership Development Program and studied a Bachelor’s degree in Science (Mathematics). It was a ground breaking occasion for him. He was the first in his immediate family to join university. LDP not only assured him of uninterrupted access to higher education, but also confirmed to him that years of growing up in poverty, and rummaging through piles of life’s uncertainties, hadn’t reduced his life’s worth.

The greatest ‘disservice’ that LDP did to Silas, he says, was raising his life’s expectations. He began to see that he could conquer challenges that initially seemed insurmountable. Compassion gave him hope.

Silas is now conquering those challenges by making a difference in his family and society. He is now supporting his family- who no longer live in the slums, and also educating his sister through university. Silas also works with Compassion Kenya as a Field Communications Specialist, and tells the stories of hope, of children living in poverty.

You can make an incredible difference in the life of a child who right now is facing the kinds of battles that Silas faced. Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion today.



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Who can you trust with your money?

February 5, 2015
by Rodney Olsen
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ETH
Part of my job is to let people know about the opportunities to help children who are in desperate poverty. Many times when I’ve spoken to people I’m asked about how much money actually goes towards helping children and how much is used in administration and for other costs. Most of the time that question is genuine, coming from people who want to ensure that their money is being used wisely.

So how do we really know that an organisaton is using money well and is doing what they say they’ll do with your money?

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator is an independent charity evaluator which works to inform those of us who want to help others but need to know if the money we give is actually doing what it should be doing. They check the financial health, accountability and transparency of thousands of charities. Those put under the microscope range from faith based and secular agencies working in developing countries to organisations working within the U.S. for causes like fighting cancer through to a foundation giving grants to shooting sports. They’ve just released their 14th annual research findings.

As someone who works for Compassion, I’m more than happy to be able to point people to independent evaluations of our work. I know that what we do is making a huge difference because I’ve seen it first hand, but being able to say to people, “Don’t just take my word for it” is extremely important. It’s good to see that Compassion has once again found itself at the top of the ratings.

Compassion International’s outstanding financial stewardship and commitment to accountability and transparency has earned the ministry four out of four stars – Charity Navigator’s highest rating – for the 14th year in a row. Charity Navigator is America’s largest independent charity evaluator. The ranking places Compassion among the top 1 percent of nonprofits reviewed and first on Charity Navigator’s list of top 10 Charities with the Most Consecutive 4-Star Ratings. – Compassion News

Wow. Once again Compassion is in the top 1% of the thousands of charities that were reviewed. As you can imagine, that gives me extreme confidence when I talk to friends, supporters, pastors and churches about how Compassion truly is releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Charity Navigator’s President and CEO, Ken Berger explains a little of what that actually means for those looking for an effective way of helping those in need of our help.

“Less than one percent of the charities we rate have received at least 14 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Compassion International outperforms most other charities in America,” said Ken Berger, president and CEO of Charity Navigator. “This ‘exceptional designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Compassion from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.” – Compassion News

I work for Compassion because I am convinced that there is no more effective organisation serving the world’s poor. I have seen no other method of working with those in poverty that even comes close to the way that Compassion is working.

That’s not the marketing spin of someone who works for the organisation, it’s the heartfelt conviction of someone who has seen the light streaming in to some very dark corners of this world and wants to be part of seeing more light and hope filling the lives of those around the world who are the poorest of the poor.

“Financial integrity is more than a priority at Compassion,” said Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, president and CEO of Compassion International. “It’s a passion and deeply held value. Donors can rest assured that their hard-earned dollars are being used efficiently and wisely to serve some of the poorest children in the world. And we cannot forget that the ministry’s health comes directly from God blessing the passionate commitment of our children’s loving caregivers, partner churches, sponsors, donors, advocates and staff.” – Compassion News

If you are keen to see the end of extreme poverty, can I encourage you to do the research and find an organisation you can trust to do the job they promise to do. For me, the results are in and they point directly to Compassion. If you want to find out more about what Compassion does, just head to the website.



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A Long Way to Ride a Bike

January 31, 2015
by Rodney Olsen
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breakmeneck

Earlier this week I posted a video of my first trip to India in February 2003. That’s now got me thinking of later that same year when I cycled in a team from Perth, Western Australia, to Hobart, Tasmania. 4233.77km in 32 days.

I’ve cycled the Nullarbor five times in all. My first trip was a ride from Perth to Canberra in 1987. I did the same journey with a different route the following year. In 1990 I was part of team that cycled from Perth to Adelaide. It was a decade before my next crossing in 2000 when a large group cycled from Perth to Sydney, arriving just before the start of the Sydney Olympics.

The ride from Perth to Hobart in 2003 is my most recent Nullarbor crossing and I reckon it’s about time I went for number six.

Each of the rides was with The Bible Society as part of their Bike for Bibles program.

Check out the video to see 32 days of riding reduced to three and a half minutes.

So … 2016? Do you want to come for a ride? I’m looking at the possibility of Perth to Newcastle, raising money for Compassion.



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The Conflict of Christmas

December 2, 2014
by Rodney Olsen
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goc

Once again, I’m conflicted. If I’m honest, I don’t really need anything for Christmas. If no one bought me a gift for Christmas, or any other occasion, I could survive. In fact not just survive but continue to thrive.

The conflict comes from the fact that I still enjoy receiving gifts. I love the unwrapping and the excitement of having something shiny and new. I also love the fact that people care enough to choose something for me.

It concerns me that while I’m enjoying lovely new things that I don’t really need, there are people in many parts of the world that don’t have the basics that they need to get on with the daily task of just keeping their families alive.

If Christmas is about celebrating Jesus, surely we should be doing something that honours him and his heart for the poor, rather than overindulging while most of the world goes without.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting we should all be miserable and not fully enter into the celebrations at this time of year.

Balance

I suppose that’s where we all need some kind of balance between the giving and receiving of gifts between friends and loved ones and our wider responsibility to those in need around the world. We live in a global village but most of he villagers are missing out. Those of us who’ve been blessed by simply being born in the right place should spare a thought for those who only ask for the gift of life this Christmas.

I might not have a lot of use for a pig but for a rural family in a developing country the simple gift of a pig could be just what they need to break free from poverty.

Compassion

So where do you buy a pig and how do you get it to someone who needs it? Compassion Australia’s Gifts of Compassion is open and ready for business. Their gifts help people who are battling desperate poverty. They can take your money and turn it into a very real solution to poverty.

You can buy everything from mosquito nets to a rickshaw with lots more in between including chickens, cows, sewing machines and baby vaccinations.

Your support really does make a difference.

I’ve visited churches partnering with Compassion in five of the 26 countries where they’re working and I can personally vouch for the work they do. When you support those in poverty through Compassion, the aid really does make it to those who need it.

This Christmas I do want to receive something for myself, wrapped in thought and love, but I also hope that someone will give me a pig or a chicken or a toiletry kit for someone I’ll never meet.

What about you?

Go on … you’ve thought about it before but unless you let your loved ones know now it’ll never happen. Ask those you love to buy something for someone else this Christmas.



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