A great honor came to Columbia International University President Dr. Mark Smith in the form of a very unique gift.

Smith’s friend Dr. John Maxwell, one of the most influential leadership experts in the world, surprised Smith with a violin. But not just any violin. The violin, worth $10,000, was made by children who live in an impoverished area of Paraguay as a way to improve their lives.  

Maxwell said the gift represented Smith’s heart for evangelism, and his legacy giving to Maxwell’s organization Equip, which has trained six million leaders in evangelism. He also said he wanted to show Smith his love and to pray over him as Smith prepares for surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.

“My heart was so overwhelmed as I wept,” Smith said. “What a mentor and friend.”

He also thanked Maxwell for “challenging me to think Kingdom thinking and to think Kingdom giving over the last 15 years.”