Lord...we pray that Urbana 12 would be a vessel for your glory. We pray that hundreds of thousands will enter your kingdom in the next 50 years because of what you accomplish at Urbana 12. As you invite us to give our whole lives to your global mission, we pray that you would show us how our gifts and talents collide with your kingdom purposes. Wherever you lead us Lord, we will follow.
A prayer for the Urbana Student Missions Conference 2012.
Well, folks, much has happened since we last conversed. I apologize for my recent lack of communication via this blog. I continue to miss my children, and all the children of GLA, deeply. As the distance in time increases, my longing to see them and hold them and play with them also increases... This week, news of a death of a sweet boy at GLA increased the weightiness of this Christmas Season.
In less than one week, I'll be off again! This time, to St. Louis to participate in The Urbana Student Missions Conference, then (very) shortly thereafter, France is up next on the agenda! My passport with a nice, official French student visa stamped inside of it has been returned to me, I've been reviewing French verb conjugations, the plane tickets have been purchased (with a week-long detour on the way home to Scotland to visit cousins!) and the packing has begun!
But before France comes Urbana...There are many wonderful aspects of this conference. I get to travel and room with my two lifelong friends, Abby Paternoster and Grace Chen. There's a huge bookstore with a plethora of books all about this world that we are living in and how to change it. There will be thousands and thousands of people with a passion for spreading the Kingdom of God all gathered in the same place. I am fully expecting awesomeness.
Evil is infuriating. It permeates and penetrates this beautiful world in so many ways each and every day. I am thankful for all the people who have been working countless hours to make Urbana a place where students, organizations, speakers, and missionaries can unite and gird their belts to go out and fight that evil in the name of Jesus.
Wadagans - the little boy at GLA who went home on Tuesday.
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Luke 9:23-24
Oh what a sweet little baby. I feel for his GLA family, and if he had one his permanent family. their hearts must be breaking not to see that smile anymore.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with Abby and Grace at Urbana! I can't imagine you girls not having fun together!
I look forward to tales from France....I just hope some of them are in English!