As we stand on the edge of yet another chapter in the winding saga of Spirit Mountain, I’ve been doing what all great visionaries do: sitting with a cup of strong Dominican coffee, avoiding email, and pondering why exactly we keep saying yes to the beautifully complex, occasionally insane journey we’re on.
After some reflection, a few head shakes, and one near-death experience involving a goat and a poorly secured wheelbarrow, I’ve landed on five themes that explain a lot — or at least help me sleep at night.
1. Love Your Neighbor (Even the Loud Ones)\
At the core of our family’s decisions — from moving to a foreign country to planting a hundred thousand trees — is one simple (but not always easy) idea: love others the way you want to be loved. We’re people of faith, followers of Jesus, and increasingly drawn to the way He walked through the world: sacrificially, tenderly, with ridiculous hospitality toward those who didn’t deserve it.
And let’s be honest — it’s easy to love people when they agree with you, vote like you, and bring guava jam to the potluck. The real test is loving the ones who don’t. The ones who drive too fast down your road, or tell you shade-grown coffee is a scam (yes, that happened). But here’s the thing — I’ve never once regretted showing love. Not once.
2. Dream (Like You Actually Mean It)
Real dreams don’t come from Pinterest boards or startup podcasts. Real dreams are wild-eyed, soul-rooted visions for a better world. For us, dreaming led us to the Dominican Republic — just two broke, slightly idealistic college grads with a Yes in our gut and zero Spanish skills. That yes became youth camps, a bilingual school, a reforested coffee farm, and now, a community rooted in ecology, faith, and mountain biking.
Dreams like that aren’t about personal gain. They’re about making the world a little more whole — and dragging a few friends along with you.
3. Learn (Like Your Life Depends on It — Because Sometimes It Does)
We didn’t come to the DR with a ten-year plan. We came with a two-year commitment and a healthy amount of ignorance. We learned Spanish (poorly at first), learned how to navigate new systems, cultural nuance, and the art of negotiating with a machete in the back seat. (Long story.)
But here’s the magic: we became better humans through that process. More colorful. More humble. More attuned to the rhythms of the land and the people. Learning didn’t just get us through — it changed us. And it keeps doing so.
4. Take Risks (Smart Ones, Mostly)
This one’s personal. If you know me, you know my hobbies include sports that require helmets and an occasional disregard for common sense. But in the rest of life, we take risks too — measured, prayed-over, seat-of-the-pants leaps into the unknown.
Starting a school? Risky. Buying land in the mountains of a foreign country? Riskier. Trying to make good coffee while preserving an ecosystem? Definitely not in the handbook. But here’s the deal — dreams without risk are just daydreams. And you don’t change the world with daydreams.
5. Work Hard (Like It’s Going to Take a While — Because It Will)
We live in an age where everything’s curated, filtered, and seemingly effortless. But if you’ve ever tried to build anything that lasts — a farm, a family, a faith community — you know the truth: hard things take time. Real success is messy. It’s not linear. And some days, it feels like you’re going south when you’re supposed to be heading north.
But you keep going. You dig deep. You trust the process. And you remember: the good stuff takes time. And usually, a machete.
Final Encouragement:
So here’s my final encouragement:
When the next big idea comes knocking — one that seems way too big, way too hard, and absolutely unreasonable — don’t automatically say no. Sit with it. Pray about it. Talk it over with wise people. And if it still won’t leave you alone, maybe that’s your invitation to go off-map.
Just be prepared: it may not be easy. But it might be the best thing you ever do.
As always, if you need help dreaming, risking, learning, or just want to swap biking stories or debate proper coffee bloom technique — call, text, or WhatsApp me.
We’re building something here. You’re invited.
— Chad
