A video was taken by a passerby of missionaries comforting a man by the side of the road in Guatemala. The touching video went viral enough to catch the attention of Davis Smith, the founder of Cotopaxi who is currently serving as mission leader in the Brazil Recife North Mission.
Davis posted about the video to his social media saying, “I don’t know the story behind this man, but I can tell you that I’m proud of amazing 18–22-year-olds who joyfully put their lives on hold for two years and selflessly volunteer twelve-hour days, six and half days a week. They are the next generation of humanitarians, selfless leaders, and world changers.”
Earlier in the post, Davis shared a touching story about how missionary service changed his own life.
The best preparation I had to become a purpose-driven leader was not at Wharton or as a young CEO, it was my church mission in Bolivia from 1997-1999. This is my journal entry from July 2, 1999 (days before going home):
“Today we ate lunch at the central market where they serve the simplest of foods: cow stomach or intestines with rice and a side of boiled potatoes. As patrons finish their meals, hungry children beg for the leftovers. As we ate, the most beautiful, bright-eyed little girl asked for the potatoes on Elder (Nate) Davis‘s plate. He is so kind, and immediately handed over his entire plate. She was dirty and clearly malnourished. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone look so grateful. Her smile was so full of emotion that I actually began to cry. I made a promise to myself that I would never forget this moment. If I have money, someday, I want to help people with whatever I have. I’d love to come back down here and do something worthwhile—something that helps others.”
Here more from Davis, and his wife Asialene, on the All In podcast: Davis and Asialene Smith: On a Mission to ‘Do Good’.
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