Let me say I'm a Transformers fan.  I watched it growing up and still have the toys.  I enjoyed the first movie (with reservations about the sexual dialog and hints).  I saw Transformers 2 today and let me just say I was disappointed on several levels.  I did enjoy the story.  I saw character progression in the human characters.  I also liked the way they handled Soundwave & Ravage.  It was a good follow up in many ways but here are the problems from my point of view.

1.  Language:  It was crazy.  Every character in the movie human or other wise spouted out profanity.  It ruined scenes and was totally uncalled for.
2.  Sexual content:  We had dogs having sex, a robot with testicles, a robot disguised as a human wanted to have sex, and way to much more.
3.  Drug use:  Sam's mom eats some pot laces brownies and goes crazy with bad language & behavior.
These three categories eliminate the movie from bringing kids to it.
4.  Racially stereotyped characters:  We have 2 Autobots who are "twins" and the way they act and speak is like a bad (and wrong) stereotype of African Americans.  Then we have little people being made fun of.  Plus people of Arab decent being made fun of.  It was just poor.
5.  Battle scenes that are way to fast and chaotic.  There are a few good battles but the the majority are so fast paced that you can't tell who is fighting who.
6.  The Character of the Robots:  Both movies have Transformers in the title but they are not really about transformers.  They are about humans.  I'm sorry but both movies have disappointed me with the lack of character development of the actual Transformers.  Part of the draw of the cartoon series and the comics was the interaction of humans and the Transformers.  We get the impression that that has happened between the movies but we don't really see it on screen.  The majority of the Transformers are 1 dimensional characters.  The may look cool as they transform and fight but we never really build a relationship with them.

Bottom line is that someone besides Michael Bay need  to direct future movies.  Someone who was a fan of the cartoons and who can bring the right touch to the movies.  Someone who will take out the needless language, sexual content, and stereotypes.  Someone who will focus on character development of both humans and robots.  The draw is that these giant robotic beings have emotions, dreams and values just like human beings.  They need us and we need them. 

Dear Colombia Support Team,
    I want to thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers and support for the trip to Colombia.  The people of my team and the people of Bocachica, Colombia were blessed because of YOU!
    We had and extremely fruitful trip.  Our travel via air, bus, taxi, motorcycle, and boat were safe and fun.  It was amazing to see the positive growth in the housing, transportation, economy, and security in Colombia.  We too the boat from the big city of Cartagena to the island of Tierrabomba and the community of Bocachica.  We were greeted by the people of the community.  We were welcomed to  the Proyecto Libertad (Project Liberty a YWAM base http://www.ywamconnect.com/sites/ywampl/ ).  Our group of 19 had set ambitious goals of helping the community by digging and building 4 latrines, pouring 3 concrete floors in homes, replacing a staircase, cleaning the children's feeding center, and painting a mural there.  Praise the Lord, were were able to do ALL this plus have great times of interaction with the community. 
    This community and these people made going and doing a JOY.  It was hard work and challenges from our every day lives.  But we all loved it.  We left feeling like we had gotten more that we had given.  The people were so appreciative of our chiseling out latrines and mixing and and hauling concrete for floors.  We blessed there homes, families, and lives.  They are a people of hospitality and having these simple things lets them open their homes up.  They helped us in the construction and thanked us with their smiles and through interpreters.
    Being there for just over a week made such a difference in the community.  The Lord knit our hearts together with the staff and the people of the community.  Most of us had a hard week in coming back the the U.S.  We are praying for the community and the work there.  Most of us are ready to go back next year, making plans and starting to save.  I want to thank-you so much for sending me this year and as I said before you did not just help me.  You gave over and above what I needed.  That extra money helped two other people who were lacking funds to be able to go.  God wanted them to go and through your faithfulness they were able to go and blessed us all.
    This short letter cannot begin to express what happened, who were helped, and the lives changed.  I would invite you to go to two website so you can have a fuller picture.

http://web.mac.com/geoffgentry and click the Colombia 2009 link.  There is a day to day account with some photos here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ggentry11/ Click the Colombia 2009 Album.  Here are all my photos from the trip.

    Thank-you once again and I look forward to sharing with you in person about this trip.  If you have any questions please contact me.

In Christ,


Geoff Gentry

Grandmother with my Cousin Adam.  Christmas 2006

   My Grandmother Allred went home to be with the Lord on Wed. January 7th.  I'm so grateful for the Lord blessing me so richly in my family especially with my Grandparents.  All four gave me a spiritual heritage.  Now 3 are at home with Christ.  Grandmother Allred was a blessing to me.  She struggled the last few years with her health but it did not make her bitter.  Her faith was strong.  The funeral was very personal and a huge blessing.  My cousin Wes and a friend did a hymn duet on trombone and piano.  The pastor of her church (Beck's Reformed in Lexington, NC) shared verses from old and new testaments that described Grandmother's live and faith.  He entitled his sermon "A Blessing Life."  He described how Grandmother bless others with cards, letters, calls and conversations.  He described how she thought of others above herself and how she loved serving Christ.  I'm so thankful for the years the Lord gave me with Grandmother.  Mom asked me if I wanted to share at the funeral.  I said yes and immediately asked the Lord for help in what to say and the strength to say it.  I wrote out a rough draft Thursday.  Friday morning I had my quiet time and then headed to a coffee shop in King (Foothills Juice & Java).  I got my cup of hot apple cider and sat down at my Mac and revised the document.  As I stepped up to the podium Friday afternoon, I trusted the Lord to speak through me and He did.  The whole service was a blessing that exalted Christ, honored Grandmother, and celebrated that through Christ we will be reunited in heaven.  We even have a DVD of the service.  Afterwards family and church friends gathered for a meal.  It was a blessing to catch up with people from Grandmother's (and most of my Mom's family) church that I know from the weekend I spend with them every year.  I really enjoyed taking Grandmother up to John's River every year.  She was a godly woman and I will miss her.  I've posted the text of what a said at the funeral (although the Lord added to it).

Thank-you all for coming and for all your support and prayers for our family.

I want to praise the Lord for Grandmother.  She was a blessing to me and I'm sure to you.  I hope I speak for Wes and Adam in much of this.  Growing up I longed for the weekends, especially John's River Weekends, and weeks during the summer that I was able to spend with Grandmother and Granddad.  The made me feel special and loved.  I knew that my visits, calls, cards and letters were priceless to them.  Grandmother's cards and calls meant the world to me.    She had a ministry and she blessed so many with it. 

I learned from them that time spent with family is a gift from God and is to be cherished.  I saw their work ethic, their gentleness and their quiet and strong faith.  It has inspired me  walk after them in these things 

During the last few days, so many verses of scripture have been coming to mind.  But I feel lead to share one.
I Peter 3:15 says  to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; “  I saw this modeled out in Grandmother and Granddad's life.

Today is not an easy day for us.  But we can rejoice that this parting is temporary because of Her faith in Christ and the hope we have as believers.  We morn the loss of direct communication with Grandmother and her presence here with us.  But we look forward to being reunited with her again in heaven.
I love you Grandmother!