Colombian cowboys

Heading to lunch yesterday, and the Colombians had just arrived and were registering. Do you like their hats?

They couldn't resist getting me in their picture. Seriously, I didn't ask for this. I've never looked good in hats, especially cowboy hats. It's really kind of an "Olympic Village" experience that is taking place. The lobby was a sea of nations yesterday, and the big registration will be this afternoon.


If you go to CM2007.net, you can see how to watch the conference on either streaming video of the main sessions or pull it up on an archive. Enjoy.

How long does it take 50 Argentinians to get to Korea?

I'm eating dinner last night in the food court across the street from the Convention Center. About 30 students and staff come in from Argentina after a 36 hour trip from Buenos Aires. Here was their route. BA to Capetown to Johannesburg to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 12 hour layover there. Puddle jumper to another Malaysian airport (none of them seemed to know where exactly it was) and then on to Seoul. Then a 5 hour bus trip to Busan. Perhaps they get the award for longest trip.

After they leave here, half of them are going to the south coast of Spain to share the gospel with families as they come in to Spain from North Africa.

It's steady drizzle of rain here today (it's the rainy season in Korea) and registration is being set up outside the convention center. Students start arriving in large chunks today. I'm feeling a bit like a kid on Christmas Eve. Lots of anticipation and hope that the wait has been worth it! What am I hoping for? That God will move in our midst so that our lives and the world will never be the same. To me, there are really only 2 questions now that matter with this? How will God move, and what will be our response to His work here? That is where the anticipation comes for me, on the eve of Cm2007.

The banner on the right is up next to our CM2007 banner on the convention site. I call it: The Praying Mantis that ate Busan: A Child's Tale of Terror. Kind of a Harry Potter knock off.

There is a way

So, I have to use Kim's Mac to do this, for some reason. Mac users will say, "Of course". Here are some opening scenes from Cm2007. Arriving in Busan after 24 hours of travel, we are met by enthusiastic Korean CCC staff in bright yellow vests, who are also glad to go home after hanging out at the airport all day. They were at the airport the next day at 7 am.
Here is the Powerade of Korea. I wonder what it tastes like?


Beautiful view of Bexco Convention Center with the mountains in the background. Below that, you'll see CM2007 advertised on a 2 large banners on the front of Bexco. We walked through the Convention center today, with staging and banners and the Global Fair all being put together. It's pretty cool. It's pretty large. and I"m pretty hungry. so it's time to head for dinner.

live from cm2007

Okay, I'm here. Busan, Korea. Still getting over jet lag, in a full day of meetings the first day from 9 until 10 pm. But its all coming together and the students start arriving on Saturday. At our first meeting yesterday you could feel the sense of celebration of being part of this undertaking for the past 2 years. And I've got pictures, but I can't get them to download yet. So, this could go flat pretty quickly if I can't figure that out.

It's funny to get over here and one of the first things I saw (I think was actually a newsclip in Seoul) was Paris Hilton walking out of jail. So, I'm getting all the important news over here. Now to figure this picture thing out.

Discipleship makes a difference

Following Jesus is a step by step decision. That is what it means to be a disciple. Often the difference it makes is so subtle, so daily, you never notice until you look up after a year and the changes are more distinct. You look at your life and can see where you are after hundreds and thousands of daily steps with the Savior.
When Kim was a college student, she embarked on that journey. She took a step of faith to spend a few hours a week with some girls in the sorority system at Mizzou (that’s University of Missouri for the uninitiated.) One of the girls she met with was Sharon, who wanted to share her faith, and Kim just took a step to help her. Sharon meets a guy named Mark, who says he’s a Christian. She invites him to a CCC meeting on campus, and Mark meets a whole bunch of really fun people who are Christians. Mark figures out along the way he doesn’t know Christ the way these folks do, and commits his life to Christ. Fast forward about 25 years…
I am working on the Mission program in planning CM2007. I’ve got a team that is spread out all over the world, including the new Campus Ministry Director in Eastern Europe. I don’t know him well, but we are getting to know each other. (Do you know what’s coming?) He is in Orlando last week on his return back to the US for a few months this summer. He drops by so we can put the finishing touches on the Missions Program. We talk more about our past. Turns out, this new friend, Mark Sanders, is a graduate of Mizzou. And the story of him being invited to CCC meetings, and becoming a Christian, and that he is some of the “fruit” of Kim’s ministry in college all rolls out.

And so, you just never know what will happen when you make a decision to take a step of faith and follow Christ. Where are you headed? Who are you following? What will your story be?

My next post comes from Busan. 5 days to CM2007.

Scraps from the breakfast table

For those who frequent The Global Road, you know "Scraps" is a regular feature. Well, actually I've done this one other time. So I guess you could say that today it becomes a regular feature. These are mostly random comments that haven't showed up anwhere else.

Only one more week until Cm2007. Last night as Kim and I took the Beagle on yet another power walk through the neighborhood, it was exciting to imagine what the week together in Korea will be like.

Of course, there have been the usual "things you don't plan for" as we get ready to leave, like fixing our kitchen sink. But Sam Osterloh, resident National Team member, Bible teacher, overall good guy, and turns out, plumber, came over and saved the day. At least it wasn't a tree falling on our house, like what happened to our friends Doug and Denise, 2 days before they left for the Global Project to Paris. I thought it worthy to show the completed sink project, a symbol of crisis averted.

Speaking of Sam, his daughter Allie bailed me out by doing some quick graphics work on the template for the CM2007 pledge. Props to Allie.

I read this morning about 200,000 who gathered for 2 days in the mud at Glastonbury, England, for the annual rock festival. I thought of 15,000 of us in Korea living in tents, slogging through the mud. That would have been exciting.

Latest youtube video circulating has squirming octupus on a plate as the main delicacy in Busan. Bon appetit.

9 Days...by the time most of you read this

As we think about spiritual movements among the students of the world, it will take the Spirit powered energy and leadership of students. This is the challenge that will be presented at CM2007. We are trusting God that in the next year, 365 new campus movements will be launched around the world, averaging one a day- at the most strategic cities and campuses around the globe. You will be given the chance on the last day of the conference to indicate your interest in exploring a partnership with one of these campuses. Would you cross a "bridge of responsibility” by praying, giving, or going with a team to plant a movement on another campus? You can see most of those priority campuses right now at http://www.cmfile.com/. Why not take a few minutes and check out the website? More importantly, be asking the Lord to prepare your heart for this great global opportunity of our time. You’ll be able to indicate where you believe God is calling you when you are at the conference online as well as with a card that will look something like this one.

11 days and counting

This morning I was thinking about how close CM2007 is. For the past 2 weeks, I think of that each morning. Now, it's only 11 days away. The planning team was formed 2 years ago. The undertaking has been a huge step of faith for each of us. I was reflecting on those early conversations. It was definitely not some grandiose desire to get alot of students together just to have a big gathering. In fact, I'd say we were all pretty much saying "No" out of the gate, with a need to be convinced that this would be worth it.

Two images stay locked in my mind from those days of meeting. One is of students from virtually every nation worshipping together, a small reflection of the reality we will experience in Rev. 7:9-12. The other was of thousands of students from around the world surrendering to the Lordship of Christ over their lives, with a desire to reach other students who do not know Christ. The ripple effect of that could last for 30-40 years. These students will be the leaders in their countries in the next 10-20 years. By 2020, they will be stepping into the beginning years of powerful influence in whatever field they choose. They can help shape history as God's ambassadors of reconciliation. For this kind of impact, it's been a bridge worth crossing, and we're almost there. And then it gets really exciting.

Crossing a bridge to Alaska

How hard is it to cross a bridge to reach students? Why not read about it from a 22 yr. old student who is doing it right now. Caleb Unruh is on the Alaska summer project, and you can read about it right here. It doesn't seem so complex when I hear him talk about it.

This is what CM2007 is about. Lifting our eyes to see that Christ can use us in His plan for each person, whereever He may lead us. From Alaska to Zimbabwe.

Floods, fatigue, and bridges to cross

Ever get that weary, run-down feeling as you confront life's challenges. It may have to do with wondering how God will provide for you to get to CM2007. Maybe it's the money. Maybe it's a visa. Maybe its overcoming your own insecurity or fear about...well, practically anything. I find there is no limit on what I can be insecure and fearful about.
Perhaps you're tired out by your own character deficiencies, or a relationship that just isn't working. Or the lack of a relationship you wish would start working! Or just wishing your life was different somehow. Whatever the case may be, we all have a faith "track" that God has us on. Israel had one that lasted 40 years. Every day, God had to show up and deliver some manna or else they would starve.
With that kind of track record, how do you suppose Israel felt as a nation when God said it was time to go possess the land, but they first had to cross the Jordan at flood stage, with no bridge? You might think they felt confident, trained by 40 years of daily provision. But I think many felt weak and afraid. Perhaps even Joshua the new leader, who was exhorted directly by God three times in Joshua 1 to "be strong and courageous". I usually need exhorting when my feelings pull me in the opposite direction of faith. I need this so I won't stop and quit in the face of fear and fatigue.
So today, whatever you face, be strong and courageous in the Lord's goodness and kindness toward you, for He will both protect and provide in His perfect way.

A Bridge Too Far?

What if you crossed a bridge? To a campus on the other side of town, the other side of your country, the other side of the world. Just cross the street, cross a culture, cross the ocean. It's not that hard. It's just that you'll have to cross some boundaries of faith. But that's where God shows up. At the cross.

Go ahead, cross a bridge and change a life, a campus, the world. Check out the list of Priority Campuses and get moving. You won't be sorry.

A New Campus Every Day

What if every day in the next year, a spiritual movement of Jesus followers was established on a new campus somewhere in the world? Where none existed before. Or where there were previously only a small band of Christians who are now focused with a new hope and vision for impact. That's one of the tangible goals of CM2007.

You can get online now at cmfile.com and see a list of every campus in the world (or 99% of them.) You can also see the work in progress we call a "Priority List" of campuses. You can find the website of most any campus, and learn all about it for yourself. (I pulled the banner above off the site from Meiji University in Tokyo.) We want to trust God to see student movements that are sending dynamic followers of Jesus into every part of the campus and ultimately, throughout a nation. Why not pick one and make it YOUR priority?

Clearwater Beach Summer Project

Kim and I spent Friday evening with the 45 summer project students and staff at the Clearwater Beach Summer Project. We met Heather McHugh there, and she'll be leaving the project for a week and going to Korea with 4 of her friends from college. Notice the funny sign up in the corner about the swimming pool.

Though I shared stories of how God is working in students lives all over the world, Kim and I were mostly reminded of God's work in our lives as students on summer projects. Those few short weeks were life transforming for us. I went to Myrtle Beach after my freshmen year, Kim went to Hawaii after her junior year. She's pretty smart in her project locations choices, don't you think? Those summers were pivotal for us, and we're praying that this summer will be the same for thousands of students all over the world. "The will of God is always a bigger thing than I bargain for." - Jim Elliot.

Austin from Africa

Austin Okomohwo and I were both on Skype today, and just ended up chatting awhile. Austin has a really fun last name to say. Even better to hear him say it in his deep baritone voice. He is one of CCC's best leaders on any continent, and has become a dear friend over the past 5 years or so. We happened to be "talking" when CNN was running the Bono interview from the G8 summit, and the need for countries to follow up on their commitments. (Turns out, the US has done more than their original commitment from 2 years ago. Yeah.) So I was relaying the content of the CNN interview to Austin, who was in Ghana, and we were talking about it as it unfolded. It was another cool taste of the instant global community we live in. I can't wait to see hundreds of African students at CM07. Their zeal will light up the place.

Earlier I had been on a Skype Conference Call (no, I am not getting endorsement money from Skype, but I would be glad to if they offered.) with several speakers for CM2007. Besides Orlando, we were in Houston, Los Angeles, Birmingham, England, Singapore, and Seoul, Korea. It is very cool to see how this is coming together, the messages and the flow of the conference. I'm starting to move from "this is a whole lot of work" to "what if God were to move so powerfully that 15,000 students and staff went back to their countries, ignited by the Holy Spirit to change the world with the love of Jesus?" Hmmm. We just might be a little dangerous, in a good way.

16,000

About 7,000 registrations from 127 countries are in for CM07, along with about 9,000 Koreans expected to come. Should be a blast.

CM2007 - 24 days away

My last couple of months have been mostly devoted to preparing for CM2007 in Korea. Today we were putting the finishing touches on a list of 365 priority campuses that we will all join together to pray for over the next year, and trust God to raise up powerful movements of evangelism and discipleship among the students around the world on these campuses and more.

I just heard today that students from 127 nations will be attending CM2007! I haven't heard a final registration total yet, but will try to post one soon.

One amazing thing is to hear of students from all over the world who will attend the Korean urban immersion mission project after the conference. They are coming from Belarus, Cameroon, Ecuador, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Peru, Surinam, Trinidad, and many, many, more. God is raising up laborers in every country to be the next generation of spiritual leaders around the globe.

Dinner with the Coach

Its great when you get back together with friends you don't see very often. "Coach" Donny Wilcox is one of those guys that you drop what you're doing to grab a few hours with, and since he was in Orlando, that's just what Kim and I did. I haven't known Coach my whole life, but it seems like I have. We met while serving as WSN Regional Directors together, about 11 years ago. We've pretty much laughed at life and each other all over the world. He's working with Leadership Network now, connecting churches filled with Boomers, helping them figure out how to unlock their all too often buried potential. Exactly what you would expect of a great coach.

Coach Donny is one of those too rare kind of leaders: honest and authentic; humble, not preoccupied with himself or a need to lead or be noticed, but not afraid to step up when he sees the ship getting off course. I frequently saw him elevate scores of fellow staff members, including myself, to do things he could do better. He always said something like, "Ah, you'd do this alot better than me." His belief in you as a leader and his penchant for great storytelling made him the kind of guy you want to hang with. Plus, he was a pretty good quarterback and baseball player back in the day. Thanks for dropping by, Coach.

A lot happens, especially among celebrities in just a few days. For example...

Kim and I celebrated our 27th anniversary with an awesome meal at one of our favorite restaurants. No paparazzi caught us at the back corner table, probably due to the sunglass disguise. It was nice to not be bothered by the press for once.
LeBron James elevated his game to Jordanesque levels.
What’s her name went to jail.
A baseball manager became irate over a call (wow, that’s never happened before) But then he did a commando crawl out to the pitcher’s mound, and threw the rosin bag onto home plate like it was a hand grenade. It must be more pressure than I thought to manage a minor league baseball team.
I almost suffered a full scale meltdown myself while trying to fix a ceiling fan over the weekend. Glad I wasn't caught on video.
Some alleged crazies were caught allegedly plotting to blow up alleged JFK, (Covering myself legally)
Billy Donovan left coaching University of Florida for $27 million to coach the Orlando Magic. In a temporary fit of sanity he changed his mind 48 hours later and is back to coaching Univ of Florida…almost, sort of. Well, we’re not sure.