What a week! I am so grateful to be coming home refreshed
and energized after an amazing week in Orlando, FL. It started with my sister, Catherine, and me
flying down last Monday and hitting the ground running for four days in
Disney. Neither of us had been since we
went on a family vacation there in 1997, and we had a blast exploring the
parks. Even as an adult, that place is
still magical (though admittedly stressful at times too!). We were a bit shocked at how crowded it was for
this time of year, and we didn’t necessarily get to do every ride and
attraction we wanted to, but you will never hear me complain about the chance
to walk around in 80+ degree temperatures in February!
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Visit to France in Epcot |
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Disney's Hollywood Studios |
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Just a couple of grown adults, geeking out over Cinderella's Castle! |
On Thursday
afternoon, my FCA teammate Denise (Women’s Ministry Director in MD) picked
Catherine and me up at our hotel and brought us to the Orlando Marriott World
Center for FCA’s Realtime 2018, a conference that happens once every three
years. From Thursday night through
Sunday morning, over 1700 FCA staff and spouses from 43 different countries
gathered for worship, teaching, and fellowship.
Some of our speakers this year included NCAA analyst Clark Kellogg, former
professional soccer player and director of Christians in Sport Graham Daniels, LSU
soccer All-American and Best Selling author Mo Isom, and comedian Michael Junior. We also heard from members of
our National Board of Trustees and teammates from all over the world on how God
is at work through FCA in so many different capacities. Our president, Shane Williamson, also
presented our newly tweaked vision and mission.
In the past, FCA has been largely known as a “presenting” ministry, much
due to the camps that we’re known so well for.
But over the past year, our focus has really shifted and we are honing
in on the importance of discipleship with the coaches and athletes in our
ministry. Having just come out of the
IF: Gathering the week before, this discipleship focus resonated so much with
me.
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FCA's new vision and mission. |
Graham Daniels did
an amazing job with our teaching over the four days. He based his talks on Psalm 137:4, “How can
we sing the songs of Zion while in a foreign land?”, while leading us through the
first four chapters of Daniel. Mo Isom
was incredible as she shared her testimony and the impact FCA has had on her
life. What was particularly special
about that is the fact that the staff who poured into her throughout her
college career are still on staff. One
of her LSU teammates also came on staff a few years ago, so the talk she gave
was personal as so many people she knew were in the audience. I can’t wait to hear her speak again at our
regional Remarkable Girls Conference in just a few weeks!
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Loved hearing from author and speaker Mo Isom! |
Though there is
much to do now to get caught up from being away for an entire week, the trip
was such a blessing, both personally and professionally. I’m so thankful for a sweet time with
Catherine and this ministry that does such a wonderful job equipping its staff
to see the world influenced by Jesus Christ.
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Catching up with my huddle from October's New Hire Training |
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