HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-05-26, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016.
'Love Does' event one for the ages says Royall
Warming up the crowd
Pastor Mark Royall, left, of Huron Chapel in Auburn, and his band warmed up the crowd in
Goderich on Saturday as he and the church brought bestselling author Bob Goff to Lions Park
for a special speaking engagement. Goff spent the rest of the weekend in the area, taking over
preaching duties on Sunday at Huron Chapel and then dining with Royall and his clan before
heading back to the United States. (Photo submitted)
PEOPLE AROUND
AUBURN
By Mark
Royall
Call
519-441-2223
I am not much for sitting in
meetings where people just give
opinions and debate about what
should be done or what they liked
done years ago. It seems sometimes
we like to collect, debate and fight
over what should be done but then
end up doing very little to impact the
world around us.
This is why I like Bob. Bob Goff
doesn't just talk...he does, and he
does without fanfare and or seeking
applause. When a book publisher
came and asked him to write a book
he agreed to do so under one
condition, all the proceeds from the
book had to go to build schools for
children in countries like Uganda,
Somalia, Iraq, India and Congo.
Today there are schools in these
countries, among others, filled with
children and staffed with teachers
because Bob's book, Love Does,
sold a million copies.
This past Sunday morning Bob
was in Auburn at Huron Chapel
where he captivated us with stories
of what love does. He didn't just
share stories from his own life but he
was teaching us some practical ways
to be more effective in loving others.
Some of the most fascinating
stories Bob shared with us Sunday
and later with me personally centred
around the 8000 square foot lodge
Bob and his wife built back in the
1990s. Though Bob lives in San
Diego, the lodge is located in the
interior of British Columbia. Every
year he spends three months there.
The only way one can get into his
lodge is either by seaplane, which he
pilots himself, or by boat.
Bob shared with us how he likes to
invite people to his lodge who need
to work some things out with others
in their lives. For example, he once
brought the foreign minister from
Russia and his counterpart in the
breakaway state of Georgia to his
lodge just as both governments were
fighting one another with tanks on
the ground. On another occasion he
had the president of Israel and his
counterpart of a country they were in
conflict with come to meet at the
lodge together.
Bob also brought leaders to the
lodge from Serbia, Albania,
Macedonia and Kosovo during the
Kosovo War. He had the warring
factions from the Ukraine come and
stay at the lodge. When Bob invites
people he never tells them who else
will be there. He shared how
sometimes people get upset when
they find out their enemies are at the
lodge with them but they end up
staying because the only way they
can leave is for him to fly them back
out.
Bob says over time, as the leaders
realize they are far away from the
media and cameras, they ease up
with each other as they go crabbing,
take boat tours and hang out
together. Before everyone leaves
Bob always has them crawl under
the dining room table and sign it. He
has the names of leaders from 32
countries there among the names of
powerful businessmen and religious
leaders. All of the names you would
recognize. He said he has seen
people who are at war with
each other crawl under together
and sign their names on the bottom
of the table. He calls it a beautiful
thing.
As Bob and I spent some time
together Sunday afternoon he told
me how he is often contacted by the
Canadian Security Intelligence
Service (CSIS) asking why he was
bringing these high profile and often
volatile people into the country. In
one case Bob shared with me how
the Canadian government were so
leery about who he was bringing in
the airforce had two planes flying
alongside Bob's Beaver seaplane
until they landed on the remote
waters of his lodge. Then the navy
sent in a ship anchored off his lodge
just to let these world leaders know
they were aware of their presence
and were close by. A lot of `world
healing' has been done at Bob's
house in British Columbia but you
don't hear about it on the evening
news and I think Bob prefers it this
way. It isn't about the recognition, it
is about what can be accomplished
as you love people extravagantly.
You may feel, as I do, thinking I
don't have the means or influence to
do what Bob is doing in the world.
However, Goff says all you have to
do is walk out your front door, look
to your left and look to your right
and start there. Bob told the Auburn
congregation, "It is simply being
available to others".
And for Bob, it isn't just world
leaders he wants to be available to.
While we sat eating lunch at the
Auburn Grill following the Sunday
service Bob took three calls on his
cell phone, one from Miami, one
from Chicago and another one from
a group of students who were at their
graduation ceremony. Bob knew
none of them but he spent a few
moments talking to each one of them
as if they were old friends. You may
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wonder, how did these people know
how to get in touch with Bob? Well,
Bob put his cell phone number in the
back of his book, Love Does. I
would say he means it when he says
he wants to be available.
As we sat in the restaurant eating
our lunch I couldn't help but think
how the people coming in and out
would have no idea that a diplomat
to the United States, a best selling
author, and a wonderful influencer
in our world was just feet away from
them eating his pulled pork
sandwich and macaroni salad.
Having Bob with us for the weekend
has been, and I am sure will always
remain one of the highlights of my
ministry here in Auburn. The
church was full on Sunday but when
Bob Goff left, he didn't leave it
empty.
FROM AUBURN
Love Does
Bestselling author and philanthropist Bob Goff was in
Goderich on Saturday and Auburn on Sunday courtesy of
Huron Chapel and its pastor Mark Royall. Goff brought a lot
of enthusiasm to his speech on Saturday, even engaging a
slingshot at one point to help get his point across. (Photo
submitted)
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