scraps from the kitchen table

A few appetizers on this fine Memorial Day Weekend -

American Idol I - I pulled for Blue Springs, Mo's own David Cook all season long. First time I've ever watched the whole show. I usually quit after the early self- deceived ones are eliminated.

American Idol II - went to a BBQ in the neighborhood for Paul B, who was back for 2 weeks in the middle of his deployment in Iraq. Just a normal guy who is serving his country. He talked about bringing peace to Iraqi citizens who just want to be free, and they are glad the US is there. Hmmm. Something you don't hear everyday.

Matt graduated from Miami University (in unison..."the one in Ohio.") It was a beautiful day, but bittersweet. I wished we had lived closer to experience more of this along the way. But it was sweet to enjoy with him the memories of his college career over some great food and walks through campus.

CityFocus Summit - A trip to Chicago to meet with 25 staff leaders from around the US who are bringing the reality of Jesus to the students in 6major US cities, plus Craig, Joe, and Kathryn from Mexico City. I believe we are on the verge of major breakthroughs in seeing movements launched all over our cities.


Indy 500 - yes its today, and though I lived there 8 years, I never went. Wish I would have though. Go Danica.

Madness in Mexico City

Spring break blew open doors in Mexico City and Acapulco. Here is an account that Enfoque Mexico co-leader Craig Johring sent to me a few days ago.

Up to this point we’ve launched the first 35-40 campuses through our staff and short term folks, like Spring Breakers from the US showing up on campuses and believing God for Divine Appointments to find leaders who will launch movements.

At our Acapulco Spring Break conference the 150 staff and students here gave away over 3500 Four Laws. They shared Christ with 546, and saw 208 make decisions for Christ.

But even bigger for the Kingdom was seeing students own and sense empowerment with the mission. I sensed we had turned the corner when students stopped handing me the contacts of the students they had met here on the beaches who wanted to start movements on their campuses back in Mexico City. They would show me the contact, and then say they were going to coach and help that person launch a group.

Yesterday on the last morning of the conference we had students fill cards listing the names and universities where they were making a commitment to go and help the friends they have on those campuses launch a movement. There were over 70 students who brought their cards up for the commissioning, and most of these students had 2-3 cards in their hand.

Craig wrote today and told me there are now 45 movements in Mexico City. Less than 2years ago, there was one movement at UNAM (one of the largest universities in the world). Read more on Mexico City from Craig and Joe Cross on the blogs I have listed

Campus Meets Berlin

March Madness jumped to Europe last week when 50 German students gathered in Berlin to share their faith with other students. This kind of gathering had not happened in the last 15 years with our ministry. 20 students from Univ of Indiana and Purdue joined them, along with the Berlin Stint team. They talked to students at Humboldt University, Technical University, and Free University.

At one university, 8 German students did a creative outreach where they put 50"Soularium" cards on the floor of a lobby and interacted with those who stopped by about what they meant. (These pictures are designed to grab curiousity and connect with someone who might not typically respond to a conversation about the Bible.)

A huge answer to prayer was the transit strike (airlines, buses, trains, oxcarts, everything) was settled the day that everyone traveled to Berlin.

One of the leaders of the Western Europe ministry called the "Campus Meets Berlin" gathering historic. So much prayer and work have preceeded this moment by German leaders and students, plus Americans and other Europeans, who have a heart for spiritual awakening throughout Europe.

Its a great day for all of us to celebrate. Count me in. "Ich bin ein Berliner".
(And no jelly doughnut comments from the peanut gallery. Look it up. That whole slam on Kennedy's German grammar being wrong is an urban legend...according to Wikipedia)

March Madness

There's a different version of March Madness than the buzzer beatin, bracketology lovin, Duke hatin festival that lasts three weeks - of which 1 week is in April. It occurs all over the world, with college students using their Spring Break to travel the world and bring the love and grace of Jesus to other students. So, I'll take the next few entries to tell the story of some of these world rompin, Jesus lovin students who've set out around the world to experience their own March Madness.

Costa Rica STINT team shared this -
"On Friday a group of staff and students from Idaho arrived. They were able to meet so many new students on campus. We are now in the process of following up about 40 students they met that week. In fact, we have one new brother in Christ!

We also spent one day at an orphanage in Cartago, a neighboring town. That experience affected all of us deeply. We are hoping to have continued contact with the orphanage in the future...taking supplies to them and playing with the kids."

"The pain is unbearable"

Yes, this is a quote I read this morning. But what was it about?
-A father losing his child to cancer?
-Genocide in Sudan, perhaps?
-An innocent life lost in some kind of random violence?
If these or similar thoughts race through your mind, you would be wrong.

It was freshman basketball player Jai Lucas from Univ. of Florida, explaining how hard it is to not make the NCAA tournament after being NCAA champs the 2 previous years. And if that wasn't hard enough, the Coach actually has locked them out of their $10 million practice court .
Ouch. That's right, the coach decided they needed some old fashioned discipline. Seems the team doesn't want to win badly enough; takes their status as 2 time national champions a little too much for granted. So the coach was forced to take draconian measures. Back to practicing in the little old dusty gym that the fraternities play their intramural games in. No more big screen TV in your own private lounge. And no wearing the school colors around campus, including "gator" logos. They are simply not worthy of all that, until they figure out had to play harder and win more.

Oh the pain. The embarrasment. The shame and humiliation of it all. It must really be hard on these guys right now. Next thing you know, they'll have to go to class too.

Scraps from the kitchen table..

Nothing like a beautiful Saturday morning to get back on the Global Road again.

It is amazing to see the student involvement with the needs of the world. Every time I look up, students are doing something to help others. Here are three examples from my own tribe, which I happen to be quite proud of -

I went to Dad's weekend at Megan's sorority, and they were doing "Race to Live". It's the biggest philanthropy on campus, 700 runners, all put together by a bunch of college girls. Raised thousands for breast cancer research. Nice job, ZETA's. Quite impressive.

Matt is leaving today for New Orleans during Spring Break, with about 100 college kids, to join the ongoing rebuilding efforts there.

Matt's fiance (yes, managed to work that in) Laura leaves today for a medical mission trip to South America for her Spring Break.

Now, dial back to when I was a college student student (whoa, too far there, I was not born during the depression). None of this kind of stuff was being done, or very little, or I was just not paying attention. What is happening is totally cool. Students want to make a difference right now.

A few other morsels to get you through the weekend. In case you've been wondering, I will not be running for President. Since Michael Bloomberg made his big announcement to clear that all up for his 5 friends, I thought I should do the same.

Also, like Barack, I will not be accepting any VP role with Hillary. I've worked too hard and long to get where I am (exactly where is that?) just to help her win Missouri, Indiana, and perhpas the whole South - only to break ties of boring Senate votes when in office. Just not worth it.

I have a new coffee streak going. Since Dec. 10, we've been on another free coffee binge at the Bubalo household. Props to my friend from South America who I'll just code name "Carlos" for getting me started with the bean grown in his own neighborhood, Tres Rios in Costa Rica. Since then, the cupboards have been full. I may start doing coffee reviews sson.

150 bags of Clothes

6300 students at the Passion Conference gave their own clothes to students at Union University in Jackson Tennessee. That campus was torn apart by a tornado on Feb 5. Students here were asked last night to consider bringing any clothes they had to give away. This morning as they walked in the door they dropped off enough clothes to fill 150, 50 gal plastic bags. They assembly-lined them just now into a Penske rental truck which is on the way to Tennessee. Pretty cool stuff.

Oh, that's in addition to the 14,000 pairs of new socks and 5000 new towels they brought with them to stock homeless shelters in Dallas. And the $4500 they contributed to drill fresh water wells for 2 African villages. So, turns out a Passion for Jesus could actually change the world around us, if we just give people the opportunity.
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