WHERE DO YOU TOTE LIFE? James Bailey Totes Life Through Developing People and Communities

With tremendous vision, effective implementation, and a huge heart for others, James M. Bailey lives by his personal motto, “Build As We Climb,” working to support programs that give youth every opportunity to succeed.  His goal is to inspire youth to rise from the ashes of their circumstances and soar towards living in their purpose. Throughout his life and career, James has been a true example of one who totes LIFE and gives to others.

In 2015, James founded one of the nation’s most innovative private equity firms, Greenwood Archer. Through a “Human Capital” approach, Greenwood Archer re-imagines the way America’s most underserved communities leverage assets, establish wealth, strengthen infrastructure, and create jobs.  James also helps lead the Phoenix Leadership Foundation in funding and developing programs that provide positive role models for youth and help them develop as leaders. 

Before Greenwood Archer, James served as CEO for the Atlanta Market of Operation HOPE, a global nonprofit organization focused on economic empowerment.  HOPE’s southeastern region now helps more than 160,000 youth, adults, and families start businesses, buy homes, raise credit scores, and increase their financial literacy.

A dedicated community servant, James also totes LIFE as he volunteers with numerous organizations, including The Wren’s Nest, Verbalyze, Inc., the Safe America Foundation, the Metro Atlanta Chamber Board of Advisors, the Phoenix Leadership Foundation, and most notably he serves as Scoutmaster of the Mighty Troop 100 located on Atlanta’s Westside.

Toting LIFE to others, James ensures that where there is despair, hope takes over and where there is lack, opportunity emerges.  His life is impacting many as he lives out his belief that “people matter…period.”   

Learn more at www.lifetotes.org and www.phoenixleadership.org.

LifeTotes restores hope...

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

You will never know what God will use to get you to do what He needs done in this world.  Over 2 years ago, God used a bag with an elephant on it to get the attention of a young woman from Georgia.  The purchase of this bag began an exciting journey of faith that would restore hope to women and children halfway around the world.   

She thought she was buying a bag that reminded her of the mascot of her favorite sports team.  Those were not God’s thoughts at all.  His thoughts were of women in Cambodia that needed a means to feed their children.  His thoughts were of the restoration of hope for these women through the dignified wage that would come with each LifeTotes bag they created.   He was thinking about a pastor who needed funds to build a school for children living at a dumpsite in Phnom Penh.  He was thinking about the hope that would be restored in that community when education became offered and accessible for all.

Today, each LifeTotes bag sewn and purchased represents hope restored for women and their families.  The LifeTotes dumpsite school emerges as a picture of hope restored for many children.

In the foyer of our church is a sign that reads ‘Hope Lives Here’.  Every time I see it, I am encouraged that even though the world around me is in chaos, Hope can still be found.  In the middle of a dumpsite with trash and waste all around stands a school that was built by God so that the community could see His love for them.  Hope lives there.

LifeTotes is all about restoring hope, a hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Won’t you join us in helping to restore hope in a world that is hopeless without Him?

Contributed by Allyson Overstreet

WHERE DO YOU TOTE LIFE? Saving Susan Ministries Totes Life to Orphaned Children

In 2013, a little girl would change Tracy and Jay Arntzen’s life forever. While on a mission trip to Cambodia, Jay Arntzen met a 5-year-old girl named Vichika at an orphanage there.  Not able to pronounce her name, Jay nicknamed her “Susan,” and she became the catalyst for the Saving Susan Ministry which has brought life and hope to many orphans in Cambodia.

Tracy and Jay started the Saving Susan Ministry to reverse the effects of abandonment felt by orphans. The God-inspired vision of Saving Susan Ministry is to match orphans with Parenting Partners, who will provide love, financial support and relational encouragement to these forgotten children. Through regular Skype calls, orphans and families will grow in their love and knowledge of one another. This covenant relationship helps these children build their future with hope.

Through the open hearts of Tracy and Jay, Saving Susan is currently giving life through their work in Cambodia, a country whose borders are closed to international adoption due to human trafficking. Their prayer is that doors will open in other countries where the need is also great.  Meanwhile, in Cambodia, Vichika (“Susan”) is moving beyond abandonment and being daily restored with hope and future through the love and support of Tracy and Jay Arntzen. 

LifeTotes makes them new...

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5)

The LifeTote product above is made in Cambodia from a reclaimed cement bag that was once tossed aside as no longer useful. These cement bags can be seen everywhere throughout Cambodia. They pile up in landfills and dump sites, pollute water sources and lay on the side of streets.  They are junk to almost everyone’s eyes except to the innovative eyes that saw their potential, picked them up, and turned them into this useful #LIFEgiving Tote. 

The process of making the used cement bags into a new tote is a labor of love, and step-by-step the new tote emerges.  The bags are thoroughly cleaned, washed and dried.  They are then cut into the exact pieces needed for each specific product.  With all of the unique pieces cut and ready, the skilled hands of the women seamstresses begin to sew together the pieces of what will be a lovely new tote. In similar fashion, as these Totes are being crafted, the women whose hands are cleaning, washing, drying, cutting and sewing them together are themselves being given a clean start, allowing them to piece together from shattered remnants, a lovely new life filled with hope and fullness.

Our totes are a beautiful picture of what we know to be true about a life fully restored by Christ. We believe that in Christ we are all transformed, just like our totes.  He walks us through the process of restoration, cleansing and washing us. When we find Jesus, we get a fresh start. Our old life is gone and we are made new (2 Corinthians 2:17).  We are completely reclaimed and fully restored.

With this new heart, we can embrace the call to live a life of love (Ephesians 5:2) so that not only are we made new, but our actions can bring newness to others so that they too can experience complete restoration.  LifeTotes works to see all people living a life fully restored and made new. 

LifeTotes sees their potential...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you…" Jeremiah 29:11

God knows the plans He has for us. Before He formed us in our mother’s womb He knew these plans (Jeremiah 1:5), and then He crafted our inmost being, delicately knit us together (Psalms 139:13) and designed us to live life in abundance through Him (John 10:10). 

Life abundant is spiritual wealth that overflows into our behavior and it is rooted in a correct understanding of how God views us. Once we understand how God views us as individuals, we learn how to rightfully treat others. If God’s plans for us are to prosper us and not to harm us, then we can be certain that His plan for us is to prosper others and not to harm them, or leave them in harmful situations if we find them there. We know this is how we should live because this is how God has demonstrated His love for us. So this is why we exist, to help others prosper, to not harm them, to point them towards abundant life where there is hope and future, because this is how we were all designed to function.