Check back soon for an informative look at donating in the 21st century with the current economic conditions.

WBM took me back to Feb 2006 and the first ODM website looking like an online music store and made me chuckle.   I think I was more interested in the “gadgets” [gadgets would be learning materials, videos and guitars] of how to teach music to a child in a developing nation, but hey it was a start, right?

The next version looked amazing and had guitar videos online, a store and an “Impact” section that tried to explain the vision and mission.  I was still in gadget mode and that  made my elevator pitch about ODM confusing since I had so many different things going on at the same time.

I have learned over the years that Less is indeed More…you can be more productive when your vision is focused and clear.

The 2009 update was a reshuffling of information and color scheme.  I dropped the online videos and store and spoke more about a classroom experience. I think that was a shift away from gadgets and ODM was moving closer to where we are today.

I included a donate page connected to PayPal that worked quite well. I have also learned that I could have added more useful information for people to learn about different ways to donate.

So here is the new 2010 ODM website. The vision is simple and clear, Hearts full of music. Hearts full of hope. The home page highlights the plight of abandoned children and we offer a fun solution!

The logo has also been redesigned and I am totally stoked about its visual impact and the new color scheme.   I have added Word Press Blog software and am actually using it to create this and more blogs to come.  Look for a blog soon about different creative ways to donate, regardless of the economy.  You’ll be able to get involved and support the vision without it being cash out of pocket all the time.

One of the most exciting developments for me is the addition of “Our stories” which will let you follow how ODM is changing the destiny of individuals lives.

Looking back over the short 5 years of ODM’s existence I can tell how much I have grown and look forward to growing more and being even better at what I do with your help; Changing the lives of children through music and making the world a more fun, noisy place!

Gavin Audagnotti, Musician.

Hi everybody!

I really hope you enjoy this video newsletter.

Gus Constantine, Owner of Milestone Electric who supported the mission trip to Kenya, kindly let me stop by his office and ask him four (4) questions related to his business and thoughts on ministry and missions.

Thanks Gus for being the inaugural video interview and for your support! [Interview duration 3:15]

Open Doors Music’s vision, is that every disadvantaged child, from an impoverished background, be given the opportunity to channel their God given talents and creative energies through learning and playing music.

November 7, 2008

Hi everybody!

This blog is a way for me to keep you posted regarding the Open Doors Music program in Kenya and to share my updates, news and thoughts about music education in developing countries.

Thank you one more time for your infectious enthusiasm about what I am doing with Open Doors Music, for your heartfelt generous support, your words of encouragement, your prayers
and for standing alongside me with this amazing journey.

My 2 week trip to Kenya was a whirlwind of activity and such an eye opener to how much we have [all things material] and yet how much we need in some areas [many things spiritual] .

My main objective was to meet with David and Jennifer Hatley, Founders of CMIA to discuss the merits of a working partnership between Open Doors Music (ODM) and CMIA with regard to a full time music education program for the COTR Primary School in Langata, Nairobi, Kenya.

Francis Muzozo, talking about the music school.

Music program by the numbers.

I am pleased to report we will be starting with the music program in the new year. We had initially discussed September 2008 as a launch date, however, too many logistical arrangements still have to be made and Jan 2009 is now our intended launch!

Here are some preliminary numbers of student enrollment for Jan 2009. I scanned a handwritten document that Francis gave me. [Feel free to view a slide show of the docs or right click to download]

There is also another handwritten report, available at the same link above, from Francis about how they will be putting the music equipment that ODM donated to the COTR school to great use! [You may even recognize a musical instrument you donated to ODM, now being used in Kenya]

Pastors conference report.

David Hatley and Jason Holland were hosting a CMIA -Global Advance Pastors conference and I had the privilege of teaching a workshop to many Worship Pastors and musicians.

There is such a hunger amongst the musicians to develop their playing skills, and to know more about how to lead their congregations in worship.

I want to also try and help provide those awesome people with resources like; music equipment, music education materials, materials they can use to teach their congregations about worship.

So in addition to the music program at the COTR Primary school, will you please stand with me to get these needed resources and training materials to many musicians and worship pastors in churches across Nairobi and Nakuru.
[Thank you in advance and please designate whether your donation and support goes to the COTR Primary school or for the musicians serving in churches]

Worship Leaders, Musicians Workshop.

Great start, much more work to be done!

The new year, 2009, will be a very busy year for ODM. We continue to build the program in Kenya and are working with Jameson Titus of Christ for India [Please read about the planning of the music program there.]

I have been receiving email from musicians in Kenya asking me for help and resources to grow their ministries. Lets stand together to see these needs met!

Thanks again for all you’ve done and do.

Please use this link for charitable contributions . If you have musical equipment to donate please contact me here to make the necessary arrangements.

Have a great week everybody!

Gavin Audagnotti

Upstairs [in my head] there is usually a lot of noise -lol- and I tend to converse with myself while brainstorming for new ideas…..anyhow I was thinking about how to address you, the reader, and [fellow workers] kept resonating with me.
So I googled [fellow workers] and I stumbled onto a Wikipedia page discussing “Synergy” where fellow workers was used in context to explain the meaning of Synergy.

It was so compelling and refreshing that I am using some of that discussion to underpin that we all are “Fellow Workers” and even as you read and follow this blog of Mary’s life, you are creating Human Synergy.

Here is part of the article and below is a link to that page as well.

Synergy (from the Greek syn-ergo, συνεργός meaning working together) is the term used to describe a situation where the final outcome of a system is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Apostle Paul used the word in his Epistles (Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 3:9) to illustrate a dynamic conception of human, divine and cosmic cooperation: “I did the planting, Apollos the watering, but God made things grow…We are fellow workers (synergoi) with God; you are God’s cultivation, God’s building.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergy

How cool is that hey?

So you and I have such a Divine opportunity here to work together, I am doing some ‘planting’ with this blog of Mary’s life, and your response to the challenge is ‘watering’ while I strongly believe God is making ‘this’ grow.
‘This’ being for Mary to experience the blessings that every child deserves in their lives.

I had always associated synergy with corporate synergy, an overused buzz word in the global entrepreneurial market place that actually started sounding really corny….phrases like, value add and synergy falling from the lips of every new business venture hopeful.

Allrighty then, I leave you with my thoughts of Human Synergy, for me, a far nicer and refreshing way to see synergy at work where we, fellow workers, change the destiny of Mary and millions of other Mary’s.

Visit here to learn more about CMIA who rescued Mary, and is giving her a life full of hopes and dreams.

To show your support, please go here.

Take care now,

Gavin Audagnotti
Open Doors Music

Dear Friends,

Sometimes when you least expect it, a divine assignment crosses your path.

I was in Kenya implementing a music education program and something unexpected and amazing happened.

Mary’s Story

Her mom died of HIV/AIDS, her granny was killed in the faction fighting earlier this year in Kenya, she was taken away from her great granny due to neglect.

As devastating and as heartbreaking as that is, I was not ready for the rest of her story, nor will you be.

Mary was raped by a man and infected with the AIDS virus and she was not even 2 years old…

It is physically hard for me to even write this and I don’t know what more I can say other than “Will you stand with me to help Mary?”

She is the sweetest little child and somehow just connected with me. Every time we visited Children’s home A where she lives with 25 other abandoned AIDS children, she made a bee-line for me with outstretched arms.

Her favorite is to play on the swings, she just points to them and makes soft sounds but she does not speak yet.

Mary is on ARV’s and had a little cold when I was there. She is so cute, I’d put a tissue on her nose and say blow and she’d blow her nose as many times as I asked.

Sometimes Mary goes into a zone of sorts and stares into a direction and begins to cry or seems agitated and then as quickly as that started it ends.

She is in a really good place. The home that she is in is new and spacious and there are loving arms everywhere. I could not get over the great yummy food that is cooked there everyday. It made my tummy grumble!

One of our favorite games to play was etch-a-sketch. Mary would draw enthusiastically and then she would erase her drawing and I would make a gasping sound and pull a funny face and she’d crack up laughing.

Yes we laughed a lot and that in itself was how our bond grew and was medicine to both of us.

It was so hard leaving Mary that Friday June 20th, she cried when I tried to put her down, but soon enough she was lifted by loving arms and disappeared into her home.

Sunday, 2 days later I was sitting at La Madeleine’s back home here in the US having breakfast and I just began to weep thinking about little Mary. How could someone so small halt me me in my tracks like a freight train?

It is actually profoundly easy.

Please stand with me to support Mary’s life and future.

We were at a giraffe petting place when I learned of Mary’s story.

My ministry, Open Doors Music will be a voice for Mary and will be telling her story to everyone.

There are many ways you can help. Forward this newsletter to your friends and family and help tell her story please!

Like I said Mary is in a great place, however it costs to run the homes and the program in Kenya

You are welcome to send your support directly to CMIA or you can channel it through ODM since Mary is a focus for my ministry.

Please Donate Here.

Gavin and Mary

P.S. – Please be creative in how you want to show support for Mary and feel free to respond to this post with your stunning ideas by leaving your comments!

Sincerely,

Gavin Audagnotti
Open Doors Music