Vision Weekend: Bigger, Badder, with a Big Ole Teddy Bear Heart

Vision Weekend is back for it’s third appearance. But, this year it’s been to the doctor to have some work done. Not just any doctor, a doctor in Malibu who has made it look different; it got tucks, lifts, peels and some sort of laser treatment. Vision Weekend is barely recognizable. But, on the inside, I assure you, that it is almost the same weekend that we have grown to love over the past years, kind of.

So, you probably ask, “What’s up with Vision Weekend, why the trip to Weekend Malibu?” Well, I shall explain. For starts, the weekend will not be at the church, it has moved to the woods. Yes, the woods. No more warm cozy tile floor, this year it’s a sleeping bag in a tent for you. No more Amanda and JoAnn cooking eggs in the fellowship hall, this year it is one of the older “yous” (with the proper adult safety patrol watching closely, from a distance) cooking eggs or something closely resembling eggs over a campfire. Think a mixture of survivor and boot camp, with a soft teddy bear heart, and you might come close to understanding the new Vision Weekend.

Now you probably ask yourself, “What, why?” I know that does not look proper when you see it written down, but I am going on my many years of experience here, that is exactly what you would say if I told you all that in person. The purpose of all this campfire eggs and tents and woods and outdoor latrines (yes, outdoor latrines, if you don’t know what that word means - google it, it’s a fun one) is to teach. In an admittedly and somewhat novel way, we wish to teach fundamental elements of leadership, teamwork, endurance, and sacrifice with the proper spiritual emphasis tying it all together.

Admittedly this exercise will be different than what you might expect. Outdoors, tents, working to get your campsite setup, carrying in your water and just plain roughing it is not for everyone. Oh, and so far I have failed to mention, no showers. As such, this event is for current members of the Parkway Baptist Student Ministry Youth, 6th grade to 12th grade. Not for college. Not for guests, while we love to see guest at Parkway this trip is not the ideal environment to be introduced to our ministry. Some folks may not wish to attempt this, which is fine. While I would love to have everyone present, if you are not up to the work and discomfort this experience will require it may be best for you to wait. If it works it is quite likely we will do it again. If it doesn’t work you are lucky, you did not have to be the guinea pig.

This will be a different kind of experience. I believe that you will have a very good time. I also know that it will not be easy. But know this, you will come out of the woods with a better understanding of leading, following, working as a team, and claiming victory. You may also learn a little about failure, endurance, and sacrifice. Either way, my plan is that you will learn, grow, and be more than you were.

When: January 3 – 6, 2008
Where: Some woods in Jefferson county. *
Cost: $10.00
Sign up by and pay Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Everyone must complete and have this form notarized.

* Parents email or call me for details such location specifics and chaperone roster. Also, let me know if you have concerns not addressed in this article. There are some details, which have been intentionally left out.

Who Knows

On my recent trip to Mississippi for Thanksgiving, I drove past the interestingly large Meridian Regional Airport. I grew up within a mile of this airport, so I am quite familiar with its story. It, in fact, has quite an interesting story. The airfield owes its aforementioned unusually large size (in relation to Meridian) to the fact that it houses the Meridian Regional Airport, the Air National Guard 186th Air Refueling Wing (flying a number of rather large KC-135 Stratotankers), and 150th Engineer Battalion (with a number of general aviation flyers). With an average of only two outbound commercial flights a day, in a town of roughly 39,000, what happened to set this airfield apart?
In June 1935, brothers Al and Fred Key took to the air from the Meridian Airport, now known as Key Field, in an attempt to break the world record for sustained flight. Twenty-seven days later, they landed at the Meridian Airport having never left the county. They flew in a figure-eight pattern around Meridian for 653 hours and 34 minutes, equaling 52,320 miles. They stayed aloft the entire time! They had food and fuel lowered to them from another plane four times a day. In fact, with the help of local mechanic, A.D. Hunter, they pioneered air-to-air refueling; To this day, the military still uses a slightly modified version of their technique.
Why, during the great depression no less, would two men attempt such a novel undertaking? Well, the airport, which they co-managed, was slated to be shut down due to budget constraints. The brothers decided to fight for their airport. In fact, Meridian’s airport is one of the oldest surviving airports in the state of Mississippi. They saw an opportunity to make a difference for the threatened airfield and did not back down. After a couple weeks without landing, the nation and world started to take notice. National attention to the Key brothers and the Meridian Airport saved the small struggling operation. To this day, only astronauts aboard space stations have topped the Key brothers’ achievement.
Both brothers went on to become bomber pilots in World War II. Al later served as Mayor of Meridian. Today, you can go to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington and see their plane hanging from the ceiling: a Curtis Robin named The Ole Miss, which they had to borrow for their endurance flight.
This story is quite interesting in a number of respects. Incredible endurance and sacrifice, coupled with a plan and a motivated team, placed Fred and Al Key in the record books and established a foundation that the present-day Key Field is built upon. There was no certainty. They had faced previous failed attempts. No one had a proven safe method of transferring fuel between two planes in flight. There was bad weather, notorious summer thunderstorms, a fire onboard the plane, a near mid-air collision; a thousand ways that it could have gone terribly wrong. In fact, the plane has a catwalk built around the engine so they could go out for routine maintenance, on a running-engine in flight!
Is there a parallel? I wish not to belabor the point. Endurance, bravery, sacrifice, teamwork and planning can pay tremendous dividends. These can also result in tragedy. But the only way anyone will ever know, is if it is attempted. And sometimes, re-attempted. Then, who knows? But, in this case, sitting on the ground “hoping” would have resulted in absolutely nothing.
Vision Weekend: Leadership Challenge
For current members of Parkway Youth Ministry
January 4-6, 2008

Student Prayer Reminder

Tonight,
Thursday November 8.
Student prayer meeting at my house at 6:30 pm.
This is the first, we will meet the second Thursday of the month from this point on. All students, parents, and student ministry volunteers are welcomed.