His father's son

Our speaker here at the Compassion (RichDrama.com/Compassion) Artist and Speaker Retreat is Mark Yaconelli. We heard his father Mike speak, only months before his untimely death, at a Compassion retreat at Michael W. Smith's ranch. Mike founded Youth Specialties. Mark is just as funny.

He's talking about the call to retreat. The artists and speakers here are constantly on the go, giving. Compassion has invested in us as partners in ministry. We're here for about the same price as it would have been to be sleeping on bunks in the US. He said we are the poor and needy, just as much, though in different ways, as the ones we serve here. We're here to rest and be served. We're here for Sabbath. He said, on the same level of importance, God said, "Don't kill anyone, and take a day off."

He said there's a tribe in east Africa that counts a child's birthday from the day the parents conceived the idea of having a child. The mother would then go out alone to hear the song of that child. She teaches it to her husband. The song is sung throughout the child's life from conception to death. We're hear to listen for God's song for each of us.