Andrew R Rogers

Well, yesterday was hard.  We had our interview and were basically told that there is no family housing available for us aboard the Africa Mercy.  You see, family housing is provided specifically for certain positions.  And neither the A/V Tech position nor the Ward Nurse position would qualify us for these limited family units.

Hard. To. Take.

But it’s ok.  Becuase God has other things in mind.

Mieke and I have gotten to know a very interesting couple over the last few days.  He is a surgeon and she is a wonderful lady who has grabbed Jace from us many times and entertained him in the back of the classroom.  They are considering joining Mercy Ships.  They are being heavily recruited by Mercy Ships.  You see, there has been a recent event on board the ship that has left the ship without a head surgeon.  And when there is no head surgeon, the production line of life changing surgeries comes to a halt.

The couple is not sure that they will be able to cover their expenses while on board the ship.  They are highly paid professionals here at home, but once on board they will have no capacity to make money to support themselves.  And the social circles they are involved with may not be able to understand how a highly paid surgeon is now asking THEM for money.

That’s where you and us come in.  Mieke and I would like to challenge any of you who have said you will support us to consider supporting this couple instead.  I know it’s quite a mind – bending leap of faith.

Look at it this way – any money you send will DIRECTLY impact the life of hundreds or even thousands of Africans as the surgeon’s skilled hands literally become the hands of Jesus.  I hate to say it, but your dollars will have much more IMPACT if you choose to support this couple than if you were supporting Mieke and I.

Hard.  Yes, I know, hard for us and hard for you.  But I truly believe that the Lord would be pleased with this sacrifice.

Please send an email to andrew@findyourfans.com if you would like to be a part of getting the Mercy Ships production line running again.  Please also include an estimate of how much you would like to commit (either monthly or a one – time – gift) so that we can give this number to the couple and to Mercy Ships administrators here.

Shortly there will be a web page  setup that will allow you to give directly to this couple via Credit Card, Check, or over the phone.   We will send this information out to all who have responded.

Thanks for your prayers.  It’s exciting to think that one day we may be able to join Mercy Ships.  But it’s even more exciting to see God working right in front of us, in a way that we and YOU can be involved NOW!!

Once again, please send your email with your estimated gifts (either monthly or one – time gifts) to andrew@findyourfans.com as soon as possible.  The week is coming to a close and we want to be able to clear the way for this couple to go as soon as possible.

My hope is that we do indeed live in an upside down Kingdom where to live you have to die, and to die means to be with Christ.

It all started with the death of a good job.  Two years ago I worked for a music production company.  The Lord blessed my efforts.  The money flowed in.  Everyone was fat and happy – our partners, my bosses, and myself.  Everyone except my wife.  The hours and long commute added up to stress in the family department.

But then weird things began happening at the company.  After three rounds of layoffs, the company was a shell of its former self.  I found it hard to accomplish anything new.  Those of us who were left twiddled our thumbs while waiting to collect a check every two weeks.  After a few months, I decided to strike out on my own.  My wife was happy.

At first I wanted to be an indie – music distributor.  I had great relationships with all the top digital retailers and their suppliers.  After a year working with independent musicians I realized I was losing more money in distribution costs than the artists were generating. That dream shriveled.

I was also involved with a local rock band.  We began honing our songwriting and recording skills.  After years of practice and occasional gigging, it became apparent we were all headed in different directions.  Another death.  This was one of the most painful, because those guys had become my closest friends.

There were many other little deaths.  Realizing I’m not meant to be a music producer.  Working with a band and record label that couldn’t quite tie the knot.  Starting a website development company with no future.  The motorcycle of my dreams, with a dead transmission.  I decided to sell the parts on eBay.  This paid the bills for a few months.

Somewhere in there, the biggest death happened.  The death of my motivation and desires.  I just stopped caring about anything.  Music, money, jobs, trips, vacations, work, careers, gadgets, gizmos, stuff in stores, church.  All these things began to seem stupid.  A chasing after the wind.  Meaningless.  I read Ecclesiastes and was pleased that the wisest man in the world agreed with me.

I just didn’t care about the stuff we spend our lives and energy obtaining and protecting and packaging and selling and marketing.  I can walk through the luminous halls of any department or electronics or music store and I actually feel pangs of revulsion at all the shiny plastic and metal.

But I also realized the danger.  I had never stopped caring about my wife and family.  Or my friends.  I realized that protecting and caring for my friends and family means buying and selling and working and creating and interacting in meaningful ways.  All of those things and actions that I no longer cared about.

So I went searching for my missing passion. This went on for months.  I needed to find something I cared about.  I took some personality tests.  Slowly a few things surfaced.  I like helping people.  I like adventure.  I am technical but can also communicate well with people.

I talked to many wise friends throughout these adventures.  A few key thoughts stuck with me.  My friend David shared something about his own quest “I stopped living for myself and started living for something greater.”  My friend Bill encouraged me to ask a simple question whenever trying something new, “Will this please the Lord?” Such a simple, powerful thing.

So I’ll cut to the chase.  I’ve found my passion again.  Something that fills me with hope and inspiration and a desire to “GO” as they say at Glenstone Chapel. And the crazy thing is that it is something that I never would have considered, if all my dreams hadn’t died.  They had to die, to make room for this passion.  Check ‘er out:

I’m sure some people long for the “good ‘ol days” of the record industry. I wish I had known those days. All I have seen is confusion, unrestrained greed, the creation of idols, and ultimately, irrelevance.

Confusion: Napster
Some say the word with a sneer of calculated smugness, indicating that yes, they have, in the past, partaken of this heinous bastion of evil. For others who are inside the industry, the word is delivered with loathing, contempt, and many times a quiver of fear.

What was Napster really? A den of evil? A consortium of thieves? Or a streamlined distribution system that had the potential to reduce costs and deliver greater customer satisfaction in a fraction of the time of traditional media outlets?

Bertelsmann AG, a German media company, wagered the latter, when they offered to buy Napster for $85 million in 2002. But before they could take possession of this revolutionary system, an American bankruptcy judge blocked the sale and forced Napster to liquidate it’s assets according to Chapter 7 bankruptcy laws. This was largely due to pressure from the RIAA who was locked in a heated lawsuit against Napster for unauthorized use of its music.

The music industry didn’t understand the very technology that was in a position to grow their business, so they attacked it and shut it down.

Unrestrained Greed
The music industry has shown an incredible desire to sue individual customers of their music, when those customers behave in ways that the RIAA deems unacceptable. 30 year old Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, Minnesota was sued by the RIAA for $222,000 when she shared 24 songs on Kazaa. She is a a single mother with 3 kids and a salary of $36,000 per year.

This unrestrained greed shows that the music industry is willing to destroy individuals in order to (misguidedly) preserve an out of date business model.

Irrelevance
What are the main services that a traditional record label performs? Recording, pressing Cd’s, distribution and promotion. These services are no longer required.

Back in the “good ‘ol days” recording costs were astronomical. Reels of expensive tape, weeks in a professional studio with a highly paid staff, and several levels of production at different facilities. These days, a musician can record a great sounding album with a laptop and a few pieces of outboard gear.

Back in the “good ‘ol days,” a record label would estimate (often badly) how many albums they should manufacture. This could be any number from 100 to 100,000. Now an artist can use a variety of services to manufacture the exact number of physical albums they require for a certain event, or CD Release.

Back in the “good ‘ol days,” record labels either owned or contracted distribution companies to transfer their wares to outlets all across the globe. Services such as iTunes, Pandora, and Last.fm have replaced the need for this physical distribution. And where physical distribution is still needed, it can be easily shipped to the customer’s home via direct order from a website.

Lastly, promotion. Herein lies the golden goose of traditional record companies. For who else has the power, the connections, even the intelligence to assemble a flamboyant marketing scheme that could propel an unknown musician to the heights of stardom? The answer, once again is simple. The fans themselves now have that power. Facebook, MySpace, blogs, and other social networking communities have connected fans to musicians directly, and given them the tools and power to easily share their musical bliss within their own community of friends. Any marketer knows that this word of mouth advertising is more powerful and effective than any mass media shotgun blast could ever be.

Creation of Idols
I saved this one for last because it has probably been under – discussed around the inter web. Or at least discussed less than some of the other points above.

Everyone remembers Brittany Spears’ psychotic flame outs of a few years ago. The oddly shaved head. The neglect of her children. The flashes of nudity.

People may rightly say that she is responsible for her actions and that she made horrible decisions that lead to such odd behavior. These people would be correct.

But I feel sorry for ‘ol used and abused Brittany. She has been sucked into a machine that caused her to become something she never should have been. She never should have been a superstar who inspired millions of rabid teenage fans to worship her.. She never should have sold out her meager talents to the highest bidder so they could share the profits and create this freakish thing.

She was just a girl. Just another human being. Just another Jane Doe, who’s wildest dream came true. But instead of joy, this dream ultimately brought despair. She’s been sucked in, chewed up, and spit out the other side of the American Music Industry.

You are all invited to an evening of music with two great bands! Sitka and Trisonic. I have seen both bands play previously and I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!  The admission price is 1 can of food.  Bring more if you want to.  All cans and proceeds to be given to the Second Harvest Foodbank which directly impacts hurting people in the Charlotte area.  Help us make this a success, please invite all your friends! The venue can seat 800, and we want to FILL IT UP!!

When: Jan. 31st @ 6:30

Where: Marvin Ridge High School Heres a MAP

Cost: 1 Can of Food

Type of Music: Sitka is acoustic guitar – driven indie rock with hints of folk and pop. Trisonic is classic rock at it’s finest!

Who’s invited: You and all your friends.

I used to hate the word “marketing.”  This was because I misunderstood what marketing is.  I have now come to realize that good marketing is actually putting others above yourself, and trying to see things from “their” perspective.

Good marketing is not a list of overblown features, a slick tagline, or a flashy presentation.

Good marketing is identifying ways you can interact meaningfully with people to solve problems, add to their lives, even bring them closer to God.

Controversial question for the day – was Jesus a good marketer?

If this topic is of any interest to you, check out Derek Sivers’ extremely helpful advice here.