Get to know Roger Allmand, a purposeful partner of Possibilities Africa, in this special episode. Expect to learn more about the importance of looking for God’s hand, the definition of legacy, and the value of relationships. 

Transcription

00:06

Emily: Welcome to the 4:18 Podcast. I’m Emily, and today I am sitting down for a special conversation with Roger Allmand.

00:14

Emily: Roger has partnered with Possibilities Africa for four years, and he brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to the table. He formerly worked on and eventually managed his family business for over 50 years before starting a new venture called Legacy Purpose, where we are today. He is a Christ follower who seeks to encourage and love people daily. Roger, welcome to the podcast. 

Roger: Well, Emily, thank you. I didn’t know who you were talking about. That sounded pretty good. Can I use that on my funeral… 

00:43

What’s the funeral? 

Emily: Your obituary? 

Roger: Obituary, yeah. That sounds good.  

Emily: I think there’s more they could add. 

Roger: Okay.

Emily: Yeah. Well, Roger, would you start by sharing more about what you do here at Legacy Purpose? 

Roger: Sure. When we sold our company in 2015, I wondered what I was going to do because I’d always enjoyed working with people and enjoying kind of trying to be an encourager, I guess. So, decided to start

01:11

a little venture, just trying to figure out how to encourage people. So that’s what we do out here. We call it Legacy Purpose. And to me, in fact, I just reviewed the definition of legacy, which I hadn’t looked at it for a while. I love it. This is a biblical concept of legacy. It refers to the spiritual, moral, and cultural inheritance passed down from one generation to another.

01:40

The spiritual, moral, and cultural inheritance passed down from one generation to the other. 

Emily: Do you have an idea of what that looks like for you? 

Roger: Well, I’m doing what it looks like for me. We meet with maybe two people a week or so out here and currently are in touch with maybe 30 different ministries. 

Emily: Wow. 

Roger: Almost on a monthly basis.

02:07

And we really literally just try to encourage people and it’s a fun thing. And sometimes, you know, you maybe give them a buck. Sometimes you smile and sometimes you can be nice. Just anything to try to encourage people. And it doesn’t take much. Everybody kind of relates well to being encouraged, it seems. 

Emily: Yeah. 

Roger: So it’s fun. I feel like I’m cheating every day. 

Emily: You do? 

Roger: Get to do this. That’s awesome. 

Emily: Yeah, that’s so sweet.

02:37

So, I saw this on your website, but I heard you reference the Mark Twain quote, which reads, “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” What is your personal why? 

Roger: Well, I think I already kind of touched on it actually. Try to be an encourager to people, try to help people think through what might be an enjoyable life for them and a life of purpose.  So that’s kind of…

03:06

over and over again, which I’ll probably be telling you today, but that’s really what my why is trying to be helpful to people. 

Emily: Is there a significant moment that you feel like you discovered that as your purpose or was it over time for you? 

Roger: It was over time. While we were in business, when we sold the business, we had a couple hundred employees. So I kind of learned how to work with people, ready or not. And I always liked the idea on my…

03:37

Business card now, I used to say I was an encourager. I thought that was a little presumptuous after a while. So now my business card says that I’m an encourager apprentice, trying to learn how to be an encourager and try to reflect Christ and create, make disciples. It doesn’t say make disciples. It says as you are going, make disciples. The focus is on whatever you do every day, whoever you’re talking to every day.

04:07

You don’t have to go anywhere, but most of us go somewhere and see somebody. So to reflect Christ. I love that.

Emily: So, for people who don’t know you, who are you outside of your job with Legacy Purpose?  

Roger: Well, I married a young lady, I think 65 years ago, something like that. 

Emily: That’s impressive. 

Roger: And what’s impressive is that she gets cuter every day. 

Emily: Oh, that is so impressive for her.  

Roger: I mean, that’s a line, guys, you might want to use. Yeah, it works. Just tell your wife she gets cuter every day. 

Emily: You tell her that regularly? 

Roger: I do. And she smiles. 

Emily: She’s beautiful, will say. 

Roger: And acts like she likes me, you know? 

Emily: Yeah.  

Roger: So that’s all good. Yeah, I just… we, Marlis and I have three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

05:08

So we get to tag along on family stuff now and then. And our oldest granddaughter brings one or two or more of her kids up once in a while to see us when she comes to help us work out a little bit. So that’s what I am, I guess, is trying to learn how to do all that well.

05:28

Emily: So your website has other powerful words and quotes. We already mentioned one, but you have a list on a page titled Good Stuff, and there are a few I would love to hear you expand on. So the first one is, “Hope is necessary for any culture.” And when I read this, I thought of how this applies to us in America. We live in one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but this also applies to countries like…

05:55

Malawi or Burundi, and these are two of the poorest places in the world and they’re located in Africa. So, places where Possibilities Africa serves. So, I love this quote because it levels the playing field for people of all cultures. We all need hope, and the Bible is full of scripture about hope, especially when we consider verses about God’s character, which, yeah, it’s so, so good.

06:21

So this kind of connects to another quote you have, this is, “Hope is the proper response to the promises of God.” So Roger, what’s your take on hope in light of these quotes?

Roger: Well, the big focus is on hope, which is necessary, but hope can only come if there’s expectation to go with it. I mean, you can hope you’re winning the game, but if you’re not winning the game, hope kind of dwindles. So it has to be hope plus expectations.

06:48

So, what do you have expectations? What are your expectations of life? What are your expectations of God? What are the expectations of your spouse? Whatever. So hope is necessary for any future, but hope is only necessary if you have expectations that you can lean on. 

Emily: Yeah. 

Roger: So that’s kind of my brief thought on that, I guess. But hope is necessary for any culture, for any purpose.

07:16

So you have to lean on a source of hope where there are expectations of value that you can believe in and lean on. I expect God, through His Holy Spirit, to give some guidance and give some comfort as needed, give some wisdom as needed, give some energy as needed, give rest as needed. My expectation is that God cares for me and there will be evidence of that daily.

07:46

And there are experiences that broaden our thinking. There are experiences that allow us and encourage us to think and question. So I think mentally and spiritually and physically, he wants to relate to us, and expectations can come through in all of those. Spiritually, emotionally, physically, and so forth. There are expectations that God can obviously…

08:16

give you and fulfill. 

Emily: Yeah. 

Roger: So we need to give him the opportunity to do that. 

Emily: Yeah. That’s so good. I feel like it’s also, light of what you said, it’s so good to know the value of looking for God’s hand, like you described, because we can miss it if we’re not looking for it or… 

Roger: I think we miss 90% of the time. 

Emily: Yeah, that’s so true.  

Roger: So what an opportunity we have to build relationships and expectations,

08:44

particularly with God. And at the same time, we benefit from it, become a source of joy to God. So it’s a win-win deal. 

Emily: It is a win-win deal. That’s great. So the last quote I noted, there were so many to choose from, but the last one is “Failure is an event, not a person.” You can share anything you want to about this, but the question I  thought of with this quote is how does this reflect the heart of God toward his people? 

Roger: Well, to me, it…

09:14

is a relief to know that God probably expects me to fail occasionally. So with that recognition, something that doesn’t work out the way you want it to, it may be a failure in your eyes, but God says, hey, here’s an opportunity for this guy to figure some things out and let’s talk about it. So I really like the thought that failure is not a person, it’s an event. And we all have…

09:44

events in our lives. We all have failures, and failures are usually an opportunity to learn and to grow. So we should benefit from our failures. 

Emily: Okay, this is a specific scripture that you referenced on your website as well, from Deuteronomy 2, verses 2 and 3. 

Roger: Oh yeah. Well, this is kind of our theme verse out here, and we use it probably out of context. It’s God talking to Israel after they’ve been…

10:12

escaped from the Egyptians. They’ve been out in the desert 40 years, wandering around, wondering what’s up. And to me, why we use it out here as an encouragement verse is God says, okay, you guys have been fussing around out here for 40 years. Now turn north, let’s go do something, go somewhere, do something, quit fussing around out here in the desert. And I think a lot of us kind of need a bit of an

10:41

encouragement or a push to recognize that what we’ve been doing for years probably isn’t the best. There’s other opportunities. And go turn north, go do something, figure out something of value to do. Come out of your cave, you know. And I’m just rambling here, but I really like the idea that we were not made, well, the verse that I like, the part of that verse is,

11:09

“You were made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat.” And there are people who feel that way. We all know them. And we probably are one of them ourselves from time to time. It says, “You were made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat. You have circled this mountain long enough; now turn north.” 

I just think that’s a motivating verse to me. There are other opportunities. You don’t have to stay here doing this every day. So…

11:39

I think it’s appropriate to think about that in terms of, okay, if we’re doing the same thing every day, we’re bumping along 30 years down the road, still wondering what’s up, you know? So let’s try something. You may have to try 10 things. 

Emily: Yeah. 

Roger: Or 30 things. But you weren’t made to be stuck in this vicious cycle of defeat. I really like that translation.

Emily: I do too. I think what you said is so true that it applies to…

12:06

Us in different seasons or people we know. I think we could all think of times in our own life or other people that we know. And it also applies to people in Africa. I think we encounter people in villages that would say the same thing. But is there anything you would like to add on how this applies to the people of Africa? 

Roger: Well, I think everything applies to everybody everywhere. To me, everything happens at the speed of relationship.

12:35

If you and I don’t have much of relationship, not much is going to happen here.  

Emily: Yeah, totally. 

Roger: But if we do, we can be an encouragement to one another. We can enjoy it. Relationship. The people that you’re likely can relate to the best are those that you already have a relationship with. You don’t have to go out and create relationships every day. We all have relationships, 

13:04

and relationships come from respect.

13:10

There’s no respect, not much relationship is to be happening there. If there is respect, there can be a relationship develop. If a relationship is developed, then there can be influence.

13:29

And if you have influence over somebody, then there’s a responsibility. I’m influencing you, I need to be careful. And this all sounds maybe sort of philosophical, but without respect, there’s no relationship. Without relationship, very little chance of influence encouraging somebody or having a positive effect in their lives. And if you do have influence, well, then you have a responsibility for that person.

13:57

You don’t want to influence in a bad way. And then, like I said before, everything happens at the speed of relationships. So those relationships that you have important, those relationships that you are developing are important. Those are the people that you may have an impact on, whether they’re in Burundi or Holdredge. So I think that’s really, really important.

14:23

Emily: I think what you said is so profound about everything happening at the speed of relationships, because we live in a culture today that is so fast-paced. And sometimes, you know, you have relationships that are really quick to form and instant, but other times it’s long and slow. 

Roger: And you can be effective in both. 

Emily: Yeah. 

In fact, sometimes the quick ones are easier. Maybe the longer relationships you had, you kind of know what…

14:50

How this person might be affected if you say this or go that way. But if you don’t have a long relationship with them, you almost have more freedom. 

Emily: Yeah, that’s true. 

Roger: Yeah. So, but relationship, irregardless of where it is in your lifestyle, it’s a big deal.  

Emily: In all of this, I know that your relationship with Christ informs everything that you do. In light of Possibilities, Africa, how has knowing who you’re following

15:19

and what you value influenced your contribution to Possibilities Africa?

Roger: Well, first of all, if you know Doug and Jill, you know, these probably are kind of good folks. 

Emily: Yeah. 

Roger: And I met Martin a time or two and then that young lady, Emily, that works with them, my gosh. I’ve forgotten what you… wanted me telling about you, that you’re really good and what was the other rest of it? 

Emily: Oh, you’re so funny.

15:46

Roger: I’m kidding. No, we just really appreciate the people that are involved and know where their heart is, know what they’re, what they are involved with, and what they’re doing. I really like the sustainability part of Africa. That’s what–you’re building relationships. 

Emily: Yeah, totally.

Roger: By helping them live life. By helping them eat, drink, and start businesses. Yeah, I love, I love all of that. Anything that’s sustainable has…

16:17

has life and something not sustainable doesn’t have life. So let’s go, let’s do something where there’s some life involved and we can create some if possible. Yeah, I just really like the people involved and what they do and how they do it. I’m reading a book, Toxic Charity. 

Emily: I’ve read that as well. 

Roger: Have you read that? 

Emily: Yes, it’s very good. 

Roger: And Possibilties Africa is not, does not fall in that category. You’re very beneficial to the folks that you deal with, and how you go about it, and you create sustainability with people.  And you build relationships of value. And that’s what we try to do out here is 

17:06

encourage people to leave a legacy of purpose and value. And purpose is a big deal if you don’t know what your purpose is. You’re just kind of wandering around. So we talk about purpose and help people develop, maybe even their purpose, their personal purpose statement. What are you here for? What are you gonna contribute with your life? And we talk about those kind of things.

17:33

Emily: How, if at all, has your perspective changed on missions since being part of Possibilities Africa? 

Roger: I don’t know that it’s changed so much has been confirmed. The sustainability part and working with the African people, rather than moving over there and spend two years trying to learn the language and sustain yourself on nothing. I mean, that’s kind of an old model that apparently has worked at some level, but

18:01

teaching the local people how to do what they need to know to exist and improve their life and  give them hope in Christ. In the biblical concept, legacy refers to the spiritual, moral, and cultural inheritance passed down from one generation to another. So that’s kind of what we’re trying to do. That’s what Possibilities Africa is trying to do.

Emily: That’s so true. 

Roger: Encourage purpose and hope.

18:33

And cultural inheritance along with integrity and hope and expectation.

Emily: Yeah. What do you think of when you think of the word inheritance in line with that definition?

Roger: Well, it’s something left of hopefully a value to those that will come behind you.

18:55

It needs to be understandable and hopeful. And we talk about this too. What do want people to think when they hear your name? That’s a little bit different than, what the question you’re asking, Emily, but…

19:12

What do you stand for? What do you want to stand for?

19:16

What don’t you want to stand for? And that becomes your inheritance. That’s what people will remember.

19:26

How you lived, why you lived, what your purpose was, where your hope was. In business, we would call that branding. Brand is a powerful deal.

19:41

And the way we think of branding is like I just mentioned, what do you want people to think when they hear your name? And oh, by the way, you’re creating your brand every day 24/7.

19:53

And whether you know it or not, and you are doing that by accident. If I wear blue jeans every day, if I am late to meetings every day, that becomes part of my brand that people think of when they think of my name. So be careful that you don’t create your brand by accident, and create your brand on purpose.

20:20

Emily: Yeah, because you’re creating a brand either way.  

Roger: Absolutely. You have control over your brand. You’re writing your own story. 

Emily: So true. 

Roger: If you don’t like your story, it turns out, talk to the author. You know, that’s you, that’s me. I’m writing my story. You’re writing your story. Your story may be impactful one way or the other to somebody. 

Emily: So wise, Roger.  

Roger: Oh, yeah. I’m great. I’m just old and gray, that’s all. 

Emily: You’re a joy and a delight, and I see you reflect Christ in so many ways. 

Roger: Oh, thank you, dear. 

Emily: So it’s awesome to see your vision come to life. 

Roger: Thank you. 

Emily: Anything else? Any final words? 

Roger: Go Big Red. 

Emily: Go Big Red. Thanks so much for your time. 

Roger: Well, thank you. Good to be with you a little bit.

Emily: Yeah, you as well.

21:13

Emily: Thank you for being here. We appreciate your partnership in prayer and in giving. If you’re interested in partnering financially, be sure to head to usa.possibilitiesafrica.org and hit the donate button. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend so we can grow this podcast and share this good news. God bless you.