Date & Timestamp : 18 MAR 16
Chick-fil-A Operator and Visiting Executive, Darrell Frick, Shares His Experiences of BDC Rwanda
By Kaitlyn Hiltz – March 16, 2016
How It All Began – This week we got to catch up with a long-standing RCE friend, ambassador, distance consultant, and visiting executive, Darrell Frick about his experiences being involved with RCE.
It all began in 2012, when we first encountered Darrell, a Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator out of Elkridge, California, through our kingdom business partnership with LifeShape International. He was able to join a cross-country trip in 2012 with a colleague, and found himself at BDC Rwanda as a Visiting Executive (VE). From the get go, he felt connected to a number of the BDC graduates he encountered, who openly and willingly shared their stories and experiences from the Rwandan genocide with such rawness and courage. These people whose lives and families were wrecked by death and destruction were embodying principles of grace and forgiveness; redemption and renewed conviction.
Darrell with Rwandan genocide survivor and author, Eric Irivuzumugabe
The Power of Prayerful Provision – Yet Darrell and his colleagues didn’t just get to hear their stories and give them business advice, they were able to become active participants in their journey. Around the table, they prayed for these aspiring entrepreneurs, many of whom, had never experienced an intercession on their behalf or a time of communal prayer. One graduate even later shared with them:
“It’s meant so much to me that you would take your time to come here. And then to pray with me? You’ve lifted my depression to hope, and I’ve never experienced that element of faith before. It’s truly meant so much to me, I’m going to name my son after you.”
Staying Connected Back at Home – Upon returning from his trip, Darrell’s desire to stay connected remained fueled. The Lord led him to RCE’s Distance Consulting program. Darrel admits:
“Honestly, at first I felt overwhelmed and inadequate for the level of business experience need. Yet I still chose to step out in faith as a Distance Consultant (DC), and started making the calls to Herve [an entrepreneur I’d met in Rwanda and was connected with]. I approached the conversations with a simple coaching framework. By asking questions, and walking him through current hot topics, it gave Herve the ability to clarify what was going on in his business, what was a priority, and simply gave him a grateful heart for someone who was also invested in his interests.”
Darrell goes on to tell us that, “Culturally, the availability of mentorship is largely lacking in Rwanda (as a result of the genocide), so even hearing, ‘Good job’, is so meaningful. What also transpired from the calls, were unique opportunities for me to serve as a professional reference and advocate for Herve in his future endeavors.”
Darrell and Herve
When asked what he’d say to someone considering getting involved with the DC/VE opportunity he stated:
“Make connections and check in with people—the kingdom impact you can have in talking to someone for 1 hour is pretty amazing” – Darrell Frick
How Did They Make It Work? – Read more about how Darrell and Herve pushed through the challenges and obstacles associated with distance communication, as well as his secrets for lasting connection and success in an upcoming post and next month’s newsletter [subscribe below].
We are grateful for and encouraged by all of Darrell’s investments and contributions.
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