Monday, October 22, 2007

That's Amore`

If I were to catalog the number of incredible ministry experiences I have had over the past 14 years and somehow rank them according to degree of impact (which would be impossible), I would have to put this one near the top. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of leading an amazing group of young professionals from HPC to Italy for the purpose of reaching the next generation--I love taking the heart and DNA of our church all over the globe!!

After months of planning, meeting, creative fundraisers, and serious prayer gatherings, 22 of us packed our bags and headed for Sicily...the sight of this year's Italy for Christ (IFC) Youth Summit. We were met by more than 100 leaders from all over the country who were eager to learn and passionate about reaching their generation. We hosted the entire conference, equipping leaders on a variety of topics--everything from discipleship & raising up volunteers to the use of creative arts & effective outreach. Our Late Nite band raised the roof one night with an electrifying concert that lasted well into the night.

When the conference ended, we partnered with a local church in Catania, where we ministered at several services and did street ministry in the piazza--public square where most people hang out in the evenings. Jason Ryder led our band, Gena Bohl hooked up some "bus-hitting" dramas, our team shared testimonies, and we communicated the Gospel. End result: people receive Christ!

The differences between us were obvious: they like soccer--we like LSU football; they eat pasta--we eat crawfish; they kiss on the cheek when they greet--we shake hands & give high-5's. Even though we are worlds apart in culture, custom, and language, we are undoubtedly one in Spirit. The chemistry between us was immediate! They received us and loved us as family. They cooked for us, taught us some Italian words, and laughed with us. Now that's what I call amore`!! When I get to heaven, I hope God places my mansion right in the middle of all my Italian brothers and sisters.

Thank you, Healing Place, for sending us out and believing in us. Your giving and serving is spoken of throughout the entire world. You would be so proud of our team--their effort, flexibility, willingness, and sacrifice represented you well. We even handed out some superlatives at the end of the trip...you'll have to ask the team about that!!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Birthday Fun

Life is full of irony. It's funny how my last post centered on slowing down and enjoying life more, however, the past 2 weeks have done nothing but accelerate for me!! It's easy to preach about the need to slow down, but it's incredibly difficult when you can't even find the brakes! If I can't do much to change the pace of things, I'm determined at least to enjoy every exhilarating second of it!!

Before leaving for Italy (an amazing trip that I will blog about soon), we celebrated something very important at the Haman house...Mikaela had a birthday on October 1st. She is so excited to be 5 years old, and I wanted to dedicate this post completely to her.

When she woke up early Monday morning, we basically gave her a blank check. I said, "Baby, the day belongs to you. We are committed to going wherever you want to go and doing whatever you want to do!".....a very dangerous thing to offer a little girl who loves the bling!! Our first stop was Chick-fil-a (excellent choice--a personal favorite of mine). Since we've been married, Rachel and I have had numerous romantic date nights there--she loves the playground.

After Chick-fil-a, we met up with Gabi LeBlanc (one of the coolest Elevate interns at HPC) and headed to kid-heaven: Chuck E Cheese. I don't know who had more fun: Mikaela or the 3 adults with her! We blitzed the arcade with a gold-mine of tokens. I must humbly confess that while playing the Hot Shot basketball game, I set the All-Time Chuck E Cheese record...when you see the high score of 52, know that it's mine!!

The day wouldn't be complete without a trip to the mall, where we rode the carousel, visited Libby Lu, The Disney Store, Limited Too, and Claire's. And to top it all off, a cup of Dip-N-Dots for the road!! I love that little girl more than words can say. She's 5 years old now, but blink twice and she will be 25! Oh that dreaded day!! Do you think maybe I can convince her on her 25th birthday to hang out with her dad at Chuck E Cheese??? Not hardly! I better enjoy it now!