We complete the first of five legs of the Tour on Sunday night in Cape Girardeau. It has been a great first week. We have hosted close to 300 churches in the VIP Dinners and 169 of those churches have pledges to get 1,627 children sponsored. A great first week. I'm off next week but will return on October 14th in San Jose.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Cape Girardeau
We complete the first of five legs of the Tour on Sunday night in Cape Girardeau. It has been a great first week. We have hosted close to 300 churches in the VIP Dinners and 169 of those churches have pledges to get 1,627 children sponsored. A great first week. I'm off next week but will return on October 14th in San Jose.
Jason Gray
Jason Gray is the opening act for the Tour. He and his wife are traveling with us on our bus. It has been great to get to know him. I love his music - you have to check it out - www.jasongmymusic.com
Crossing the Mississippi
We drove all night from Atlanta, Georgia to Cape Girardeau, MO for our final show on the first leg. It was around 8AM as we crossed the Mississippi into Missouri. Do you know who was born in Cape Girardeau? Rush Limbaugh
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Bunk House
My bunk is on top, Steve Green is in the middle bunk and Max Lucado is on the bottom bunk. Last night I got up around 3:30AM to get some Advil and I was climbing down when the bus swerved. I fell to the floor and as I did my right hand hit Max on the chest causing him to wake up. He was really out of sorts as he was trying to figure out where he was and what was happening to him. Quite an adventure.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
This AM
We pulled into Atlanta this morning around 6:30AM. I slept until around 9:00AM and rolled out of the bunk (literally - its the only way out) to find that most of the team was already up and at them. I headed over to the dressing room area at the amphitheater and found the catering room. Most of the team was there having breakfast - cereal, eggs, bacon, sausage, donuts, rolls, fruit, yogurt and coffee. After our breakfast our crazy day begins unloading trucks and the long process of setting up for the pastor dinner begins. Tonight's dinner is being held at a nearby Marriott as there is no room at the amphitheater.
Rolling into Atlanta
So I have a top bunk and we are talking about which one is best. Max has chosen a bottom bunk and I asked him why? He said that he was on a bus during the Young Messiah Tour and the bus took a sharp turn in the snow and he fell out of the bunk - thanks Max.
Max
Max and I wrapping up the World Vision presentation at the pastors dinner. In Korbin we had 42 churches pledge to sponsor over 360 children.
WV Church Advisor - Laura Wesson
Laura is sharing the in's and out's of hosting a Hope Sunday with pastors in Korbin.
A Night on the Bus
The concert finished up last night in Corbin, KY around 10:30PM - does anyone happen to know what Korbin is famous for? (answer below). We begin to gather around the bus as the crew tears down the show. We have 13 people on our bus plus the driver. There are 12 bunks (stacked three high) on our bus. The beds are comfortable but a little short for those of us over 6'. There is a reading light, an air vent and a TV/DVD combo player that is mounted in each bed. Finally there is a sliding curtain for privacy. There is a toilet but rule number 1 is there is no number 2. There are about eight of us from World Vision on our bus, Max Lucado and two members of his team, artist Jason Grey and two AEG Live staff who are producing the tour. Over the next hour or so people gather on the bus. I go into one of the dressing rooms at the venue to change, brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Back on the bus around midnight and we are still waiting for the crew to finish loading. We sit around and talk while Max enjoys his evening bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. One of the road staff brings in a sack of Wendy's burgers, chicken sandwiches and baked potatoes for the vegetarians. Over the next hour or so people begin to climb into bed until around 1:30AM there's only three of us awake as the bus departs from the arena headed to Corbin.
Answer: The first KFC
Answer: The first KFC
Friday, October 1, 2010
Pastor Letter from Youngstown
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is all I and my wife can say. It was GREAT. This was the first of the tour and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again what can I say. GREAT job. Good luck wit the other Cities. Please stay safe and God Bless you ALL.
God Bless,
Rev. Austin & Tricia French
God Bless,
Rev. Austin & Tricia French
Life on the Road
Jason Gray working on his blog on our tour bus. Brooks and Dunn used this bus earlier this year.
Max Sharing His heart
Max Lucado made an appeal for people to sponsor World Vision children and 150 were sponsored in Youngstown.
First VIP Pastor Event
We had our first Max Lucado VIP dinner in Youngstown. We had over 430 people respond to join us but only had room for 200 because the venue did not have a room so we had to rent a tent. We had 73 churches in attendance.
Max Lucado
I caught this moment of rehearsal with Max in the front row during Toby Mac's rehearsal of Jesus Freak.
Tour Celebration
This tour is part of Max Lucado's 25th year of publishing and the release of his new book; Outlive Your Life. The book was born on his trip with World Vision to Ethiopia about a year and a half ago. Max's goal is to see 25,000 children sponsored with World Vision. We will traveling to 20 cities in the month of October. In each city we've invited every pastor to join us for a VIP Pastor's dinner before each show. The pastors will be challenged to take the Outlive Your Life Challenge and to join the efforts to change the lives of 25,000 children.
Rehearsal
On Wednesday the bands gathered to rehearse in the Covelli Center in Younstown for rehearsal. During one section of the concert Micheal, Toby and Mac Powell of Third Day do an acoustic piano set out near the sound board.
Tour Begins
I flew from JFK in New York to Pittsburgh and drove to Youngstown for the start of the Make A Difference Tour with Max Lucado, Micheal W. Smith, Toby Mac and Third Day.
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