"Yes, Lord, walking in the ways of Your truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls."-Isaiah 26:8
Well, Passion 2010 has come and gone, and I am now back at home! It was such a great experience to worship with over 20,000 college students in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Students from all over the world attended this year, representing 1,100 universities around the globe. How awesome is that? It was such an encouragement to worship with other college students--knowing that wherever their hometown is, they are going through the same struggles, trials, and temptations that I face each day on their own college campus.
The entire experience was great! Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, John Piper, Beth Moore, and Andy Stanley were our speakers for the weekend, and Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder, Christy Nockels, Fee, Kristian Stanfill, and Charlie Hall each led worship during various sessions. Special guest: Hillsong United for late night concerts! The theme this year was "Awakening," awakening to God's calling for our lives, awakening to God's glory, and awakening to social justice.
God worked in mighty, mighty ways this year (like He always does). Not only did He transform the hearts of thousands of college students, but He moved 22,000 students to change the lives of people around the globe. This year, at Do Something Now, twelve social issues were displayed, with opportunities for college students to help provide aid and raise awareness. Here were the twelve:
1. HIV/AIDS with World Vision: At this station, you could sign up to sponsor children who were living in a community where HIV/AIDS is highly probable. I was really moved by this, and since Stephen and I did not get the opportunity to go to this station during the weekend, we got on World Vision's website when we returned and we are now sponsoring a little boy from Ethiopia. His name is Tysion and he is four years old! Tysion is currently living in a village affected by AIDS.
The entire experience was great! Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, John Piper, Beth Moore, and Andy Stanley were our speakers for the weekend, and Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder, Christy Nockels, Fee, Kristian Stanfill, and Charlie Hall each led worship during various sessions. Special guest: Hillsong United for late night concerts! The theme this year was "Awakening," awakening to God's calling for our lives, awakening to God's glory, and awakening to social justice.
God worked in mighty, mighty ways this year (like He always does). Not only did He transform the hearts of thousands of college students, but He moved 22,000 students to change the lives of people around the globe. This year, at Do Something Now, twelve social issues were displayed, with opportunities for college students to help provide aid and raise awareness. Here were the twelve:
1. HIV/AIDS with World Vision: At this station, you could sign up to sponsor children who were living in a community where HIV/AIDS is highly probable. I was really moved by this, and since Stephen and I did not get the opportunity to go to this station during the weekend, we got on World Vision's website when we returned and we are now sponsoring a little boy from Ethiopia. His name is Tysion and he is four years old! Tysion is currently living in a village affected by AIDS.
2. Package Bibles for the Unreached: This station was to send package 3000 Bibles and send them to unreached people groups around the world.
3. Fund Life Changing Surgeries: This was to raise money for 100 children in Afghanistan to receive cleft palate surgery.
4. Scripture Translation for the Unreached: There are thousands of unreached people groups around the world who have never read or heard the Bible, because there is not one in their language! This provides a means to translate the Bible into a people group's native language.
5. Clean Water in Guatamala: 10 wells in Guatamala....finally clean water!
6. Underground Church in the Middle East: Students were raising money to send 100 Middle Eastern men to seminary!
7. Stop Sex Trafficking in Nepal: $25,000 is what is costs to build a border outpost to catch women before they are sold into slavery. In four days, enough money was raised to build three.
8. Pull Women from Poverty in Haiti: 200 women are now receiving $200 loans to start their own business in Haiti, so they can now provide for their families.
9. Feed My Hungry Children: 100,000 meals for malnourished children were provided!
10. Crush the injustice of the Dalit people in India!: Building an education center so the Dalit people have an escape from the cast system in India.
11. Help Children Thrive and Grow in Indonesia: Malnutrition and disease prevent most infants in Indonesia from living past their 5th birthday. By working with expectant mothers and caregivers, the preventable causes can be stopped and children can live longer. The goal was 100 babies.
12. Love the Homeless in Atlanta: Towels and socks were provided for the homeless shelters right there in Atlanta. Thousands upon thousands were provided. The piles were HUGE!
On Saturday night, Louie Giglio announced he had a money goal for the causes. His ambition was that the students there would raise $500,000. I know, I know....you're probably thinking he's crazy, because we sure were. However, by Monday night, nearly $570,000 had been raised to support these causes. Yes, my God is big God.
But God didn't stop there. By Tuesday morning, the number had been raised to $668,597.95. And it STILL doesn't stop there. Someone in the crowd or someone in Atlanta felt so moved by the generosity and hearts of college students that they called Passion and MATCHED the number of $668, 597.95. So yes, over ONE MILLION dollars were raised for social causes. All the goals we had for those causes were DOUBLED when that couple matched what was raised. Praise God!
And you think I'm finished? Wrong. On Tuesday morning, Louie announced that Passion was going on World Tour again, and that they needed funding to go to Kiev, Ukraine. We will be providing the funds to Ukraine, Ukraine will be funding London, and so on. On Tuesday morning alone, $229,000 was given for Passion World Tour 2011.
Whoever said college students are apathetic and lazy are insane. This generation is on FIRE for God and on a MISSION to change the world.
See ya in '11 Passion!
3. Fund Life Changing Surgeries: This was to raise money for 100 children in Afghanistan to receive cleft palate surgery.
4. Scripture Translation for the Unreached: There are thousands of unreached people groups around the world who have never read or heard the Bible, because there is not one in their language! This provides a means to translate the Bible into a people group's native language.
5. Clean Water in Guatamala: 10 wells in Guatamala....finally clean water!
6. Underground Church in the Middle East: Students were raising money to send 100 Middle Eastern men to seminary!
7. Stop Sex Trafficking in Nepal: $25,000 is what is costs to build a border outpost to catch women before they are sold into slavery. In four days, enough money was raised to build three.
8. Pull Women from Poverty in Haiti: 200 women are now receiving $200 loans to start their own business in Haiti, so they can now provide for their families.
9. Feed My Hungry Children: 100,000 meals for malnourished children were provided!
10. Crush the injustice of the Dalit people in India!: Building an education center so the Dalit people have an escape from the cast system in India.
11. Help Children Thrive and Grow in Indonesia: Malnutrition and disease prevent most infants in Indonesia from living past their 5th birthday. By working with expectant mothers and caregivers, the preventable causes can be stopped and children can live longer. The goal was 100 babies.
12. Love the Homeless in Atlanta: Towels and socks were provided for the homeless shelters right there in Atlanta. Thousands upon thousands were provided. The piles were HUGE!
On Saturday night, Louie Giglio announced he had a money goal for the causes. His ambition was that the students there would raise $500,000. I know, I know....you're probably thinking he's crazy, because we sure were. However, by Monday night, nearly $570,000 had been raised to support these causes. Yes, my God is big God.
But God didn't stop there. By Tuesday morning, the number had been raised to $668,597.95. And it STILL doesn't stop there. Someone in the crowd or someone in Atlanta felt so moved by the generosity and hearts of college students that they called Passion and MATCHED the number of $668, 597.95. So yes, over ONE MILLION dollars were raised for social causes. All the goals we had for those causes were DOUBLED when that couple matched what was raised. Praise God!
And you think I'm finished? Wrong. On Tuesday morning, Louie announced that Passion was going on World Tour again, and that they needed funding to go to Kiev, Ukraine. We will be providing the funds to Ukraine, Ukraine will be funding London, and so on. On Tuesday morning alone, $229,000 was given for Passion World Tour 2011.
Whoever said college students are apathetic and lazy are insane. This generation is on FIRE for God and on a MISSION to change the world.
See ya in '11 Passion!
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