Sunday, July 15, 2007

Turning the Page



I just got back from Montreat Youth Conference Week 3, and I'm halfway through my 2 week vacation. I met some amazing people (throw up your work crew sign!) in Montreat and caught up with old friends. It really was great to see those friends I rarely see and will not be seeing for possibly 3 years.

The theme this summer is Turning the Page, and it couldn't fit any better for this point in my life. I've graduated college, I'm single after being in long term relationships, some of my friends are getting married, and I'm leaving for Kazakhstan in August. How many different stories can you fit on one page that is in the process of turning? Some great things came out of the conference, most in the way of quotes, sermons, and discussions that have reminded me where my focus should be. First, Rodger Nishioka, the conference preacher, shared a story from Emory University about Robbie Brown donating a graduation prize of $20,000 to a fellow student providing homes for street kids in India. Rodger got Robbie's phone number and called him to ask why he had done it, and Robbie said, "It isn't as important for me to do well as it is to do good." I like it. It helps remind me to not worry about the small things that I want, and focus on the obvious needs of others.

Second, Rodger shared a Hopi saying that goes, "We are the ones we've been waiting for." John Mayer's new song, "Waiting the World to Change" highlights how we're sitting around hoping for someone else to act, someone else to change. So here's my toast to change: I hope I do more good than harm in my life. I hope that I can be a mentor and a positive influence on my Kazakh students. I hope I can be the change I want to see in the world (Ghandi).

So I'm in Charlotte for the week, and saw my little brother tonight for the first time since he has joined the Southwind drum corps. My mother will be delighted to hear that her three boys are all together and behaving nicely. I definitely will need to work on my Russian and start looking forward to packing for my adventure. I leave five weeks from today.

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