The whirlwind tour continued as we arrived Friday evening in Vegas and left after breakfast on Saturday. It provided just enough time for Chris and I to walk slack-jawed down “the strip” as we took in the glam, opulence and only-in-Vegas sites. Unfortunately, the quick stop (and many organizational policies) didn’t allow us to double the HOPE donations on the roulette table.
During breakfast, Chris was able to again share about the work of HOPE. This trip has been a wonderful opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of microfinance. As most of you know, Chris is sharing the stories of three individuals at every event. These stories have penetrated my heart and made me a firm believer in the cycle-breaking, empowering, community-changing work of Christ-centered microfinance. And, as I talk to individuals after the events, I’m not alone. Galina, Milan, and Mama Atiya now have a special place in the hearts of people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, and Colorado. For those of you who have been unable to attend an event, I encourage you to e-mail Chris and ask for one of these stories. They’re powerful!
On our way home to Denver, we stopped in the Rockies in Glenwood Springs. We stayed there with a couple who had the opportunity to see HOPE’s work firsthand in Ukraine through their home church community, Mountain View Church. Mountain View has been a huge support to HOPE’s work around the globe and it was great to be able to spend time with the wonderful folks there.
Denver. To be minutes away from our apartment felt like a tease, but we wouldn’t have missed a Kay & Leslie (two super HOPE advocates) party for anything. The food was unbelievable, decorations festive, and a wonderful group of people gathered from all over the Denver/Boulder area. Over 45 attended, most of whom had a cursory knowledge of HOPE’s work. Yet, through Chris, Kay, and Leslie’s sharing, it was clear that by the end of the evening countless individuals had moved from appreciating microfinance as a theoretical development concept to believing in its transformative work. The response was overwhelming.
On the way home that evening Chris and I commented that we felt “full.” We had 2 weeks of enjoying the hospitality, planning, and generosity of other and it was a tremendous experience. What a trip! Thank you each for the part you played – hosting, housing, attending, giving, praying… the list goes on. We’re so grateful for the relationships that were formed and for this opportunity.
*Chris will blog soon regarding some of the tangible results of 10.ten.10
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October 16, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Wonderful! What an amazing blessing!! (Are there any pictures of the slack-jawed couple walking down the strip?) Congratulations on completing your 10.ten.10 journey.