7/16/03 A short summary of the dayThe Gathering is off and running!! We arrived at Atlanta Hartsfeld Airport at 9:00 am, and subwayed to our beautiful 44 story hotel. We're all on the 6th floor ... and tickled by our accomodations. The hotel let us in to about half our rooms early, and we got registered in the early afternoon at the Georgia World Congress Center after lunch. We toured the "underground" and the Coca Cola Museum, including lots of free samples. Some shopped, some swam in the afternoon before we all went to the Georgia Dome for the opening worship. Imagine 27,000 youth ... cheering, singing, in samba lines! Lights, and sound ... praise at full decibel! Bishop Hanson greeted us by video ... culminating in his hopping on minibike ... and eventually coming into the dome on the bike (with his boots and helmet). The place went nuts ... and greeted us by telling us how proud the church was of its youth ... and how often he has prayed for us, and for this event. We were challenged by speakers to serve Christ by serving others. We're tired, still pumped ... and open to what God has in store for us. Our nightly devotions ... at 11:45 pm ... are called "the final fifteen" ... then it's off to bed to prepare for another day! Ubuntu ... Do Life!

7/17/03
Imagine long lines to enter the Georgia Dome ... 27,000 folk-dancing youth, singing praise, praying. Choirs ... rap, Gospel, contemporary, traditional. (pictures) Our message today was radical ... dangerous ... "By grace we have been saved, not by our works, but as a gift." 150 baptismal stations ... "marking" each other with the invisible sign of God's great gift to us. We were reminded ... through a devotion about belly buttoms ... (navel gazing?) that we are connected to God ... each unique ... and called. Our afternoon was in the Global village ... crafts, games, ministry, zip lining ropes (pictures) ... and the pastor got his nails done for the first time in 52 years! Very nice ... a five finger/color rainbow on each hand. (picture) Every one got a back pack ... Kris's is a little big (pix). Our sponsors took some time on the hammock (Tim, Laura) and Pastor Jim and small group got to the beach (pix)

Thanks to LOL member Jeff Ramm and Bravo/Brio for an out of this world dining experience tonight ... appetizers, salads, pastas, tiramisu and incredible glazed cheesecake ... in a private room! Wow ... grace was lavished upon us! Most groups are doing MacDonald's and we did fine dining! (pictures). One diner (DS) while eating his dinner saw what he claimed was the face of Jesus (pix)!! All is well for us on the road in Atlanta. We are experiencing true "ubuntu" and committed to "do life!"

7/18/03
We went earlier to both sessions today ... waiting in line so we could be in the very front of the 27,000 gathered in the Georgia Dome. Barbara Lundblad (Pastor, Professor) spoke in the morning ... and the evening (Wow!) was built on the all the baptized (us!) becoming servants in the world. Audio Adrenaline ...kicked open the doors with "I want to be your hands" and the place rocked. Some pictures are blurry ... because the sound, and dancing, and clapping, and jumping was unbelievable. Pastor Rob Bell had an incredible message tonight ... tears in his eyes and hours ... as he taught us what it meant to be "talmudeen" ... "disciples" of the best rabbi ever, Jesus. And he reminded us that most of Jesus disciples were probably teens, our age, and they changed the world! We were annointed with oil and given a servant medallion in a commissioning service. Audio Adrenaline brought the house down again with "Big House" and "Dirty" (as in get your hands dirty for Jesus). In between were workshops, interaction center ... and lunch in a neighborhood where we were clearly the minority! We laughed and had our our horizons widened! At the end of the day our entire group gathered around the gathering's contemporary (and huge!) baptismal font. All are well in Atlanta ... we give thanks to be part of a congregation where people care for us, call us to ministry, and pray for us! Thanks!