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Summer means amazing days and, as in the case of last week, teenagers. Lots and lots of teenagers! But one student who did not make it to the conference I was speaking for in Daytona Beach sent this letter, instead. Granted, it’s long, so if you don’t think you’re up for it just wait and another post will appear soon. But if you have a minute, or several, here goes. And thank you J. in advance for letting me post this for all to see!

Mr. Giglio, [love it!]

Every other summer the kids in my youth group go on missions trips. This summer the Lord opened up three opportunities. One to Brazil for two weeks, one to England for two weeks and one to China for five weeks. I tried going on the one to Brazil…but by the time I signed up it was already full. I was pretty bummed. I thought about the other two trips, but the trip to England didn’t really appeal to me and China seemed too long. I wanted to do missions over the summer, but it seemed like nothing was coming into play and I kinda pushed it to the side hoping something would come up. Something definitely came up.

The first time I heard you speak live was when my awesome youth pastor took all the seniors to Passion D.C.. That weekend was way awesome. On Friday night after you spoke you asked the crowd to be still and quiet and to simply seek out the Lord’s voice. So there we were, all 3,000 of us seeking out the Lord’s voice in that huge arena. As I was sitting there I was praying, “Lord speak to me.” After a few moments, He spoke. That still, small voice in my head said one thing, “J., you are going to China.” I didn’t really like this so I just tried to forget about it. The next day was awesome. I got to hear you speak along with Francis Chan the funny Asian man. He was cool and we got to worship the Lord with Chris Tomlin leading us. During the last session God did something crazy. A young lady from China came up and shared her testimony with all of us. I don’t remember everything she said, but at the end she prayed. She prayed that God would speak to some of us in the crowd and send us to her country to do the Lord’s work. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Then God did another crazy thing. You came back up and said, “Ya know if maybe you’ve been sensing the Lord calling you to China but needed some verbal confirmation, I think that was it right there.” Then you asked everyone who had sensed the Lord calling them to go to raise their hands. I raised my hand cuz at that point I was definitely being called. So I told my youth pastor and he was all excited for me and he contacted the organization and let them know I was going. Then I had to bring in the money which was almost $5,000 and I was thinking, ” I dunno God, that’s a lot of money and I only have like a month and a half left.” But God is always bigger than I think He is and He had the first check I received be from a lady I didn’t even know for $2000. So it was like Him confirming to me again that I was going.

So anyways, as you read this I’m in China witnessing to high school students and although I was super bummer that I’d be missing out on this camp that you’re at, I know I am where the Lord wants me. …Anyways, I write all this to simply thank you because the Lord used you in my life in a big way to communicate to me where He wanted me this summer.

[a few paragraphs that are personal]

…Well, Mr Giglio, this is definitely the longest letter I’ve ever written. …Keep it up and know He’ll keep using you in awesome ways. Also, if Chris is there with you tell him that even though everyone makes fun of his height, he really doesn’t look that short, especially on stage.

Well, I know you’re a super busy man but if you’d remember to pray for me that’d be cool. I’m here in China for five weeks, so even if you forget for two weeks and then you remember, you’re still good. Hopefully, I’ll see you again in the future. God bless,
J.

PS- I broke my ankle last week when me and a buddy were free running, so I’ll be on crutches or in a wheel chair pretty much the whole time so that’s one thing you can pray for, thanks.

________
Thank you Jesus…the ripples continue.
Thank you Sam Lu.
Daytona ROCKED!!
J., God is doing huge things in and through you in China! So glad you’re there.
Free running = excitement and broken bones!

LG

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Hopefully, summer is going well for everyone. I’m sitting in an airport in ATL on the way to a week-long conference with about 6000 teenagers and can’t wait. For June’s First Monday we were smack in the middle of Europe and the first leg of the World Tour and we were connected daily as we prayed and watched God do what only He can do. That, too, will be the case in August when First Monday will find us between KL and Jakarta. But for today, we rally here, and join our voices from places all around the globe. Knowing that many of you have planted for the summer in some remote place for the sake of His fame, while others are close to home or on campus packing in some extra hours, it’s amazing to know we are all stopping here together, connected by the Spirit that leads us in a story so much bigger than ourselves.

16 (2+6+8) Prayer Points For July

1. Let’s just stop and thank God. What was a dream eighteen months ago has become sight and we have six incredible World Tour stops to be thankful for.

2. Think back to Kyiv and pray for the churches, leaders and students of Ukraine (and all the nations that were a part of that night). Pray the seed of hope calling people to lives that are about Jesus will flourish even more.

3. Thank God for the glimmering light that shines in Stockholm, and pray for expanded vision for an emerging generation of Jesus followers.

4. Pray for the students of Sao Paulo, that their zeal will translate into action and their hopes for their nation will be realized.

5. Ask God to continue to stir the hearts of a wave of Ugandan students who have seen a glimpse of the future and been called to a deeper faith.

6. Pray for Paris, that the few will become a movement that cannot be stopped.

7. Continue to remember the students who were with us in London, and ask that their influence will grow and sweep through the UK for His fame. Pray that unity will be fostered and oneness will make their anthem louder.

8. Thank God that what was a $3.5 million need is now down to a $1.8 million need. God is providing. We believe. Wow!

9. We are days away from Manila. Ask God to cause the news to reach the nation and prepare the way for a night that will alter history.

10. We are excited about being in Malaysia a few days after Manila. Pray for the church in Kuala Lumpur and those who are sacrificing to make Jesus known there. Pray all we do will build up His Church and inspire a new generation.

11. Ask God to pave the way by His Spirit as we head to Indonesia, the largest populated nation of Muslims on earth. Pray for a supernatural wave of grace and truth to mark all we do.

12. We are excited to get back to South Africa, after a brief stay in the Johannesburg airport on leg one. Pray for Jo’Burg, for the unity of the Church to be strong and for students to catch a vision for what “can be” as God leads this generation to live for His glory.

13. Cape Town is a gorgeous and challenged city, with stunning beauty and stark poverty. Pray our hearts will be impacted and our time there will unleash something so powerful that the fruit of this night will be evident for decades to come.

14. Pray for our staff team and volunteers that are working hard on the above events and on those to come in October. We are seeing strong response in Sydney and Mexico as people have just been able to reserve their spots for these events.

15. While the World Tour is moving full speed, we have many other projects rolling along at the Passion House. Pray for wisdom and multiplication of effort and impact as we seek to influence this generation.

16. Look around you and pray for ANOTHER ministry, team, band, church, staff than your OWN. You’ll find yourself closer to the Kingdom when you pray for someone else and their efforts and rejoice that The Story is going strong all over the world.

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We’re back…and after a longer than expected hiatus, the Blog is back in business with 30 days to go until Passion Manila! While it’s been great being back in the USA, we are eager to hit the road for Leg 2 of the Passion World Tour. It’s hard to believe that in 30 days we will be walking into the PhilSports Arena in Manila and meeting a whole bunch of Filipino friends for an amazing night that is going to be all about Jesus. And speaking of Manila, are you guys in the UK still out there? Hopefully, there are still some wristbands that have survived since Passion London and you are still praying for Manila!

Not a day goes by that we don’t think about Kyiv, Stockholm, Sao Paulo, Kampala, Paris and London….and all of you guys back home and around the world who have been praying for us and supporting the World Tour the whole way. Even though a few weeks have passed since we left Europe, there is just as much wonder in our hearts when we think about what God has allowed us to see as when we were standing in these amazing places cities. We are praying the same is true for you guys who were there with us….that it was more than an event and still as fresh in your hearts today.

A friend sent this along from a French student from outside Paris:
“When Chris Tomlin sang that bigger things are prepared for this city, I was thinking that it was not only Paris that he spoke of, but equally Compiegne. The people of God are a people who will grow. The youth are the future, and you can see that we are always more numerous, more motivated, and that the meeting places are filled for God…for the GBU (student ministry), started with only 2 people. Last semester, we filled my apartment. This semester we succeeded in filling a room on campus. I dare to believe that one day we’ll fill a small amphitheater, and why not the bigger theater on campus? We are only ordinary, but we have an extraordinary God: together with Him we can accomplish extraordinary things.”

I agree with Sylvain, and pray that the Church in France will grow and multiply all across the nation with hope, truth and grace for everyone. And I love the french translation of “Greater Things Have Yet To Come”…bigger things are prepared for this city! That’s so true, and a possibility wherever people are confident that God can do anything.

Stay tuned!
LG

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We haven’t forgotten the faces of Kyiv.

Couldn’t have been a better night for stop 1.

Welcome to Sweden.

Passion loves Stockholm.

Stockholm style.

Redman leads in Swedish.

Beautiful Brazil!

Were they ever ready for Passion SP.

These guys in Sao Paulo, and many more like
them everywhere, made this tour possible.

Some of us on the heliport of our SP hotel.

Not the easiest place to do an event!

But there are no smiles like Ugandan smiles.

Crazy. Expressive. Full on. Happiness.

Amazing Nirva!

Being blessed by His Grace?

The most beautiful kids…you heard this on the podcast.

Yes Lord.

Praying before Paris.

The city’s largest university worship gathering?!?!

More volunteers in Paris.

DC in Paris.

A massive night in London.

London faces.

Well, five days have gone by since our post-London blog. Kinda weird, huh? Shelley and I headed back to Paris for a few days and have now arrived home to Atlanta. Re-entry has been a little strange after being on the go for almost a month, but we are happy to be home. (Driving for the first time in four weeks was a strange sensation!). But even though we are thousands of miles away from London, and Kyiv seems like forever ago, we are very much living and breathing the first six amazing cities we have visited and still stunned by what we have seen and experienced.

Back at the Passion House the countdown to Manila is on and plans for Leg 2 are in full swing. But how can we forget the incredible faces of new friends in Ukraine, Stockholm, SP, Kampala, Paris or the UK? Every few seconds I find my mind wandering back to one of the unforgettable moments of the past four weeks and I’m overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude that God allowed us to be a part of what he is doing around the globe.

It’s been pretty cool talking to people who have been following the blog and podcasts each step of the way. Just by the expression on their faces I could tell that many of you really did make this trip with us even though you never left home. Thank you for praying for us each step of the way. We have a long way to go and much to trust God for as we look toward the next 11 cities. And we still really need your prayers, even though we are home. I am praying Isaiah 52:12b (and 58:8) for our whole team, as well as all those who were a part of these first six events. “For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

Happy to be part of a worldwide movement!
Louie

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