I had a great time in nashville, getting to hang out with so many truly amazing people, some were old friends, and some were new.
i met brock face to face at the compassion dinner last night and because he remembers stuff much better than me, i am stealing this from him. the guest speaker at the dinner was tony neeves, (VP of international development for compassion)…a lovely british gentleman with humble and challenging thoughts.
one that stood out to me was “children in poverty aren’t the problem. children in poverty are the solution.” he went on to say that these children are “bundles of potential” — and if they receive positive support, they have the potential to be world-changers in the best way possible. yet if they aren’t loved, aren’t cared for, they have the potential to be world-changers in the worst possible way.
wow.
other things (from brock):
third world people press their faces against the windows of our lives because of technology, internet, tv etc. and they feel as if they have no hope. it is because they are seeing soap operas and game shows on tv and see how we live. they cant afford a bowl of rice. they realize they have nothing and have no hope.
also, churches in western world are far more introverted than third world churches. this must change.
and, third world churches are growing fast in some areas not because of a great pastor or sermons but they are loving people and meeting needs. then the community sees the love and want what they have.”
a few other highlights from the trip:
i honestly don’t listen to much christian music. but i did when i was 13. a little bit of me thought it was cool when toby mac walked into starbucks. then i realized how truly cool i was when jenni went to hug him. (julie, i thought you’d get a kick out of that!) :)
I got to hang out some with mark and stephanie lee. mark plays the guitar in amazing ways for a band called third day. again, it’s probably been a good decade since i really listened to third day, but as I saw them play at a showcase, some of their new material really really touched me in ways only god could know.
it was just truly amazing to reconnect with some of the uganda bloggers. twice.
i really wish i could link to everyone I met and hung out with but i am about to have to drive. so to all of you, thank you for making us feel so welcome!!
Comments
11 responses to “nashvegas recap”
Anne – it was great to connect! Thanks for taking the time… sorry for not actually introducing you to Toby – he’s always on his phone.
Anne – Pete really enjoyed coffee with you. Next time you’re in town I claim coffee time! Hope to meet you in the future!
PS – I’ve been one of your blog stalkers for a while now, but this is my first comment! :)
hi anne!
blogging makes the whole world so much smaller…i know brock b/c i’m old college friends with his sister-in-law (who is now a missionary in south america). hope you had a great trip!!!
I thought about y’all all weekend…praying that God gave you exactly what you needed on your trip. I know y’all had a blast.
Congrats on a safe and fun trip! Welcome back to the bloggysphere. I hope you find things the way you left them.
is it okay for me to take the comments about poverty and the church out of context and apply them to my little corner of the world? the thoughts really fit in many places. thanks for reminding of the awesome blessing/task of working with teenagers!
Came across Pete Wilson’s blog today and thought he did an excellent job describing how your posts and your life in general magnetically pulls others toward Jesus. I enjoy the posts and the Twitter updates. You and Chris both seem like two authentic people who just love Jesus and one another. Thanks for being magnetic.
Regardless Anne, it’s great to have you back. I truly enjoy reading your heart, your opinions, and the truth where you have found it.
http://www.vagabondrunn.wordpress.com
hey, friend…welcome home!
you should check-out a band called foolish things. amazing. sadly, they recently decided to disband.
welcome home!
Anne – drop me an email sometime. I’m curious as to why you don’t listen to Christian music. I’m not arguing with you, I’m just curious as to your reasons, if you wouldn’t mind to share them :)
Have fun!