“Building Roots” stars and for KING & COUNTRY take Convo stage

Liberty students learned about faithfulness and perseverance during Convocation April 10 and 12 in the Vines Center.

Ben and Christi Dozier took the stage April 10 and began their talk about their life titled “Building Roots.” Ben Dozier began by rhetorically asking how he — a child whose father was not in his life, who was raised by a single mother and who was kicked out of every caring establishment — ended up leading multiple companies, owning a coffee shop, starting a nonprofit and starring in a television series.

Christi Dozier then began to recount her life, and unlike her husband, her family was intact for most of her life. “To this day, the vision of him carrying his red and black duffel bag out the squeaky back door of our home is engraved in my mind,” Christi Dozier said. “My dad’s going away for a while turned into him actually leaving my mom and my family for another woman.”

Christi Dozier admitted that she then decided that if she was perfect enough or pretty enough or good enough, her father would return home to her and her family. One day she accompanied her mother to church and went to a youth group where she met her future husband, Ben Dozier.

Their stories collided despite their differences — his father had just returned while hers had just left — but both of them were learning how to cling to a real father who would never leave.   

“I enjoyed today’s Convo because it was inspiring to hear how God can (take) two completely different people, heal their hurt and pain and bless them with so much more than they imagined,” Anthony Ostrander said. “Hearing the Dozier’s story of pain and suffering becoming one of grace and peace has blessed my time in Convocation, and I hope it touched others as it touched me.”

Christi Dozier said she and her husband often went on hikes, and that despite the risks and dangers of hiking, when they reached the summit and were surrounded by beauty, the climb was worth it.

“Such is the experience when you take action on a dream inside of you,” Christi Dozier said. “These moments of life when you step into the unknown we call our ‘vamos afuera’ moments. Which means to go out into the unknown, to get out of your comfort zone.”

Next up, the band for KING & COUNTRY performed at Convocation on Friday, April 12, and started the concert with one of their older songs “Fix My Eyes.”

The leaders of the band, brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, then transitioned to “Fine Fine Life,” introducing themselves and their band to students. Joel and Luke Smallbone began to walk through the aisles of the Vines Center, interacting with the audience, high-fiving them and even taking a selfie with a select few.

Joel Smallbone spoke about how everyone is perfect in the eyes of God, loved just as they are. The band then sang their song “Priceless,” which was part of the main soundtrack for one of their feature films of the same name. Afterwards they showed the trailer of their newest movie “Unsung Hero” set to release in theaters in two weeks.

For KING & COUNTRY closed the concert with the Christmas song “Little Drummer Boy.”

Amaro-Millán is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion