CROSS conference 2016

     Back in September I learned of an opportunity to go to a missions conference that would be held over Christmas Break. The goal of the conference is to equip and mobilize students for the missions field, similar to Urbana conferences. This conference is called CROSS and was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Many of you know about my passion for missions and my question of whether I am a 'goer' (leaving the country as a missionary) or a 'sender' (staying to support other missionaries while living a mission-minded life), so it should not surprise you that I decided to take this opportunity.

     In order to get to the conference in time for the kick-off concert we needed to leave at a very early time in the morning. After being on the road for a few hours we stopped in a major city to pick up two other passengers. That brought out party number up to six. Two more members would join our group once we arrived in Indianapolis.

     The conference boasted several big-name speakers, David Platt and John Piper for example. In addition to attending several lectures and panel discussions through out the day (held in the auditorium pictured above) we also went to three smaller workshops on specific topics. In addition to gaining these resources for missions our group was able to build relationships - not only with each other, but with our host families. We were also able to do a little sight-seeing. This occured mostly on the culinary plane because the conference did not include meals.

     All in all, I am glad that I went. I enjoyed the experience as a whole and I learned a lot. If anyone has the chance to go to this conference, I would recommend taking it!

I immediately recognized this statue as one by Tom Otterness. 

My first visit to a Hard Rock Cafe.

Sunday School!

     As mentioned before, I am helping to teach Sunday School for the 1st graders at our church. This year they are learning about the attributes of God (so advanced for seven year olds)! I must admit, it isn't quite that complicated. The curriculum is called  The ABC's of God and each week we look at one of God's attributes. I am enjoying the curriculum; I wish I got to learn the word 'incomprehensible' in 1st grade! Here are some of the nuggets the kids have been learning:

Q is for Questions
1. Who is God?
2. What is God like?
3. How should I act towards God?
Each week we try to answer these three questions.

I is for Incomprehensible
We cannot fully understand God.

Y is for YHWH (Yahweh)
God has a personal name and he wants us to get to know him.

E is for Eternal
God has no beginning or end.

C is for Creator
God made all things.

G is for Glorious
God shows his greatness and worth.

W is for Wise
God causes everything to work out perfectly.

A is for Almighty
God is all-powerful.

S is for Sovereign
God has the right and wisdom and power to do all He pleases.

My Favorite Week

     I am privileged to live in a fairly close-knit neighborhood. I know the names of a large handful of my neighbors. Of course, it helps that a fair amount of families in my neighborhood go to the same church as my family.

     I enjoy going around to garage sales in the spring and summer and have helped to host more than a few. One of the highlights of each summer is the neighborhood garage sale. If you want, you can have a garage sale on a different day, but having it on the neighborhood garage sale day allows for more traffic.

     The neighborhood garage sale is like a big festival. It always coincides with the city-wide garage sale of a nearby suburb, so when you've picked clean the sales inside the neighborhood you can go out looking for more. Going around and looking at what each house has to offer is like going to different booths at the fair. Also, a lot of houses sell lemonade or cookies. One of my neighbors was cooking hotdogs. So that takes care of the food!

     This year I got a new laptop bag, a new glasses case, a life-time supply of matches (don't ask), some placemats, a devotional, and a free coffee maker.

     Not only was the neighborhood garage sale this past week, but our church also had it's annual Missions Weekend. Like the neighborhood garage sale, Missions Weekend occurs annually in the summer. On Saturday morning the church hosted a panel on Race and the Church, as issues of race have been a hot topic recently. Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the panel because I was still helping out with the garage sale.

     On Sunday morning we had a guest speaker, Pastor Brandon Redic, preach. He spoke on what our motivation for missions should be and gave a little 'color' to the morning (Note: I do not mean this offensively. Pastor Redic is indeed black, but his preaching style is a bit higher energy than most sermons spoken at my church. So, he spiced things up in that aspect as well.).

     We came back to church that evening for the 5th annual Trip Around the World. It is an opportunity to hear from some of the church's mission partners and short term teams. The evening starts out with a meal provided by our Chinese congregation (yup, we've got a Chinese congregation, try wrapping your heads around that one). Needless to say, it was delicious.

     After supper we 'traveled' around different 'countries' and got our 'passport' stamped. (we really did have passports - fake ones!). What actually happened was that five classrooms had been set aside for five different missions partners, both local and international. We visited each room and listened to the missionaries give presentations about what God had been doing in their ministries. By rotating we were able to get to each room in a timely manner. Last year I helped give a presentation for the short term team that went to Moldova.

     I really enjoyed this week. It was cool that two of my favorite summer events lined up so that they happened at the same time.

     Mini Missions Update: Less than two weeks until we leave! We are literally counting down the days!

Can You Carry Your Carry-On?

     Luggage is essential if you are traveling anywhere. If you are taking a road-trip it doesn't matter what kind of suitcase you decide to bring, as long as it is big enough to hold all of your belongings, but small enough to fit in your car. When going on a plane, and especially when going on a trip overseas picking the right piece of luggage takes a bit more effort. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way:

1. 'Tis the Season
     Apparently March is the best time to buy luggage. This is because stores often offer discounts on their suitcases before the heavy travel season of summer hits.

2. All Good Things to Those Who Wait
     If it is not March and you do not have time to wait for the big discounts you can still get a good piece of luggage at a good price. Keep on the look out for sales.

3. Make Sure You Are Getting What You Want
     If there is a 3-piece luggage set on a huge discount, but you know that you only need the largest suitcase, don't buy it. Even if the set is being sold for a fraction of what is was originally worth, if you don't need all of what you are getting, then don't buy it.

4. Weight Matters
     Go for a suitcase that is as light as possible without compromising durability. Every pound counts.

5. Spend Money When You Have To
     My mother and I leave for our trip in July and we needed to buy a new suitcase or two before the trip. We saw that a local retail store was having a sale and decided to check it out. When I went on my mission trip last year I took my Dad's old suitcase. It is by no means heavy, but we were able to find a new suitcase that was the size we wanted and at least 4 pounds lighter. It may not sound like much, but when you have a weight limit on your luggage and you are the one lugging it around you do not want your suitcase to be any heavier than it needs to be.

Raising Support

     This summer I have the amazing opportunity to go on a mission trip with my mother and a team from our church. We will be going to the Czech Republic. Last year I went out of the country for the first time on another mission trip to the country of Moldova. I am super excited to be going back into the short-term mission field!

     Our team this year will be putting on a family-fun English camp with a local church in the Czech Republic. However, in order to do this we need to raise money. $2,500 each to be exact. For some people raising money to go on missions trips involves various fundraising activities such as pledge drives, selling T-shirts or cookies, and setting up GoFundMe accounts. For us this entails sending out letters, letting our friends and family know about this venture and asking them to help and lend their support.

     Before you can send a support letter you must first write a support letter. The support letter usually includes a short synopsis about what is going on in your life, where you are going, what you will be doing there, how to give money, and other details about the trip. Once you have written and revised your support letter you can print it off and begin stuffing envelopes.

     Stuffing envelopes is a tedious task that takes a lot of time (how's that for alliteration?). It is best done with someone to help you.

Here is my wonderful mother, helping me stuff envelopes.

     The envelopes have to be addressed before you can put your letters in them (technically you could address them after filling them, but it is much easier to write on an empty envelope than a filled one). I would recommend purchasing envelopes that you do not have to lick to seal. They may cost more, but will be well worth it in the time, energy, and taste buds you save. Along with our support letters we included a prayer card, support form, and return envelope.

     As you can see, writing and sending support letters can be a long and tiring process. However, it is well worth it!

     I would like to thank all the people who have committed to support us financially, but especially in prayer. By giving up your time and resources you have become part of this endeavor and because of your generosity the gospel is being spread.

     I will be posting updates on support, as well as the trip itself (hopefully), so stay tuned for more information!