Passion Sao Paulo is History!

But, Passion Sao Paulo will never be forgotten, and the impact on this City and the kids will live throughout eternity. The Brazilian kids are the most exciting, exhuberant, passionate, I have seen on this entire Passion World Tour. If you are not singing or leading them in singing, they just start singing a song themselves. In line to come into Passion, they are in line chanting and singing and dancing. What a last night here in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
There is nothing like thousands of young people giving "all" they have to be what God wants them to be.

While they were singing the HOSANA song, the words always impact me, especially, "...break my heart for what breaks yours..." Is that true? When you sing that song, is that true in your heart? If not, it would be better if you did NOT sing it! It would be better to keep your mouth closed and not sing, if it is not true. So, what breaks God's heart? SIN! Does sin break your heart? It does God's. In fact, He can't stand it. He cannot stand to be around it. Is that how you feel?

Ok, back to Sao Paulo! We head home tonight, Sunday night and return on Monday, Labor Day in the States. So, talk to you all then and we will wait again until NOVEMBER when we got to Vancouver, CA.

Pictures for Sao Paulo may have to wait till I get home to ge added...stay tuned

Bienvedos Sao Paulo!

Portugese is the language in Sao Paulo and I am not sure I spelled everything correctly, but anyway we are here in Sao Paulo. We arrived at the venue in Sao Paulo, a 10 minute ride from the Hotel that took an "hour". Yes, with 22 million people in the city, what should be a 10 minute ride it took an hour to get here. Oh well, it was expected. The motorcycle drivers are still the craziest in the world. There are 6-7 deaths PER DAY of motorcycle riders. When there are white lines between the lanes...that is where every motorcycle rider goes racing through all the time. So, don't change lanes and don't open your door or you will have it torn off and a motorcycle attached to it.

We are in the largest indoor venue in Sao Paulo and it is SOLD OUT! We are expecting a large number of University students for the next 2 days and it will be crazy. I think in 2008 the Brazilian kids were the most excited and loudest in their worship and praise. As excitement builds and volunteers arrive we are preparing for a glorious time the next 2 days. Another good thing is that we have 300 volunteers signed up to help us plus another 100 or so venue personnel and security. So, we are looking forward to a great time of worship, praise and study here in Brazil.

More later with pictures.

Wake-Up BLOGGERS, Arrival in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Just a short message for now, but we arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil a few hours ago and what a City. Does not look lile it changed much since 2008, but it is a big crazy city. The venue is said to be packed out with University students. I will have more to say tomorrow and hopefully some pictures. Pretty tired right now, a long flight and no sleep on the plane.

Talk more later, be praying for the students and bands as they all prepare,

Back in the U.S.A.

Well, I just landed in New Jersey from a long flight from Hong Kong. I had a few probelms with my camera and have not been able to post many of my pictures. I will do that and post again when I finally make it back to Austin late tonight or sometime tomorrow. I have a 5-hr. layover here in NJ before boarding a flight for Austin.

It has been an exciting tour and I have seen God working all over the world and am convinced that He has university students all over the world that have one purpose, "to make His name famous in their lives whatever it requires."

I will post again tomorrow with many more pictures.

Take Care,

For His Glory Alone!

Passion Hong Kong

It may be hard to believe but Passion Hong Kong is underway! I had a day to recoup from the plane trip and had some time to see some of the sights and beautiful surroundings of this city. The people are friendly and excited about making Jesus Renown in this country.

As I watched them worship with tears of joy coming down their faces and worship like it meant everything to them. They prayed and worshipped LOUD and as I sit at the stage and look up into their faces I can see genuine love for who they sing to!

I do not know the impact and the trials they will face ahead of them, but I am confident of this one thing. The One they worshipped and sang to will be with them wherever they go and whatever they do. They were so hungry and thirsty for what they heard they did not want the night to stop and it went on for a "good" long time. There were many friends I remembered from 2008 and it was great to see them all again. There were many who came and followed us from Manila to come again. There were many who came hours and hours away from mainland China; Shang-hai, Bejing and other places throughout the country.

I can't describe the emotions I feel as I hear kids from every country sing and worship, but it brings tears to my eyes everytime. This night will be over and I will leave this country and this part of the tour with more encouragement and more people to pray for as I travel back home. There are many pictures to post and I will post again tomorrow after I can reflect on all that has happened.

"If God is for us...who can ever stop us! If God is for us who can be against us?"

What a song that Chris Tomlin has written and the words are fantastic!
Talk to you tomorrow or whatever day it is.

Hong Kong via New Jersey

It is exciting to be headed to Hong Kong to see thousands of university students who have been patiently waiting for 4 weeks while Passion traveled to Kiev, UK, London, England, Tokyo, Japan and Manila, Philippines.
After a brief rest at home, I have arrived in New Jersey for a 4 hour layover before my plane takes off for Hong Kong. It will be a long flight and I hope to get some rest somewhere over the Pacific. My brother, Todd, is headed that way from Houston, via Detroit.
I met a guy, RICO, in Manila, who is a bulk of a man, who I plan on seeing again in HK. He was the Security contact in Manila and said he lives in Hong Kong and plans on being at the Passion event. He is not a believer, so pray for him and me as well as we talk.
I look forward to seeing the thousands of university students worship and listen to what God has to say to them through Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin and David Crowder.

How have you been doing? What is going on in your life? If you are reading this, somewhere along the line you have had some troubles, trials, pain and suffering. If you allow Him, that is the time you can and will grow closer to Him. The story of the prophet Habakuk I "briefly" blogged about earlier ends with the realization by the prophet that "no matter what" God is God and in control of everything. In spite of all the things going on in the world...God is in control and His plan will be done. He has already been there! Is your heart troubled? Is your life a mess? With that in mind if we can read and live the 4-word prayer that Jesus prayed in John 12:27-28..."Father, glorify thy name..." That is my prayer, that no matter what, "Father, glorify thy name."
I want my life to reflect His. We are so easily "distracted" in our day-to-day lives. We trust Him to Save us, but we don't trust Him to be involved in our day-to-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute details. Things and people get in the way and make us angry and we forget WHO HE is!

WOW! I did not mean to preach or lecture. I do like to teach and read, but this is a blog about "making Him famous." That is what I want to do and why I take weeks of vacation away from home to travel around the world. I don't know how much time we have left, but it is a day shorter than it was yesterday.

I will be in the plane for next 20 hours or so and will arrive in HK sometime Thursday!?
No photos as of yet, so, stay tuned and take care.

"...End of the Rainbow...is Peace & Rest"

Well, it has been a whirlwind of activity the past 48 hours and I know I missed a lot of time in there somewhere with my flight back across time. I know I traveled about 20 hours in the air, yet got home on the same "date" that I left Manila. Pretty strange, but maybe that is where they get the saying..."how time flies."

The end of Passion events and the following days to get home all seem to come so fast with little time to catch your breath and do much of anything, especially blog. So, I apologize for being a few days about getting back here, but I literally had to "run" through the airport...in Atlanta to catch my flight. In fact, I was 1 minute from missing my flight from Atlanta to Austin as there were many things that seem to work against me on the last leg of my journey. But, suffice it to say, I made it and will try and catch a breath before going back out to the last part, until the fall, to Hong Kong in 5 days.

I had a comment in my last blog entry from a just one of the great friends I made in 2008 in Manila and it was great to seem them all again and it was hard to leave as well. But, the impact of Passion will never be known on the wave of what was and is being done in the youth of Manila.

Well, as I drove into Austin I could see what looked like a pretty severe thunderstorm to the West-Southwest of Austin, the direction I was going, and the closer I got to home I saw the storm had just passed. As I turned down my street just off the main road the most beautiful and big rainbow appeared in the sky and the closer I got to home, it looked like it was coming right from my lot. Well, I did not find any "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow, but I did fine some peace and rest for a little while in knowing that the Creator of that rainbow is still in control of every part of our lives and everything that is going on in the world when it looks like it is going the wrong way. I have full confidence that He who controls the rainbow knows and controls everything that happens and even through pain and suffering He will make it to be "good" whether it feels like it or not.

I did find out another thing In Manila. The people of Manila love shopping malls. They are everywhere and where they are are a lot of people. The one picture on this entry is in the center of one of 5 malls that are attached together. It was a sight to see.

I may make another post here just before I leave for Hong Kong next Wednesday, so keep track and let me know if you want me to continue the journey as I have enjoyed writing a few things down throughout all this to hopefully give you a small glimpse of what is happening. I leave for Hong Kong Wednesday, June 2nd.