Spence Smith - Connecting People To Life

Saturdays and the Memphis In May Triathlon 2008

Saturday is here and I am in full swing!!!! I got back from El Salvador yesterday afternoon and hit the ground running...well...I jumped in my truck and took off to do errands. Clean the truck, grab bigger bandages for my soccer wounds, do the laundry, grab some food, hang with friends, and off to bed. Not bad for having to wake up at 3:30am on Friday to get home.

I love Saturdays and I have a full day ahead of me.

Breakfast with some dear friends then onto pick up my friend, Dee. Dee is doing the Memphis in May Triathlon as well and we are both very excited!!

My mom is coming to watch the race so once we get to Memphis we go pick up our race packets, check into the hotel, grab dinner, do some final prep work for the the race on Sunday morning and off to bed.

It’s already beautiful outside and I’m sure they day is going to be a great one. 

Saturday’s really are my favorite days of the week. I have all these little fun things I do to celebrate the weekend when I’m home. Today is no different.

Here’s my question for you...What do you do on Saturday that is special for you? Do you do activities with your kids? Meet friends for brunch or coffee? Go for a good walk? Have some alone time with your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend?

I think we all need days where we can detach from the normal everyday routine of work and life. Saturdays are it for me...anything goes on Saturday and I’m loving every minute of it.

Compassion International - El Salvador - The Church Grew With Soccer

Thursday was our last full day in El Salvador with Compassion International. We headed to the coastal area known for some pretty heavy gang activity. No worries Mom. We were safe.

When we got to the church where the Compassion project was, we got a chance to talk to the the Senior Pastor of the church. He was telling us about the history of the church and how much it has grown. When we asked why so much growth he said this church was mostly attended by women. I wanted the men to start going to church here as well but I could seem to find anything to bring them in...so I started a soccer league through the church. I started a soccer team for the church that I knew would be a great team that men would want to be involved in. It worked...we have one of the largest soccer leagues in the area and the church has more than doubled in size. All because of Soccer.

What I find amazing is people still will do whatever it takes to spread the gospel and have an an impact in changing culture. No...it wasn’t the worship team...it was the pastor’s sermons...it was soccer. Soccer was the tipping point to getting the men in the area to start coming to church.

This makes me wonder what we miss that is right under our noses...when you are trying to reach people, are you trying too hard? Can it be more simple? Could it be a group of people meeting for coffee to talk shop about some passion you might have in common? Could it be that the one thing people love to do in your community is what would bring them in closer? Just a few thoughts for ya…

When we finished with this pastor, we went to the soccer fields. The compassion project and church had organized this HUGE soccer tournament on our behalf. So we came prepared...shoes, shorts, t shirt...ready to play.

The kiddos in the picture above were some of the kids I played against. I was more than willing to get out there and kick the ball around on the dirt field, but I was seriously hoping not to hurt myself as I have my first triathlon of the season this Sunday. Well...a few minutes into the game I took a really good crash and burn of a tumble. Yep! This gringo went down. My elbow is scraped up and my left leg is scraped up as well. Being the tuff guy I think I am, I finished out the period before diving into the first aid kit. I washed it off with bottled water, applied the ointment and on with the day! Oh...it stings...a good clean shower helped and I’m now wonder what a wet suit will feel like over these little war wounds of mine. Have no fear my friends!!! I’m doing just fine.

This week was amazing. I love these children, the staff, and the crazy group of travelers we have on this trip. It’s been a great week. As I travel home today I know what I will be thinking...How creative to use soccer as the tool to build the church. How can we be more creative to do better work. Whether it’s spreading the gospel or building a career in business...how creative do you have t be when sometimes the answer is right under your nose…

By the way...if you have been reading these posts and you want to sponsor a child, please feel free to do so. HERE

Compassion International: El Salvador - The Dream Party

Wednesday I learned about a little event called The Dream Party. We went to a Compassion project and we were taking a tour of the school and when we got to the office we were told about the letter writing process. There seems to be a problem with the kids knowing what to write their sponsors sometimes so the staff at this one project came up with an idea. The Dream Party.

The Dream Party is a party. But when the kids come to the party they have to dress up as their what they dream to be when they grow up. At the party, these kids are taught what it is to dream and to dream big so that one day they can become a doctor or teacher or fireman...or a policeman. They are taught that God will help them realize their dream.

When I heard all this my ears perked right up. I love dreamers!!! Dreamers make the world go ‘round. We wouldn’t have electricity without a dreamer...Businesses, industry, the arts...none of this would be possible without those that dream up the ideas and see them through. Compassion would have never started if it wasn’t for a dreamer to save street kids in Korea. MLK...he had a dream. I think most of us have dreams. I do...do you?

I love that this project was raising up dreamers to show them that life, hope, and opportunity are all possible and it starts with a dream. At this project, you could tell they celebrated dreamers, creativity, and the willingness to learn. I loved it because you could see it in their eyes. We are dreaming and you as a sponsor are helping us ake it happen. WOW…

Here is the kicker...For dinner we ate with three former sponsor children. They were all very impressive and are giving back and contributing to their communities...they are impacting their culture and changing lives. One girl was talking about all that has been done for her through the years as a sponsor child. She is now married to a pastor, has two kids and is the executive assistant to the country director of the Compassion El Salvador office...impressive. She summed up the story of her life by saying this…

If we make an effort to accomplish God’s dreams, God will accomplish our dreams for us.

It was fitting, perfect and she was right on the money. All of these students went on to talk about how influential letters from their sponsor were to their lives. How much those letters motivated them and inspired them to do great things in life.

Folks...this is it. This is what sponsoring a child is all about. Inspire, Encourage, and Build the Community. You can do this by sponsoring a child. Don’t ever think it doesn’t matter. Take it from me...I’ve seen the difference with my own two eyes.

It’s time to start dreaming. What are your dreams and are you dreaming big?

HT: Creative Chaos

Impacting Culture...With Compassion International in El Salvador

Tuesday was an amazing day. I always walk away with great stories from my trips to El Salvador. Little stats like, 75% of crime is gang related, over half the population lives in poverty and on less than $1 a day...literally. 6 million Salvadorians live in El Salvador, 2 million Salvadorians live in the United States. The population here is shrinking because they are looking for work elsewhere while Starbucks buys the rights to harvest coffee beans of a volcano for the next 5 years. Coffee is a big deal around here.

What I thought about today was this. Impacting culture breaks the cycle of poverty. I see it every time I go see our work with Compassion International. It’s amazing to see how these kids grasp education. These kids are learning computer skills at the young age of 7 yrs old while the public schooling system has no computer classes...ever.

I’m talking to these kids who have ambition, drive, and the will to succeed in life and they will. They will succeed because they know they have the tools, the education, the support and the want to do it. These kids will impact their culture, change their culture and break the cycle of poverty.

One story that broke my heart today was about the two in the picture. This little girl is 8 yrs old and her grandmother who is in the picture raises her. Why? Both of her parents died of AIDS when she was the little girl was 2. Grandmother and child attend church and are very faithful. She told us how happy she is just because she lives her life for Christ. She recycles plastic for money and does chores for others for a little money too. She rides the bus with her grand daughter to the compassion project and stays all day because it’s 50 cents each way and she can only afford $1 at a time. I love this woman. She was so wonderful to talk to. She sang us a song since she was so thankful we came. It was amazing...until she told us her two greatest fears...Another earthquake and what were to happen to her little girl if she were to die. Grandmother is in her 70’s and fears for her child’s upbringing as there is no one else to take her in case something were to happen to grandmother. WOW...that one rocked me a bit…

This little girl was so sweet. She was a hugger and I loved it. She was precious. She was a child how longed for family and she had it with her sweet little grandmother.

Friends...if you haven’t already. Now would be a good time to sponsor a child HERE.

Not only do we have a change to impact and change culture in our on spheres of influence...but we have the chance to give hope and opportunity to children that desire to impact their own culture...and break the cycle of poverty. They might live in a poverty place around them, but there is no poverty in their lives...

The Bucket List and Starting Over

Today I’m in El Salvador on a Compassion trip. I’m pretty excited as there is a very different group of people here from very different backgrounds and the conversations are starting to get really good. Selfishly though, I’m the only one that I know of that’s blogging on this trip and I long for my soul mates from the Uganda trip...oh how I miss my dear sweet friends and all the laughter…

Anyway, flying down here I was thinking about what’s about to happen this week. It’s going to be a great week of playing with kids, diving into to family stories and getting to know the people who came with us. I love these trips. The thing I didn’t expect thought was to watch The Bucket List as we flew down here.

The Bucket List...what’s with this movie??? I really liked it. It’s a given that the actors in it are awesome and bad to the bone, but the story line and the point behind it threw me for a loop. I got a little teary eyed at the end when they both died...oh dang!!!! Did I just ruin it for you??? Sorry…:)

Seriously. I started thinking about a list...not a bucket list of things to do before I kick the bucket, but the little list I had in the back of my head for starting life over after the divorce. I didn’t mean to start one at all but now that I look back at it I see a bunch of things I did and am doing to make life different and to make life count.

My life post divorce really was about starting over and doing things to enhance the process of starting over. In some way it was tough but in other ways it was a completely freeing experience. You would have to know more about me to probably get what I’m saying here...but freeing was important for me. I wasn’t running from anything mind you...just taking life on from a different angle and for the first time in my life it felt completely right.

For the sake of not dragging this on...I live life to the fullest I can. Savoring every moment I can in the best way I know how. My friends and family are amazing to me as I have been walking through this process.

My list? Hmmmm….I’ll have to pull that one together for you sometime. I can assure you that I have dome a lot that is on my list.

As I watched this movie, I began to weep inside. Weep for the friends I miss and love but mostly weep because my heart is full of places it wants to go. I feel like the world sits at our finger tips and its up to us to figure out how to use it best.

I know it sounds weird but if you had the chance to start apart of life over what would you do? How would you treat it and how would you go about it? Got dreams? Go for it. Want to change who you are for the better so that you never have to go through this again? Go for it!!! Have you made a list of things you want to do in life? Things you would do to make life better for you? Your family? It’s time to dream again friends...dream big. Do sit around and let life pass you by.

Big Tent’s manager once told us to always enjoy the ride while you can. Take time to smell the roses as you pass by so that you don’t pass them by without noticing.

I look forward to the rest of my life because I know I will always look for a way to do my life differently, but just like in the movie...it’s all about feeling the joy and knowing you have joy in your heart. I love it...and I do...

Relational Blogging - Is It Virtual or Is It Real

The other night at Randy's house a few of us got into a conversation that got me to thinking. We were talking about people who are addicted to the online world, myspace...facebook...etc, and the thought was thrown out there that it's just virtual. (I'm leaving out a lot of details to the conversation...so forgive me if this post seems scattered...)

Then there is the thought that if a person was JUST on facebook and myspace and spending an addictive amount of time on those sites that it could be very unhealthy.  I agree with this.  Then we talked about  twitter and what it's about and a little about blogging as the conversation continued. 

On the surface, all of these could be a virtually addictive waste of brain space, but what got me thinking was this. I love to blog...I love to twitter...but I love my life as it pertains to life outside of the online world. For me though, blogging and twitter are apart of my life outside the online world. Let me explain.

I use facebook to lead people to twitter which then leads to my blog. My ultimate goal is to get people to read my blog and engage with me on a daily basis. So through out my day I twitter to some friends and I look for that next post I'm going to blog about. Why? because what I twitter and what I blog are about my life as it happens or life as I see it.

Here's what I don't want. I don't want what I do online to not make a difference and to never connect to life. Not everyone I twitter with or read their blog am I ever going to have the opportunity to sit down face to face and have a real conversation with, but I can press my face against the window to their lives and look around from what they write. Is it real? Well...maybe not like we would normally think.  It's virtual if all you do is keep it online.

So...With my friends that I really do know who are on twitter, I can know more about what is going on in their day to day lives. My friends that read my blog or I read theirs...We know just a bit more about how each other thinks.

Here's part of an interesting email I got from my dad tonight.

Son,
Your ability to express your experiences and feelings are very therapeutic for all,especially your dad and mom.  You were so much fun to gently guide and nurture.  I've always been amazed at your many accomplishments especially your independence from a "boxed" life.  You do have vision that is meaningful and fun!!    Very much love,Dad

My mom and dad, while they are both divorced, both read my blog and both talk to my about things I write...I would venture to say that in some way, it has brought them closer to me and gives us something else to talk about. Is that real? or is that virtual...

Something else...When we took all of those crazy bloggers I love to Uganda, we all instantly connected. Why? We had all been reading each other's blogs. By reading them, I know a bit more about them and what their life is like. Of all the trips I've been on, there has never been a quicker connection than a trip full of active bloggers. I believe it enhanced our relationships over all.

I have other friends who reach out to other bloggers they only know online, they email, talk on the phone...the relationship becomes a bit more real. There are some though that just stay virtual for whatever reason.

Sometimes though I think people do get carried away with the virtual world and perceived reality. Just because you read a blog doesn't always give you the open door to go inside their lives any further than the browser window. This is a place that needs balance to sometimes. Going from a virtual acquaintance to a real life friend takes time, trust, and no agenda on both sides. I only say this because of a couple of friends I know are trying to navigate their way through some new friends online and it's a weird unknown world for them.

So, this conversation that struck up the other night challenged me. I want my offline world to be so real and transparent and full of life. For my online world...I want the same. I want them to both count in very real ways and build community as I go but I don't want to fall into the trap of thinking what happens online is all there is to life. That would be wrong and I would have to stop.

Is your world real or is it virtual? do you have balance? are you expectations realistic? why do you blog and/or twitter? Just a few questions i would ask you if we were having coffee right now.

 

The Sunday Post Mother's Day Edition

Today on the Sunday Post I want to dedicate this post to a very special woman in my life. She is my mom and her name is Jane. Let me tell you a little about my mom. She is a servant first. Always ready to give of herself at a moments notice. She loves people. She loves her friends and family, but mostly she loves her sons, her daughters-in-law and her grandchildren.

Because of my parents, me and my two brothers never went without. We had a great life growing up and mom was in the center of it all. We had family time and family vacations. We had times we did things with just dad and times we just did things with mom. Growing up mom was in charge of the nursery at church. She loves babies and she has seen her fair share of kids grow up over the years and call her Momma Jane. There's not a baby out there she can't get to fall asleep with a little cradling. Yep...she's my mom. She always wants the best for everyone she comes in contact with and goes the extra mile every time. Mom and Dad always came to the basketball games growing up and every event was covered. Concerts, recitals, school plays, graduations...even next Sundays triathlon...mom will be there cheering me on...Her 38 yr old son. I love it and wouldn't change it for the world.

At a very young age, I remember telling my mom I was never going to college because I was going to be with her instead.

The love my mom has for me makes me proud of my friends who are moms. Watching them love on their kiddos takes me to some great memories growing up. So to all of you moms I'm friends with...Happy Mother's Day. This is your day and I'm proud of you. Let your kids love on you and squeeze you really tight.

To my mom...I love you so much and I want everyone to know it. Happy Mother's Day. I'm proud to be your son.

Blogging From El Salvador With Compassion International and My First Triathlon of the Season

Hey friends. My job takes me to El Salvador next week. I'm taking Chris Sligh there to see our work and I'm pretty excited to go back. This will be my third trip there and each time I walk away amazed at what I learned from the experience. Some of my favorite travel stories come from this country. We leave May 12 and get back on May the 16th.

I will have internet and I will be coming to you...everyday...as I always do...blogging. I will talk about what's happening on the trip as well as post some thoughts about other stuff I've been processing.

So stay tuned as it's going to be a fun trip with some great photos and stories that will warm your heart...if not break it.

Also...I don't ever do this...I never ask for prayer publicly...i guess I should more. I know it never hurts. But let me tell you how you could pray for me this next week.

As most of you know, I've been training for triathlons this summer. My first one is May the 18th, Memphis in May Triathlon 2008. So if you are following along that means I get back from El Salvador on Friday, May 16, sleep in my bed Friday night, get up Saturday and drive to Memphis for a 7:30am race on Sunday morning. The distances for the race are 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run.

First. You can pray that we have a safe trip and that the people going on this trip will be affect by the experience in way that will bleed through in everything they do after the trip.

Second. For my health. I'm in great health. But sleep is a must leading up to a triathlon. Nutrition is priority...and not bringing home a Stowaway, as Shaun Groves puts it, is of the greatest importance. I only want to run with my legs...not have the runs down my legs...eeww gross. Sorry.

I will have access to a swimming pool to squeeze in a couple of work outs at the hotel but I just want to make sure the week is smooth and that I get to Sunday morning with very little drama.

I'm off to Dallas today to be with Rebecca St. James and Vicky Beeching. Follow me on twitter. It will be a fun day!