In 1994, when Mother Teresa asked a young Hal Donaldson what he was doing to help the poor and suffering, he replied “not much of anything.” She told him, “everyone can do something.” Her words lingered, and the (then) aspiring journalist, returned from India and began handing out groceries out of the back of a pickup truck, and went on to found the nonprofit organization Convoy of Hope.
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world. With a long history as an early responder in times of natural disasters, Convoy of Hope has served more than 200 million people since it was founded in 1994. Join us today as we talk about the small beginnings of this non-profit, his book Disruptive Compassion, and how a little group goes a long way.
Quotes:
“I would have been scared had God shown me at the beginning what I’m doing today.”
“We don’t spend a lot of time looking back over our shoulder and patting ourselves on the back because we need to keep our focus on the windshield and what is in front of us.”
“We waste energy looking back so we focus our energy on today and tomorrow.”
“It begins with people like you and me befriending people. It’s the Jesus model. He befriended people, and showed concern for their spiritual and physical needs.”
“I want my life to become more like Jesus’ life.”
“Mother Theresa asked me what I was doing to help the poor and suffering. She said everyone can do something.”
“Just do the next kind thing that Jesus puts in front of you.”
“The way to fulfillment and purpose in life is through giving.”
“I questioned what I could do. I’m just one person. We can be paralyzed by the magnitude of the need.”
“I’m not asking you to feed the world, I’m asking you to feed the person right in front of you.”
“Jesus wants to help people more than we do, He’s just looking for people to raise their hands and say I’ll try.”
“Left to our own devices we are going to lean toward comfort.”
“We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness.”
“We were born to emulate Jesus and Jesus was a revolutionary.”
“If we love others first, that is revolutionary. That is different.”
The Gospel on the Ground by Kristi McClelland
“Compassion fatigue is real.”
“It’s not me that is giving. It is Jesus giving through me. I’m a channel of Christ’s compassion to other people.”
“This is Jesus’ work, not ours.”
“When you are doing this kind of work you can anticipate hardship but you can also expect miracles. God has come through every time.”
“I write notes to God. Don’t be afraid to write letters to God. He’s a great reader.”
“Unity is an invitation to do something huge. Disunity is a ceiling. It tells God we don’t want to grow.”
Connect with Hal and Convoy Of Hope:
Hal’s latest book:
Disruptive Compassion: Becoming the Revolutionary You Were Born to Be
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