Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Is there a special
like experience that you would
say really helped you, reallyhelp shape you into the person
you are today?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I was diagnosed with
cancer back in 2021.
So there were people in herethat that surrounded me and
talked to me and got my mind offof things, you know, as I was
going through tests and this andthat and the other, I could get
on here in the evening and justbe myself.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Welcome to the New
Horizons podcast.
I'm Brian Curie.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And I'm Shauna Curie,
also known as Mr and Mrs Killer
Bee, in virtual reality.
So this podcast is recordedlive from the metaverse at the
Killer Bee Studios where reallife stories and experiences are
shared in a way only themetaverse can offer.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
With that, let's go
ahead and dive into today's
episode.
Hey everybody, Welcome to theKiller Bee Studios.
It's good to see everybody.
I don't even know how to usethis confetti can anymore.
I'm hurting myself here.
You see this.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
As long as you're not
hurting me, look at this.
I know it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
It's been such a long
time, mrs Killer Bee, we've
been on such a long break.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Long, long break.
Yep, it's so exciting to seeeverybody.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
And we're super
excited to be back and to see
every one of you and tonight forthe brand new show, the special
series that we're doing.
Do you remember what it'scalled, Mrs Killer Bee?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Beyond the Avatar,
obviously, what'd?
You say Behind the Avatar.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Behind the Avatar.
Behind the Avatar.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
yeah, I did say it
wrong the first time I was like
oh yeah, I 100% have this.
And then I was like oh yeah, Isaid it wrong.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Whoops, and we
decided to add a new special
series for a limited time thatwe're going to add, called
Behind the Avatar, to allow aspot for us all to come together
and get to know the personactually behind the avatars, the
people that a lot of you havecome to love, and the beautiful
thing is that each one of youhave a story that we would love
to hear.
All right, I think I goteverything.
(01:57):
There is anything I missedthere, mrs killer?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I don't think so
sounds good all right, cool,
awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well, are you guys
ready for us to bring out our
guests?
Are you guys ready for ourguests to join us?
All right, so let's rain herwith confetti and let's go ahead
and hit that guest music yada.
And let's bring dear out to thekiller bee studio stage.
If she knows, how have you everbeen here before?
Speaker 5 (02:20):
come on yeah, there
you go.
I have been here before I don'tthink.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You're usually on
that side.
They're usually on this side,right yes, this is definitely
different.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I was just telling
somebody.
I was like, man, I'm I'm kindof nervous, like usually I'm
over there.
I mean, yeah, I'm like, wow,you're in control yes, right,
that's right, you're in controlyes, yeah, yes, she doesn't know
the questions we're gonna askusually so for those
Speaker 1 (02:54):
of you that are new
deaner hosts a show on here
called creator spotlight.
It was just last night and youguys, it was packed in here, so
great turnout and she interviewscreators all from horizon,
worlds and builders, and, andlast night you had uh, you had
louie louie on here.
Yeah, it was an awesome,awesome time, and the great
thing about hers is, if youdidn't make it, you'll be able
(03:16):
to watch a replay on youtube.
So, uh, you can just follow uson instagram and we put post
links on there, but uh, so yeah,so you're used to interviewing
people and now you're beinginterviewed.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You know, I don't
think a lot of people know this,
diener, I'm going to go andstart here.
I remember, I believe, thatyou're the first person that
interviewed me on Horizon World.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Oh my gosh, yes, yes,
wow.
That takes me back like wayback.
So I had this idea Actually itwas.
I know I talk aboutMetaCreators sometimes it's Joe
Brancic, shoelace and I and theyhad this idea that I should do
(04:07):
interviews and stuff.
They were like you'd be greatat that.
So we made this world calledWhimsical and there is actually
a little studio in the backthrough one of the.
If you go to Whimsical and gothrough the pink, there's like a
little pink house.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Takes you to dish.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Dish and eats with
dinner is what it was called
dinner.
Yeah, yes, yes, and I actuallyinterviewed.
I don't know if bernice isstill here, but I also
interviewed bernice there aswell.
I don't know if she's stillhere, but yeah, I totally forgot
about that.
That's that's how I startedgetting involved in, and it was
(04:46):
crazy because I would likerecord the person talking and
then I would go back and recordmyself, and then I would put
them together.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
It was it was crazy
Cause it was like a one person
show, but that's what I did.
She would literally grab hercamera out like this, and she'd
run over here and then she'slike okay, go, and then she'd
record, and then she'd run backover here and then she'd record
herself and she'd run back overhere.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, it was crazy,
but it worked.
I mean yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It did.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
That's amazing Some
of those are still on YouTube,
guys Diner VR they're still onYouTube.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, really I want
to go see that.
I didn't even know about that.
It's like three years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I'm going to take you
to the world, Mrs Killer,
because if I remember right,Diener, in the studio I was like
is that a little tiny door?
Isn't there like a little tinydoor in there?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
It's the first world
that I ever had in here and it's
like a cross between Dr Seussand Alice in Wonderland.
So Joe Brancic actuallymastermind came up with that
idea of having like this littletiny house with this little tiny
door and they're all over thewall in there.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
So I want to see that
.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yeah, you'll have to
check it out and if I remember
right, like in the middleoutside there's like a big bunny
, right is that?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
am I remembering
right bunny?
Speaker 1 (06:13):
yes, so there's a
secret way to figure out how to
get up there.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yes, yes, and I.
I had actually been in thehospital and I had surgery and
we were in the middle of makingthis world.
And I came back from thehospital and when I went into
the world and build mode, I sawthis big bunny from Joe Brancic
and it said get well soon, buddy.
(06:38):
And so he made me that rabbitthat's in whimsical as like a
get well, get well gift yeahthat is sweet.
It is front and center in thatworld right now.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, that's so sweet
, I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I can't believe
you've never taken me there.
I mean bunnies and pink housesand Alice in Wonderland,
inspired like that world wasmade for me.
It's very colorful.
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, world was made
for me.
It's very colorful.
Yeah, it was.
Yeah, that was my vision.
I kind of told him what I waslooking for and then we all just
you know put our brainstogether and came up with it.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's super cool,
mrs Kilbrey.
I didn't know that that wouldmean so much.
Maybe the new studio, the nextstudio, will all be big bunnies
and little doors and stuff foryou.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Wonderful.
It's got to be like littleteacups and little vials and all
sorts of fun things like thatthat's great.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Well, that, yeah, I
didn't even think about it until
just now.
I was like, oh my gosh, like Iremember that that time.
Yeah, that was a flashback.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I have not thought of
that in years.
Yeah, Wow.
(08:01):
Well, deena, I would love to.
I would love to ask you.
You know I was like, oh, Ishould get one of those.
It was during the pandemic, youknow, it was late 2020 and I
decided to get one, and so I didnot know anything about a
social app.
I knew nothing about anythinglike this.
I was thinking Beat Saber, Iwas thinking games, I was
(08:23):
thinking that kind of stuff, andI thought it would give me
something to do.
I was working from home for twoyears during the pandemic, so I
thought that would be cool, andso I ended up hitting something
on the main menu and it took meinto the social app.
(08:44):
It was before venues, but itwas venues before venues.
Remember that?
Yeah, anyway, some person, someguy came up and said something
to me Now I know I tell you guys, I am a total introvert.
So this guy came up and startedtalking to me.
(09:08):
I shut that thing down so fast,you wouldn't believe.
And I went and told my friend.
I said, oh my gosh, someonetalked to me in there.
I am never going in there.
I don't know how I got there,but I'm never going in there
again, like I was just no way.
And so then, as the day went on, I started thinking about it
and I was a little curious.
(09:29):
For some reason I startedgetting curious and for all I
know I think it might've beenGod, like saying hey, you need
to get back in there becausethere's so many great things
happening in here because I kindof tiptoed back in and but this
time I was, I was prepared,right, I was locked and loaded
(09:50):
ready to talk to somebody.
Like I prepared myself for this.
So when somebody talked to me,I talked back and we actually
had a conversation.
I was like this is crazy.
So I ended up, you know, talkingfor a little while and then I
didn't think it was so bad.
(10:10):
And then somebody said, hey,have you heard of this thing
called horizon worlds?
And I'm like no, and he's likeyou should go over there.
It's kind of like this, butit's it's more like worlds.
And he explained it.
So then I came over here and Iwas just by myself and kind of
wandering around and met JoeBrancic and met Shoelace and met
(10:36):
Hitchbow.
I've known Hitchbow longer thananybody in this whole place.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah, and that's just how itall started.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So I would love to
know from the audience how many
of you, the first time youstepped in here, you're like
whoa, what the heck?
Throw some confetti if you feltlike a little awkward and you
felt like oh good.
So you're not alone in here.
Dude, you're not alone, there'smany of us here.
That was like that.
You know, I started up, mrsKiller Bee, when I first came in
here.
I like to get to know people,but I stayed quiet and kind of
(11:09):
like hovered around people for awhile, just soaking in, like
what is this?
What's really going on here,you know?
So it's good to see that you'renot alone.
We actually have some people onthe mic that's going to come up
and share some stuff.
So let's, let's, let's pausefor just a second.
And, yana, can you bring up theQ&A mic and let's have Yvonne
(11:32):
come on up first.
Welcome, yvonne.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Hello, I actually
just have a comment.
I actually met Diener over twoyears ago right here in Killer
Bee Studios.
Was it really this?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
is where you guys met
it wasn't this studio, it
wasn't this
Speaker 5 (11:52):
studio.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
I don't know which
version it was.
There was a fire pit rightoutside the front there right
out these doors.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Oh, that was version
two, I think Right in the middle
.
Version two yeah, wow.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Yeah, so that's where
.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
I actually met Deer.
That's incredible.
That's beautiful, I love that,so I just wanted to share that
and you know what I know.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
I met Sills at Killer
Bee Studios as well.
Yeah, oh my gosh, uh-huh.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Bringing people
together.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
here we had a
Thanksgiving thing and her and
her brother showed up out of theblue.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
That is so cool.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
And now Sills and I.
Just she's in Alabama, I'm inMichigan.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
We both went to
Indiana in November and hung out
for a long weekend, and had ablast.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Yeah, that's awesome.
I saw those pictures.
That was so cool.
Yeah, super fun.
Love that it was it.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
It's so weird when
you become like, when you become
close to people in here and therelationships are formed and
and and you become you know,this bond is formed in here, as
it is in real life, like thesecond we saw each other.
It was like we had just steppedout of here and stepped into
real life and just kept goingLike it wasn't, like it was no
(13:09):
different, was it?
It was identical, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
I know we've met a
couple of people in here and I I
do want to encourage, like, ifthere's any kids in here, make
sure you don't meet anybody inreal life from here, cause we
don't really know the people.
But you know, if you're parentsand stuff like that, make sure
you're always sharing that stuffwith them.
But as adults, yeah, we've gotto know each other over the
years and have built trust andfriendships that we're able to
(13:33):
connect and I love hearing that.
I love it.
I know we've got to meet MetaMikey and his family in person
and I think you guys have evengot like a big arc encounter
plan where the whole group, alot of people from the groups-
yeah, and so yeah, our churchboard, yeah, our church board is
meeting up in April.
Yeah, that is cool, yada, if youwant to bring it back up.
The Q and a Mike, I've got twomore people I'm going to bring
(14:01):
up.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I have let's go ahead
and bring up Air Mama.
Air Mama, come on up to the mic.
We'd love to hear what you haveto share, and thanks for
joining us tonight at the KillerBee Studios.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Yeah, thanks for
being here.
So, believe it or not, it hasbeen well over two years.
I met the Killer Bee family andeven you, diener, and to touch
on sorry, my apologies, excuseme, Don't worry so to touch on,
(14:29):
you do form real relationshipsin here.
Yeah, and I've gotten close toeach and every one of you and
and other people.
I mean, like there's people inthis, in this crowd, that I've
gotten close to and it's, I tellmy husband, I said it's
(14:50):
remarkable, but I'm like you doform real relationships in here
and real friendships.
And yeah, and it's just, I'mjust honored to say that I'm so
glad that I've met you guys andeven some of the people back
here.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
We're so glad to have
met you we feel the same way
Amarla.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
We love that you're
here and we love it, and I think
I've met your husband before inhere too.
Yes, air Daddy, yep, that'sright.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Yep, Air Daddy,
You'll get used to it.
You know it takes a while.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Connected.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, exactly, air
Mama, air Daddy.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yep exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Yeah, you know, air
Mama.
Thank you, air Mama.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Brian was in here, I
think, for two years before I
ever came in.
So you know, sometimes it justtakes some time to understand
you know, like you already know,what it's like to make these
relationships and friends andsee how powerful it is.
And that's how it was for Brian.
You know he was making theserelationships and then I was
(15:55):
like, oh, I get it, I want to bein there too.
So you know, oh, I get it, Iwant to be in there too.
So you know, sometimes it justtakes time.
It's harder for some peoplethan others and you know,
because I had never been intovideo games or anything like
that, like it was really hardfor me to get used to the
headset.
Even now it's not super easyfor me.
But yeah, so I believe he'll bein here with you more often,
(16:17):
you know, in the future.
I believe that oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Awesome.
Thank you, mama, thank you forsharing Absolutely All right.
So let's go ahead and bring upIris, and then after that we'll
go ahead and move on to the nextquestion for you, Dina Iris,
thank you for joining us.
I love the unicorn shirt Didyou make that one Is that custom
made by Iris.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
It is custom made.
So three years ago, last month.
So Dina is one of the firstpeople I knew as well.
I know what you're going to say.
No, I didn't know her fromchurch.
I didn't know her fromMetaCreators and I didn't know
her from church.
I didn't know her fromMetacreators and I didn't know
her from Killer Bee Studios.
We just bumped into each otherin a world that I was checking
(17:02):
out.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yes, I was on lunch
break.
I remember she was one of thefirst people that I and we
didn't really stay in touchafter that like much I would see
her around.
Well, you mentioned.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
World Hops, and I
started doing that with you as
soon as I learned about thatright.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yes, yes, but yeah,
we totally bumped into each
other.
I was on my lunch break and wewere in.
This happened to be in the sameworld and that was very early
on.
Yeah, and then iris is one ofmy closest friends in here.
Yeah, it's like Tanya's orTanya's condo in Ottawa.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Yeah, so we were
there and we checked out the
Tron stuff in the basement.
That was pretty cool.
I totally remember that wetalked about it a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
It was Tanya's condo.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
you said Tanya's
condo, Not the name of it, but
that's what it is, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I'm going to say no T
, not the name of it, but that's
what it is.
Yeah, no, tanya, you guys justrandomly going through some
strangers.
And you guys ran into eachother.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
We randomly.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
So so I think I was
one of your early, early world
hoppers.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I think for a long
time, that's for a long time.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
That's all I did with
you, so yeah, right.
And then I started meeting allthe other people that you knew
in your well, and that's becauseI started meeting other people
too, you know, because it wasjust me when I met you.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
It was just me.
I was in here by myself, likeyeah.
So we all kind of justgravitated and found new people
and our squad you invited.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
You invited me to
Enigma, yeah, so I came over to
Enigma.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Yeah, oh my gosh,
that was so many memories,
thanks.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Iris, that's
incredible.
This was your life.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
It was yours.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
It was yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
This is your life,
david.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
All right, yara, you
go ahead and take the mic down.
We're going to go ahead andmove to the next question.
If you later on, if you guyshave a question or thought, make
sure you click the kiosk.
You know, this is what I thinkis funny.
Anybody that's listening to theaudio podcast of this is
probably thinking wait a minute,this doesn't sound normal that
you two met walking throughtanya's condo and you guys and
(19:08):
you guys are saying that's likeI was like one of the first
world hoppers in real life thatwould be called burglars.
You know, you're not supposedto be going through people's
houses and meeting people thatway.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
That's what we do in
here.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
That's what we do in
here.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
And, honestly,
everything is open and public if
we're allowed to.
It would be like everybody'shouses in real life being
unlocked and you weren'tstealing anything, so you
weren't being a burglar, Right?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
you can't.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
You can't steal
anything.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
It's impossible.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
You can't take it
with you.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
That's hilarious,
okay, so I'm going to move to
the next question.
Yada, before I move, did youhave a question?
Because I see the blue lightson?
Are you good, or did you havesomething you wanted to say?
Okay, so, guys, first someconfetti for Yada.
She's one of our new producersand she's learning as she goes
and she's doing an amazing job.
So, thank you so much, yada.
Yada, if you just put your handunderneath the mic, there you
(20:01):
go.
Now.
It's good you did it.
See, everybody else is likewhat blue light you guys can't
see it, only we can see it.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
So if the producer is
telling us wrap it up.
She can send us signs, that isinvisible to everybody else.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Exactly question,
Dina.
I have for you Good job.
Do you think, Dina?
Would you think that youravatar truly reflects who you
are in real life, and how arethey different if they're not?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Oh my gosh.
Well, I don't.
My avatar is like an18-year-old avatar and not like
a 54-year-old avatar.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Oh no, it's not not.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
I think your avatar
looks a lot like you.
Um it.
I mean if, if you look atpictures, there are similarities
, yeah, for sure.
I mean I'm I.
I tried to get my avatar asclose to my real life picture as
I could.
Yeah, but yeah, I, I, I and Itry to.
I mean, when I came in here, I,I did not try to be somebody
(21:03):
that I wasn't like.
And I know some people come inhere and they try to be
something else, which is fine.
That's, everybody has the rightto do that.
Um, but kind of with me, whatyou see and what you hear is
what you get, but kind of withme what you see and what you
hear is what you get.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I have an add-on to
that question Do you feel like
you dress your avatar similar tohow you dress in real life or
do you like, do a differentstyle?
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Yeah, oh my gosh, If
I had enough money to buy all
this stuff, absolutely I mean myskirts would not be this short.
I will tell you that Be alittle more modest than some of
the clothes they give us here,but yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
A lot of the stuff
that I made, like this sweater
right here.
I would wear this you made thatsweater.
Yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Good job, thank you
that's cool, okay, so so, and
you said that you know youmentioned just a little bit ago
that you're an introvert wouldyou say you're less of an
introvert in her and behind theavatar than you are in real life
?
Like what would you say?
Speaker 2 (22:12):
about not necessarily
, um, I, as I have met people in
here one-on-one and talk tothem, and then somebody else
will come into the group.
I I'm usually good with thatperson because it's an extension
of this other person.
If you were to put me in a roomright now with a bunch of
(22:34):
people I didn't know, I would bethe biggest wallflower in the
corner that you wouldn't evenknow I was there.
Yeah, so that's how it happens.
So, yeah, I'm totally, totallyintroverted.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
That's great.
That's great.
I think that I know.
I think you're right there.
Like you know, some people comein here and they want to be
different than they are in reallife and, like you said, like
everybody has their, theirchoice to do that, and I was
always, I'm always, curious,like the person that I'm talking
to is this the way they wouldbe like in real life, or would
they be different?
So, uh, so thanks for sharingthat with us, deaner, did you
(23:09):
have another follow-up question,mrs Killer Bee?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Not this time.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I think she asked you
about the clothes.
Because I asked her.
I was like Mrs Killer Bee,where is your B-shirt?
Because you know this is our.
I have designed stage clothesfor us and she showed up wearing
a sweater.
I'm like where's your B-shirt?
She's like this feels more likeme in real life.
Yeah, this is the way.
This is something I would wear,and I'm like not everybody else
is wearing b-shirts well, thisis.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
This is what happened
.
So listen, don't hate meeverybody.
I know it's cold in the north,I understand, but it's also
chilly in florida.
And I looked, I looked in themirror.
I'm'm sorry, yvonne.
I'm sorry, I'm glad you'remuted.
No, I'm just kidding.
(23:56):
I looked in the mirror at myavatar and it was a short sleeve
shirt and I was like, oh, Ineed a sweater today.
So I just changed.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm in Michigan, so I'vebeen wearing sweaters for a
while.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, so that's why
I'm sorry, babe, if you would
have given me a Killer Bee shirtthat was a sweater I'd be set
for these cold weather days.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I know that if I
can't do it, Hitchbo has got a
whole collection, so I'm surehe'll loan you a Killer.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
Bee sweater.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Thank you, that would
be amazing.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
He comes in all the
time with different ones.
Dean, I would love to know whenyou take off the headset, when
you take off the headset, whatare some of your favorite
passions, your hobbies or skillsthat you enjoy outside of the
metaverse world?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Oh gosh.
Well, you should have asked methat question before I got into
the metaverse.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Now you do nothing.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Now it's this, now
it's this.
But well, if I'm not in here,I'm working.
I have a full-time job.
I work in breaking engineering.
I've been there at my companyfor over 35 years.
And so that takes up, you know,a lot of my daytime.
(25:12):
And then you know I'mscheduling stuff.
I'm working for our church.
You know scheduling.
You know Bible studies,building Bible study worlds
Yvonne and I piggyback with eachother building immersive Bible
study worlds for the church.
And you know sending out thetext to people and doing the
(25:34):
social media marketing typestuff for the church, getting it
out there.
So, yeah, that's.
That's a lot of of what I do,and when I'm not, I'm, you know,
probably talking in our groupchat with all the people in here
that are our friends.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
I know you guys do
like a lot of game nights and
stuff like that, so what did youdo Like what did you do before
you got the headset?
Then Well, before some of thethings you love doing.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Yeah, before COVID
hit, I was busy, like every
night.
I was doing things for my onthe ground church.
I was working in a WANA withthe kids.
I was doing Bible studies in myreal church on the ground
church.
Yeah, I was.
I was leading.
I was actually leading cardiodrumming.
(26:19):
I don't know if any of, but anyof you know what cardio
drumming is.
Speaker 5 (26:22):
But if you don't just
.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Google it.
So you've never heard of cardiodrumming.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
You're.
You're just going to have toGoogle it.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Like, wear like a
drum, like like at the March
band and run.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
It's a yoga ball and
one of those big buckets and
drumsticks, and so I startedthat at my, at my church, so we,
we would do it to Christian,christian pop music, so yeah.
So I was, I was busy, like assoon as I get home from work, I
would go do stuff with thechurch group, and it was just so
(26:56):
busy and then March 16thhappened, 2020.
And everything, just like youknow, I didn't go to work for
two years.
I worked from home for twoyears, you know, and all the
extracurricular things I wasdoing in the evening got, you
know, completely smashed, soyeah, and then I got, I got this
(27:17):
, so yeah, and it took me.
It took me a good eight months.
It took me a good eight monthsto kind of, in addition to
finding, like right away, um,brancic and Shoe and Hitch, um,
it took me about eight months tofind kind of my, my crew in
(27:38):
here, and that's when I foundthe church.
So, and that's where I met you,actually, you know, and it's
Living Hope VR Church and andhere is our and that's where I
met Mikey, who's our pastor, andyou, and that's, yeah, it's
(27:59):
just like the crew has justgrown over time.
The church has grown and yeah,it's just now.
This is.
This is what I do now.
It's it's crazy.
Yeah, I still go to my on theground church, but you know,
church in here is just asimportant yeah, I love you.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Call it the on the
ground church.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Yeah, I have two,
that's cool, my on the ground
church and my or some.
Some people call it brick andmortar churchesmortar churches
Because when you're in here.
You kind of distinguish betweenthe two.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Sure, yeah, yeah,
definitely.
It's been cool to both, I'll goahead and miscarry.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
I was just going to
say do your friends at your
on-the-ground church do theyunderstand what you're doing
here?
Do they think it's just kind ofa wacky thing that you do?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Yeah, they'll
probably hear this and some
somehow some way.
But no, I think most of them donot.
Most of them do not and some ofthem do, some of them
absolutely do, because they theyknow who I am and they've
listened to me and they've heardme talk about it and they know
exactly what it is.
Other people are confusedbecause they haven't experienced
it or haven't seen it, so theydon't know about it.
Right, and haven't seen it, sothey don't know about it right.
And a lot of times when peopledon't know about something, they
(29:16):
kind of just shoo it away andsay it's either bad or they they
just don't want to get involvedor whatever right.
So yeah um, and that's, that'sokay, um, but I think that that
us in here, you know, we areconstantly trying to show the
outside who we are and what wedo in here, because it is so
(29:41):
important, I think the thingsthat we're doing in here?
We're not just in here playinggames all the time.
That's not what we're doing.
That's not what we're doingwe're, you know our, our, our
crew is, you know, spreading,spreading the gospel and, and,
and you know, doing Biblestudies and wanting to welcome
people into our group.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Yeah, that's what
we're doing, I love that that's
one of the reasons why we wantedto do this special series
behind the avatar, because Ithink it's important, you know
and even now with more kidscoming in is to realize like
they're real people behind theseavatars and real people with
incredible stories.
But we also go through hardtimes too and we're struggling
(30:22):
with things too, and I thinkthat's what's great about being
there for each other and reallyfinding a place that you can go
and, you know, trust people andbuild those relationships and to
lean on and lock arms and dolife together, even here in
virtual reality.
I know we've met a lot ofpeople that has been able to
help each other because ofrelationships, and so that's an
(30:45):
important reason why I thoughtwe should definitely do Behind
the Avatar.
That's one of the things thatwe've learned is some of the
best ways.
Like people, they become open,open like I want to try it.
It's getting them in a headsetlike it changes everything, like
they're like whoa what?
is this.
That's what it took for me.
I mean, I poked fun at thisstuff for a long time until I
put on the headset and I waslike whoa, wait a minute, you
(31:06):
got to look more into this.
Would you mind sharing know, is, is there a special like
experience that you would sayreally helped you, really helped
shape you into the person youare today, and what would that
be?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Oh, wow, there's,
there's obviously there's been a
lot Um, but yeah, there's beena lot Um.
But I would say, um and some ofyou have heard this story,
those that are close to me havethat I was diagnosed with cancer
back in 2021.
And it was it, you know,completely unexpected.
(31:47):
I am, I'm in remission now, I'mfine, but that was one of those
times in my life that, um, thatshaped me in so many ways.
In so many ways I had friendsin here that were there during
that time.
Actually, it was 2021.
Wow, yeah, it was 2021.
(32:09):
Because it was right after I gotmy headset, because I remember
I was telling Hitchbo about itand Hitchbo was one of those
people that was there to listento me and and he was, was around
right during when I had surgeryand that whole bunny thing came
along, yeah, so there werepeople in here that that
surrounded me and talked to meand got my mind off of things,
(32:32):
you know, as I was going throughtests and this and that and the
other, I could get on here inthe evening and just be myself,
um, and then just just my myfaith in God during that time.
That I think that is the biggestthing that shaped me during
that time, because I remember Ididn't know if I was going to be
(32:55):
alive in a few months, like Idid not know, and I had to look
at, look at my Savior and say,god, if this is my time to go I
mean, if this is my time, thenit's my time like, like there is
nothing I can do about this.
But I put my complete and utterfaith in him and said, if you
have more for me in this earth,then I'm going to be around, but
(33:17):
if you don't, I get it Like hemade me, and when it's time for
me to go I'm going to go.
And that was just.
That was one of those thosetimes that molded me in such a
way that that that he, basicallyhe.
(33:38):
I guess I needed to be aroundfor a little bit longer and
shortly and Hitch and I used torun around, like looking at
churches, remember.
We would run around and findchurches but we never knew which
ones were happening or going on.
And then, all of a sudden, thechurch started up in August of
that year.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
And that's when.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
I found all of you
guys.
So it was just a crazy, crazytime, but such, a such a
blessing.
I will tell you, it was ablessing for that to happen,
because it's times like that,when you're going through
something that you don't know,you don't know what's going to
happen, but when you have faithin God and know that he's got
(34:23):
you, no matter what, like those,those are faith building
moments and faith building timesand I'm I'm just, I'm very
thankful that I, that I wentthrough that, because of how I
came out on the other side Justtrusting, trusting God, trusting
him more.
That's powerful.
That was one of those times,yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Thanks for sharing
those times.
Yeah, oh, thanks for sharingdinner, would you?
When you went through, when youwent through that, what was the
biggest change for you?
Like I mean so not knowing youbefore then and you know, not
until, not until later would you?
Did it like ignite a fire foryou to say, okay, I have less
(35:07):
time here, like what do you wantme doing, god or what?
What did it shift anything?
Or were you already serving alot at your local church?
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Yeah, yeah, I was
already serving.
I was already serving a lot.
I've I've been a Christiansince I was eight years old, so
I can't even remember a timewhen God wasn't a big part of my
life, can't even remember atime when God wasn't a big part
of my life.
But, yes, I was already serving, I was already doing things.
I was.
I actually started a blogministry at my church and I was
blogging every week and andwe're putting, we were putting
it out on the website, and so Iwas, I was doing, I was already
(35:44):
doing a lot of things.
So I didn't't, I didn't reallyknow what god had for me.
You know what I mean.
I didn't know, um, I just knewthat there was still a reason
why I'm I, why I was.
I was still here and now I'm,you know, involved in, you know,
living hope here and I I thinkthat that is one of the I do.
(36:06):
I honestly believe that's oneof the reasons that God still
has me here, like I adore thischurch that we have in here, and
, yeah, it is, it's amazing,it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
I love it.
I love it that you can evenlook at that.
You know it's not beingdiagnosed with cancer and we've
I know we've lost friends andfamily to cancer and there's
nothing for anybody that's goingthrough that.
It's not easy at all and I canwrap my mind around it, but we
know a lot of people have lostloved ones to cancer.
And for you to be able to lookat it and see, see that time
(36:43):
also as a blessing, as bringingyou, connecting you with people
in a new environment that maybeyou didn't, you didn't have
before, you know, not this new,this new path.
So I I love that you can lookat that and use this story to to
give him the glory for, eventhough it was like, this is not,
nobody wants to hear that, uh,but he'll look back and say it
(37:07):
was a blessing, right.
Thank you for sharing that,yeah yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
It was almost like as
soon as I got the news I only
told the positive people in mylife you know, because you've
got the negative nelly's outthere.
Oh no, I'm so sorry.
I did not want any of that Iwas like okay, you prayer
warriors.
I need you guys to pray.
The sky is not falling, god hasthis under control.
Let's just pray and let's getthrough this Like that and
(37:35):
that's, and that's what I did.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
Wow, that's a
powerful lesson right in itself.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Really, you know,
don't allow the negative talk,
and and you know who's going tobring that, so that's really
that's exactly yeah.
That's a really smart thing youdid.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
That's beautiful, all
right.
So I'm gonna ask you one morequestion as we get ready to wrap
up.
Okay, so this one's.
I don't know if you might belike, oh, this is easy, but I
don't know.
We've been talking a lot Likewe just got back from a marriage
conference and obviouslythere's a lot of talk about, you
know, impact and legacy, stufflike that.
(38:13):
So I want to ask you what, likewhat impact or legacy would you
want or hope to pass on tosomeone in virtual reality
through your avatar?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Oh, wow, well, that
would be my love for for Jesus.
Like I would want people to sayhey, she was fun to um, you
know, throw some fun worlds outon Facebook, but she had a fire
for Jesus, like she was a.
Jesus girl, um, and I also wantpeople to know that, like us,
(38:48):
jesus girls and guys, we canstill have fun yeah.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
We still do fun stuff
.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We are not we are not
fuddy duddies.
We are not Um.
We like to have fun just asmuch as the next guy.
We just may do it with a littlecleaner language.
Maybe, I don't know.
Most of the time, not always.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
The guy with her meta
Mikey, the meta Mikey, the
pastor over there.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
He will take on
anybody at Super Rumble he has
no problem shooting you andputting you away.
Yes, he will.
So will you?
Speaker 1 (39:22):
I'm a friendly bee.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
I'm a friendly bee.
No, you are not, I will notplay Super Rumble with him or
Mikey Won't?
Speaker 1 (39:31):
do it.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Wise.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Very wise.
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