I know – you’re thinking to yourself “what’s taking Pete so long to do this recording project? Surely you just set up some mic’s hit ‘record’ and whammo bammo it’s done …”. It’s not quite that simple, especially as I really want to make sure that these songs are the BEST they can be … for YOU!
Unfortunately life doesn’t seem to always go as I plan.
I’ve been slowly working on this with a renowned Producer who’s been engaged in lots of other projects. We finally got together to discuss the next stage last week and were making progress until we discussed the budget – guess how many zero’s there were … all I can say is there were tooooo many!
Does that happen to you sometimes? Everything is going wonderfully and then “boom” – a mountain falls out of the sky and lands on your foot stopping you in your tracks.
Suprisingly it’s forced me to look elsewhere and I’ve spoken to 2 other talented Producers in the past few days who are excited about working with me at a considerably different investment scale.
This “setback” has become a “stepping stone” so I’m moving closer to getting these songs recorded and into your hands and hearts!
I’m making sure this Music With a Mission is gonna Rock Your World!
Pete
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Why are 60 Minutes doing an expose on Mercy Ships? They’re treating the sick for free in the poorest parts of the world … but what’s the REAL reasons for why they do it?
Here’s what 60 Minutes uncovered – from 7 mins a nurse called Ali Chandra explains why …
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Amy’s a Kiwi friend of mine – here’s her story from her time onboard Mercy Ships …
When Amy arrived for the first day of her new job she knew it wasn’t going to be like any other job she’d ever had. More than 3,500 people queued patiently in the hot sun, waiting to be seen by a doctor, hoping for a miracle.
The Auckland nurse was part of the volunteer crew aboard Mercy Ships hospital ship in West Africa. For the crew beginning the 2012 field service in Togo, the necessary screening process for hopeful patients is gruelling; emotionally, physically, spiritually, for all concerned. Sandwiches and water are passed out to injured and disabled people waiting in the hot sun in impossibly long lines for their turn to be medically assessed inside the sports stadium. Once inside surgeons examine, blood tests are done and patient I.D. photos are taken. Hugs and kind touches reassure frightened people who have often been physically isolated by their horrendous conditions for years that someone cares and hope is on the way!
Amy was deeply impacted by all that her role that day demanded. “I felt very privileged to be part of the screening process, but I was very nervous. Thousands of people lined up in the hope of being booked in for a life changing operation. People often line up for headaches or stomach aches, which is not our area of focus. Nurses scanned the line and were able to dismiss people that we knew we could not help. The local police came to assist with security. Only 1,600 made it through the gate into the stadium for further screening. I saw some pretty crazy things.”
Togo’s poor suffering from debilitating conditions like cataracts, club feet, cleft lip, life-threatening yet benign tumours, burn contractures, and obstetric fistulas are offered free surgeries onboard the Africa Mercy.
Amy was assigned to the ‘History Taking’ station. “People came here after pre-screening and registration. It was so interesting asking questions and getting to know these individuals. The ladies would buckle over with laughter when I asked them if they smoked. Only men smoke in Togo. This is just a small example of a cultural difference I wasn’t aware of. I had my own translator who was amazing. He spoke five languages including French, English and Ewe (the local Togolese language). He was refusing breaks when I was nearly on the ground with exhaustion. We noted down their medical history, took their vital signs, and then sent them on to see the surgeons.”
“The highlight of my day was holding the hand of a 25 year old lady who required Obstetric Fistula surgery after a birth injury left her incontinent. Socially, 90% of woman suffering Obstetric Fistulas are rejected by their husbands and society. I just wanted to hold her hand, look into her eyes and let her know how loved she was and still is. It made my day to have the opportunity to do that.”
Mercy Ships NZ follows the 2000-year-old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. A global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard for race, gender, or religion.Volunteer professional crew offer their services free of charge.
Mercy Ships, a faith-base not-for-profit NGO, operates a 16,000 tonne hospital ship which provides free medical surgeries for the poorest nations of the earth. Staffed by volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses and other health care and maritime professionals, the Africa Mercy provides life-saving surgery for thousands of patients each year. More info is available here.
25 years ago the World’s Population reached five billion, Clive Sinclair launched the Z88 Portable Computer weighing under 2lbs, U2 topped the charts singing “With or Without You”, and The Princess Bride hit the big screens!
Just like U2’s song and The Princess Bride I had my own fairy tale romance too – Miriam and I got married Dec 19 in 1987.
Today we’re celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. 25 years have just sped by … but some things are still the same. I remember singing to Miriam at our wedding and while I sang the room literally disappeared … just like in the movies. Miriam can still do that to me – she can make the room fade away “with just one vertigo glance across the drowning crowd”.
Here’s my song “Fade Away” that I wrote for Miriam that I figured you might enjoy too.
It’s true that us men don’t do sacrifice particularly well – that is unless you put a cold steel gun in our hands and tell us to “go take that thar’ hill” and we’ll do crazy courageous things. But what is courage – I heard a great definition once that goes like this: “Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the acknowledgement of fear and the choice to continue with the course of action anyway”. That’s so similar to loving someone – being afraid that you could get hurt or being unsure as to how things might turn out but then pushing past this and loving them anyway.
How do you spell love that’s spanned 25 years? Simple really – ” C O M M I T M E N T”
In our 25 years we’ve had times when we didn’t have the money to pay the bills. We’ve had times when people around us were attacking us leaving us isolated and mistreated. We’ve had times when we’re not sure how this marriage thing can work. Any of those things is enough to destroy a marriage and dash it to pieces.
But Miriam’s my girl and I’m her’s – we’re committed to love and care for each other and in doing so all these trials and tests fade away. I hope and pray you find someone who can make it all “Fade Away” for you too!
Let’s get this straight – I’m a Kiwi – I’m not an American. In fact I’m a 5th generation New Zealander so if we we’re talking buzzy bees, or gumboots, or BBQ’s, or hokey pokey ice cream, or jandals, or Marmite, or pav, or Waitangi Day, or the All Blacks then you’d get my interest.
So why would I care about Thanksgiving? I grew up in the lower socio economic bracket of New Zealand in the legendary town of Tawa with my own fair share of challenges. At an early age I mastered the great Kiwi art focused what I didn’t have – the “whinge”. I didn’t really stop to consider what was good about my life but instead focused on what I didn’t have … and made sure others were aware of my fine opinion.
And then it happened … my world was assailed by the one unstoppable force that wreaks havoc on the male world … a woman! And we’re not just talking any woman … but a California Girl. It’s almost 25 years of marriage later and my 3 children are “American Citizens Born Abroad”. It’s just little old me that doesn’t carry a Green Card.
The amazing thing is that after having rubbed up against Thanksgiving year after year after year it’s taken it’s toll on me. Thanksgiving celebrates what you’ve got and what you’ve gotten through in life with the help of God. Living with an American family I’ve found myself changing – I’ve become more grateful for everything I have and how God has walked through life with me – I’ve got to say that I’m thankful, and especially so at Thanksgiving.
So what about you – what has being thankful done for you? Comment below …
I know – you’re thinking to yourself “what’s taking Pete so long to do this recording project? Surely you just set up some mic’s hit ‘record’ and whammo bammo it’s done …”. It’s not quite that simple, especially as I really want to make sure that these songs are the BEST they can be … for YOU!
