“I sat on a mountain today and cried, not out of pity, but out of love… out of the heartbreak of seeing how much suffering exists and how small one person’s help can feel in the face of it.”

Those were the words my son, Kerrsen, wrote after a life-changing experience in Peru last year. A week earlier, we had been in the community of Pucallpa with the Pure Art Foundation helping build a home for a family in need. Later, Kerrsen wrote:

“I came here to help build a house for a family in need, but what I really found was a mirror reflecting the deep imbalance of our world. The poverty here is so raw it shook me. It hurts to look at… but it hurts even more to look away.”

What touched him most wasn’t only the work itself… it was the people, especially the children, and the deep sense of humanity and connection he experienced there. Later, while alone in the Sacred Valley in the Andes reflecting on everything he had witnessed, something shifted deeply inside him.

“But regardless of the feeling of hopelessness. I knew that the path had to be to move forward with purpose,” he later wrote. “I didn’t know where that path would lead, but I did know that I couldn’t turn away from it.”

Somewhere in that moment, he saw a vision of himself walking across Peru. That moment became the beginning of One Step at a Time.

Over the years, I’ve watched Kerrsen follow a path that has often looked very different from what many people might expect for someone in his twenties. Early on, he sensed he didn’t want to simply move through life on autopilot or follow a traditional route because it was what everyone else was doing. Losing his father when he was only seven shaped him deeply, and I think it gave him an early understanding that life is precious, uncertain, and meant to be fully lived.

Travel became part of that path, along with creating music, long-distance hiking, immersing himself in different cultures, spending time in nature, and finding ways to contribute meaningfully wherever he went. Over time, these experiences slowly began weaving together into something deeper and more purposeful.

Last year, he and I traveled to Peru with the Pure Art Foundation to help build a home for a family in the community of Pucallpa. Because he learned to speak Spanish through his travels, Kerrsen connected naturally and openly with the people there, especially the children. They ran toward him in the streets. He played soccer and swam with them, taught them some English, and immersed himself fully in their world.

He was also deeply moved by witnessing the way Pure Art has worked alongside local communities in Peru for nearly two decades… creating lasting change through true partnership, local leadership, and long-term commitment. Seeing that level of humanity and respect made the experience even more meaningful for him.

This fall, Kerrsen will walk over 1,000 km across Peru, from Cusco through the Andes and into the Amazon, helping raise funds to build a home for a family in need in the community of Pucallpa.

Watching him bring this vision to life has touched me deeply. I see a young man trying to live with heart, meaning, courage, and genuine connection in a world where it is often easier to stay distracted, disconnected, or afraid to fully engage with life.

I also think there is something hopeful and important in supporting young people who are trying to create lives rooted in purpose, contribution, and humanity. Kerrsen’s journey may look unique on the outside, but I think what it speaks to is something universal in all of us… the desire to feel more alive, more connected, and more aligned with what truly matters.

On May 27 (7pm), we’ll be gathering at the Hudson Creative Hub to officially launch this journey and share more about the walk, the mission, and the community it will support.

Join us, support the journey, or contribute in whatever way feels meaningful to you.

Reserve Your Spot at the May 27th event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1705369023792619

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/b4999f342

Sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin quietly… with a moment, a feeling, or a realization… and then one step at a time, they begin to take shape in the world.

 

In Kerrsen’s own words: