I’m on Bill Hybell’s e-list. Here’s a moving story, which arrived today (19th May, 2007)

Shalom! Rowland Croucher

http://jmm.org.au/ (20,000 articles 4000 humor)

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Dear Enews Friends,

I know Barry Manilow wrecked everyone’s perception of this historic beach in the heart of Rio de Janeiro when he did a song about it twenty years ago. But this spot has special meaning to my life.

Shortly after high school, when I was still working for our family produce business, my father presented me with a stack of airline tickets and announced that I was going to enlarge my world by traveling to Latin America. This was not the first time he had pulled this stunt. When I was fifteen, he had sent me alone to Africa and the Middle East. I think one of his biggest fears was that I would develop a small town mindset if he didn’t keep me on the move.

When I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, I learned that I would be staying overnight at a hotel overlooking the world famous Copacabana Beach, which in that era was the jet set capital of the world. After walking the beach and checking out the local scene, I went to the top of the hotel, sat down at a table overlooking the water and ordered dinner. It was not going to be a quiet one. Just a few feet away from me, a retired couple from America sat down and began talking at a volume level I could not ignore. At one point in the conversation the husband said to his wife, “Honey, being here tonight at this hotel on Copacabana Beach has made all of my life’s effort worthwhile! All the long hours at work, the overtime, the business travel etc…it was all worth it to be able to be here!”.

His words hit me like a sledge hammer. I was nineteen years old and “already here!” The thought of spending the rest of my life enduring a job I didn’t feel passionate about so that I could come back to that same hotel and have a steak at that table seemed insane to me. The whole experience rattled me so much that I left my uneaten dinner on the table. I went to my room a few floors below, fell on my knees by the bed and poured my heart out to God. With upturned hands I asked God to take full leadership of my life and to guide me to a purpose that would really matter. Within months of that night in Rio, I left our family business and our comfortable life in Kalamazoo, Michigan and moved to Chicago to help a friend lead the youth ministry that eventually gave birth to Willow.

I have had the opportunity to train pastors in Brazil many times in recent years. In fact, our largest Global Summit site in the world for the last two years has been our site in Sao Paulo. But until yesterday I had never been back to Rio. Imagine my emotions when I walked along the promenade at Copacabana Beach and found the hotel where a single dinner and subsequent prayer of surrender redirected the entire course of my life. That was quite a moment. I actually thought about moving from the hotel the WCA had booked me in to the one that held such rich memories for me, but when I checked the room costs I decided to reflect from from across the street. (Once a Dutchman always a Dutchman!).

After today’s mentoring session with 120 key pastors here in Rio, I will catch an all night flight back to Chicago where Lynne and I will celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary with the kids and the grandkid.

Once again, thanks for your prayers on these trips. I feel the effects of them every time I stand up in another city that God has led us to. In the next reality, God will reveal the difference Willow’s investment around the world really made. I think we will all be pleasantly surprised.

Blessings,

Bill

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To find out about this weekend’s service or what’s happening around Willow Creek Community Church, visit: http://www.willowcreek.org. Willow Creek Community Church is located at 67 E. Algonquin Rd, South Barrington IL 60010.