Welcome back to the Tramway!
Happy New Year everyone. I apologize for not having any new posts in December. Finals week was hectic (as I'm sure many of you know) and I didn't have wifi for a while. But I'm here now, and first Tug & Tram Blogging post of the decade! Woo!
It feels like I haven't stayed put for long this vacation. I've been at my Mom's, gone to my Grandma and Grandpa's for a family Christmas and recently my longest road trip ever: to Atlanta for Passion 2020.
If you're unfamiliar with Passion, it's a yearly Christian Young Adult conference that is held around New Years' Eve. You can read more about them here: https://passionconferences.com
Now I'm not the most experienced traveler, growing up the farthest I ever traveled from home was to Michigan for camping. Last year I went to NACA (the National Association for Campus Activities) in Covington, Kentucky. That was the farthest I'd ever traveled, and Atlanta was definitely a step farther. We left at around 9pm and made our way on our long trek in a Cardinal bus, which are usually comfortable, but unfortunately we got an older one.
Despite the bus' age, the ride was still pleasant and not uncomfortable. We made Atlanta in good time, along with a few rest stops.
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| Of COURSE I find something train related on my ride. Found this in a gas station and I almost bought it, but the $90 price tag kept me from buying it. Maybe someday, or I'll buy an electric model train version. |
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| A picture of part of the CNN Headquarters. We stayed on the bottom floor where the food court was, to get up higher we'd need to buy a tour, which we didn't have time for. Apologies for the bad lighting. |
Passion was an amazing experience, and I'm glad I went. I don't remember if I've mentioned on here my religious background, so in case I didn't: I grew up in a Mennonite household, and NO, I'm not Amish!! 😜 (little Midwestern humor for you there). Last year was rough for me and my family, which I'm not going to get into, to protect my family's privacy. 2019 took a very big toll on my faith and mental health.
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| The Mercedes-Benz Stadium. I know some people aren't the biggest fans of modern aesthetics (I personally am fond of the Art Deco aesthetic myself) but this' a cool building. |
Passion helped me by giving a boost to my spirituality and relationship with God. I won't say that it made everything better (that would be unrealistic) but it certainly helped. I was able to take something from all the speakers. I took a lot of notes which I am going to reflect on in the coming year. I want to begin this decade right, and make this year a good one.
During Passion the leaders announced a new mission, the share the light foundation, which hopes to get some form of the Bible translated into the last remaining languages that don't have it yet by 2033. One of the Co-founders of Passion challenged us (the 65,000 poor college students) to raise $1 million. I was shocked and somewhat skeptical, but willing to be proven wrong.
So, how much did we raise? $1,214,075. That's right, POOR COLLEGE STUDENTS DID THAT (& of course our Young Adult leaders). It was amazing to see that number come up. It's a strong message against the stereotypes of young people (Millennials, Gen Z) being lazy or "snowflakes." Well, this snowflake generation just raise over $1 million to increase access to Christianity to billions of people. It was definitely a highlight of the conference.
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| Our last speaker was Shelly Giglio, one of Passion's co-founders. |
Sadie Robertson
Sadie Robertson (as in the Duck Commander/Duck Dynasty family) was a speaker on the second day of Passion. She shared an encouraging message on social media and how we can live happier, by making Jesus our main desire, and talked about how she met her fiance because of Passion (he sent her an Instagram message which she didn't see for 2 years!)
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve night we brought in the new year by singing a praise song, led by the band Passion (I think, it might have been Hillsong) and watched as fireworks were set off.
Roof Opening
During the afternoon on the second day the roof opened up during a song, and the wind blew in, making it feel like God was among us. Later Mr. Giglio (one of the Passion co-founders) told us that when it was opened wasn't planned. In fact, the roof had been malfunctioning earlier, so when it opened was by chance, and just so happened to fit right with the song.
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| A picture of the roof of the Stadium at night. |
Overall the worship was amazing. We had wrappers, several bands, including Crowder, one of my favorite Christian artists. That was the first time I'd ever seen him live, and he was just as good in person as in recordings.
I think the best moment for music was on the last day when members from Passion (the band), Hillsong and Crowder all came onto stage together. It was a powerful moment, and one that I will not forget.
Of course, Passion had some chaotic moments. Trying to get supper on the second day was a nightmare, because lots of people were trying to get food in an hour before the next session. Trying to wade through the crowd at the stadium concessions was like trying to swim upstream during a rainstorm.
I went to Great!Wraps in the CNN Center (which was equally chaotic) and then learned that the gate closed at 7:30 pm, when the next session started. Panicking, I got my order and had to speed walk back to the stadium while attempting to eat a super gyro (it was great, but I wish I'd had more time to enjoy it!) I got gyro sauce in my mustache, which wasn't the best, but I survived.
Overall, my Passion experience was amazing and very refreshing. I recommend any Christian young adults in the 18-25 range to go to Passion if you can1. Next year it will be in Atlanta at the State Farm Stadium, and for the first time its going to be held in New York City!! I'm hoping to go again next year, so who knows, maybe I'll see you there in the crowd.
I'm going to end this blog post here, so as to not make it to long. Have you ever attended Passion? What was your experience? Let me know here on Blogger, or my social media (you can find me on Twitter @ConductorPat & my blog's Facebook page).
May God bless you and all you do. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you on the Tramway.
1 Note: At the time of publication, I was not aware that the Passion Conference and its parent church are allegedly homophobic/not openly welcome to member of the LGBTQ+ community. As such, I can't recommend with faith that people attend the Passion Conference. 1/10/21
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