Lisa’s two worlds become one

The Leadership Summit in Pittsburgh was a dream come true for me because my two worlds became one.

I have lived and served in Latin America for thirty years. I started when I was twenty-two years old and so apart from Mirna Sotomayor and my husband, no other Latin American with whom I work really knows the world in which I grew up in. I feel like an “ahistorical figure” in Latin America, like I dropped into Latin America and no one knew my roots, my family, my upbringing, and the role my churches and friends have played in my spiritual journey. Every day I lived and traveled with my Latin friends on the streets of Pittsburgh (really the North Hills), I felt more and more known.

Below you will find a short video (1.24 min.) of the tour I took the team of Latin Americans on.
(here is the link from youtube.com in case it's not visible from the blog:

Lisa's tour down memory lane (visits to her Pittsburgh homes growing up)

Here is a sampling of their impressions:

• Don’t despise rambunctious kids. Lisa was quite rambunctious and look how well she turned out. (Gloria, Mexico)
• Why would she leave such a nice neighborhood? It must have been a call from God. (Rixy, El Salvador)
• You can clearly see her healthy foundations; she was well invested in by her parents, church, and youth leaders. (Robert, Panama)
• As a child, she never could have imagined returning to these woods she played in forty years later with people from Latin America in tow. We can’t visualize the future—good thing! (Duglas, Guatemala)
• Don’t forget your past because it can be inspiring to others. I feel closer to “my professor” for having seen where she grew up. It’s important for me to understand the person whose leadership is so influential. (Alvaro, Bolivia)

Bobbie Anderson's enduring legacy

Lisa translating for Baha Habashy's workshop: Living your strengths

One day when we were at North Park Evangelical Presbyterian Church receiving a workshop on “Living your Strengths” I walked into the bathroom and was greeted:

Bobbie Anderson! Oh I’m sorry, I know you are Lisa Anderson, but when I saw you, you reminded me so much of your mom. Do you know that your mother led me to the Lord when I attended her Bible study at Woman-to-Woman over at Memorial Park Pres. Church?

At this point my eyes are filled with tears as we embrace and I praise God for how the Lord used my mom in her life. I return all teary-eyed to the workshop to continue translating and everyone wonders why I am crying:

As I related this story, I said: Where else in the world could you be where you would hear first-hand stories of my mother? Only here in Pittsburgh can stories like these convey the impact my mother had on me and countless others whose stories we’ll never know until we are all together in heaven.

George & Bobbie Anderson

It happened again while we were at Ligonier Camp when Ray Speicher dropped in for a visit. As we introduced him to the team, he told a story about my mother that heretofore I hadn’t known:

After my conversion in Dec 1976, I was attending a Bible study at  Ingomar Methodist Church. There I met Betty Pomeroy who was talking to Boobie about the upcoming Easter play at Memorial Park. Bobbie told Betty that she wanted someone a little older than the kids in Memorial Park’s youth group (called F.U.D.D.) to play Jesus. Betty suggested to Bobbie that she call me. I came to Memorial Park to meet and talk with Bobbie about the play. The first person that greeted me was Marcia McCabe who is now my wife of 33 years. Bobbie was also a great encourager and mentor for Marcia.

While I was getting in involved with F.U.D.D. (Fishermen’s Union of Devoted Disciples) and the play, I met Dave Van Gorder and he told me about Vision 77, the evangelistic outreach at North Park. I started to help with the prep for this event and during a time of prayer Bobbie prayed for the Holy Spirit to come fill us. She prayed in tongues and it happened for me as well. Another wonderful thing that happened during the Vision 77 event was my younger brother received Jesus and he was born again by the Spirit. Bobbie in many ways was functioning in an apostolic way to the FUDD leaders and Pastor Jay Passavant. She was bold but gracious and effervescent. I loved her and admired her.

Where but in Pittsburgh could my dear Latin American friends hear first-hand stories about my parents and their impact as parents and fellow co-laborers in God's Kingdom work?

This is one more of the reasons why it was a dream come true for me to have had these Latin Americans in my hometown of Pittsburgh.

Do you have any memory of my mother or father that you would like to post? I would love to hear about it!