The Message

So as promised, I am going to do up a post on the message that I gave a couple days ago in the slums.  But I have to set the stage as it didn't quite go the way I thought it would. The message ended up being a mix of three separate things I had been thinking about.

Subject one. - Power.  So my thought was months ago to talk to the children about how people in all of our lives exert power over us and there are different types such as authority, expert etc...  (not going to go through it all) :) and the idea was to explain that just because you have power over someone you are not a leader necessarily.. (like a corrupt policeman or politician for example) - they can tell you what to do - they have power but are not leaders.

Subject two - Leadership as a Christian / Servant leadership.  So here the main focus (again without going through it all) is that we need to serve others and that each of us can and is a leader in our own way.  but we need to use that for good and as a Christian, we should love our neighbors and serve as we can.  So compassion for others should be central to us and we need to develop relationships with those we lead to understand them and "walk a mile in their shoes"

Subject three - you are precious.  Made in God's image, each of us is special and God wants us to have a relationship with Him.  As one of God's creations we are unique and precious.  If you read about the orphanage in yesterdays post you can see the gems and understand this piece of it.

So here is what happened.  We arrived at the church and I had my notes on what I wanted to say.  My translator (how i had not met) was not there yet.  So I ran the associate pastor through what I wanted to say..... as I explained it, I could see that even though she was pretty good with english she just didn't get it.  UHOH!  If that is the case then the poor from the slums who have no education wont get it either.  Houston we have a problem!  So I am standing at the podium with all my notes, changing the order, getting rid of some and basically shifting it all around.  5 minutes to go the translator arrives so now I have no time to work through it with her to see if the new format makes sense.  YIKES!

The Opening Prayer (as you can see its a tiny church)

If you know me, I have presented at the highest levels of our government in the US to include to the National Security Advisor, multiple 4 star generals in the tank at the Pentagon and Presidential staff.  I usually don't get nervous.  Here I am on the other side of the world and let me tell you... I am nervous!

So the Pastor goes through 2/3 of the service and now its my turn.  let see what happens!  First I hand two bags of jewels to either side of the room and ask everyone to take one and pass it on. Then, I get up to the podium and thank God as normally happens when I speak, I suddenly get very calm inside and off we go.  So I ended up merging all the messages into one.  I spoke very lightly and not much really on power, but I focused on having compassion and how to be a servant leader.  I talked about how each of us has a role to play.  I talked about how deeds mean more than words and I used such a great example.  I asked them to think about what I was about to say.... then I turned my back on them and said.  "I Love you".   I turned around with my eyebrows raised.  Then I went to one knee in front of the front row (teenage girls and one boy) and said "I Love you" very sweetly.  Oh My!  They just blushed and giggled.  Hit the nail on the head!  I said to everyone, it isn't the words... people know if you mean it and they watch what you do.  That matters.

Giving the message through my translator

After that I shifted to talk about the same subject as with the children the next day.  That you are all precious, more precious than that gem you have.

I closed out and then the pastor took over and finished up.   Here is the best part.  As an after thought I told the translator quickly once we finished to tell the congregation that I had string in case they wanted to make a necklace with the jewels.  Suddenly I was surrounded by old women, men, teenagers etc.  I suddenly realized that for many of these people, who live so deep in poverty in the slums, this simple tiny gift, was something that they really liked and maybe even would treasure.  We cut string and helped everyone make a necklace or bracelet.  It was really something.