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Going for my dream this year

At various times in the past, I’ve rolled out dreams for you to inspect. Dreams are wispy, precarious things. Most of them don’t ever take root. And that is often for the best. When Gary, Tom, Andrew, and I dreamed about a bed and breakfast in Colorado Springs, the timing was off. It needed to di…
By Seth Barnes

At various times in the past, I’ve rolled out dreams for you to inspect. Dreams are wispy, precarious things. Most of them don’t ever take root. And that is often for the best. When Gary, Tom, Andrew, and I dreamed about a bed and breakfast in Colorado Springs, the timing was off. It needed to die for the moment (though we expect to resurrect it this year near Barcelona).

And when, over a year ago, I began dreaming about a reality TV show that would show a World Race team confronting and wrestling with injustice around the world, I had so much to learn about what it would take.

One of the toughest things about dreams is understanding their timing. Wilberforce had a dream of ending slavery in England that took most of his lifetime. How do we dreamers know when to hang it up and when to keep persevering? No easy answers.

One thing I’ve learned to do is to kindle dreams in the same way you start a small fire with a few sticks and paper in the hearth. They usually take time and a lot of perseverance. That TV show, for example, still hasn’t died. God has sent us a director, an editor, and a producer, and top quality equipment. I’ve been working on it nights and weekends when I’m not attending to my day job. We’re flying to Peru to begin shooting tomorrow. Here’s our first episode:

Pilot episode – Peruvian earthquake victims

The situation: At 6:40 p.m. on August 15, 2007, an earthquake that registered 8.0 hit Chincha, Peru. 510 people died, most of them in the nearby village of Pisco, where 80% of the town was destroyed. AIM missionary Bob Cooley has led five separate mission trips to help rebuild, working with several of the local pastors. One of them told Cooley about several families that still don’t have adequate shelter. Upon investigation, what he saw appalled him – millions of dollars of aid has been raised for victims, but the government is withholding it (the show explains why and also shows how the hurting are being helped. Racers work alongside victims to help and as advocates with local officials).

The setup: Cooley confirms what the families need and that we can make a real, dramatic difference for them quickly. They have to be willing to talk. We’ll use translators. Devise a plan and determine how we will follow up.

The show: We’ll need to access news footage. We’ll answer these questions: What happened to the families during and after the earthquake? How have they been surviving? What is life like for them? What feelings do they have? What reason for hope? For the Racers: What is it like to leave everything for a year? We’ll show the highs and lows of their emotions. We’ll show the concerns they have about living in close proximity to five other teammates and their hopes for the year.

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