Ministry Highlight: OM SportsLink

On May 26th, 2007 the first Operation Mobilisation SportsLink "Run For The World" will take place, from Auckland to Guatemala and a number of places in between. Over 500 people running and walking on five continents in 11 time zones to raise awareness of world mission and raise funds for sepcific projects around the world. Check out the website: www.r4tw.org

@ Toccoa Falls College

I am visiting Toccoa Falls College from today until Wednesday. The main speaker for chapel is Chip Kirk. Check out his website and find out more about the main topic of his series of messages: Abide in Christ.
Based on John 15.

Biola-lah-lah

Dorm rooms, cafeteria lunches & dinners, boy/girl talk, blooming faith, big dreams and some fears.
A typical week at a Christian college, this time we've been at Biola in LA.

There is something beautiful about this generation. I find myself talking with people who are dreaming dreams that no one else dreams. They wonder what to do with them. "I all about film production and linguistics, but I don't know how they'll fit together."

I also find myself talking with people whose eyes are just starting to open up to a huge world out there. "I had no idea that they don't do small talk in your country."

There is such innocense, eagerness, resistance to conform and a battle to surrender. As cheezy as it is, the small things count. Most students just need someone who'll listen to them and walk the road.

Traveling in S. California

Heidi and Erik are traveling in Southern California. We are half way through our trip. Frist we drove to San Diego and visited Horizon School of Evangelism, where we shared in their chapel time. Technology is horrible, our videos did not work at first, but eventually did. But regardless, the students really enjoyed our presentation and asked lots of questions afterwards.

From there we visited Azusa Pacific University. We had a booth set up on campus. The big event was the Biola Mission Conference. It's the largest student lead missions conference. There are 93 agencies here this year. WE are having a great time and talking with lots of students. Several students came up to say hi as they have been with OM before on trips. Some even just last summer. They all exclaimed they had great times with OM.

DanceLink

Today OM launced a new ministry called DanceLink. It focuses on using dance as a tool on the mission field and in churches. And building up dancers and train their hearts spiritually for ministry through dance. We saw some great dances. And heard testimonies of the dancers and their willingness to use the gifts God gave them. In July of this year a team of dancers will go to Albania.

University of the Ozarks - Alpha & Omega

Last night I attended the Alpha and Omega group at University of the Ozarks. They were a fun group. I shared the Haystack Story with them. this is a group of about 20+ students that meet each week for fellowship, worship, and prayer. Most of them are going to Guatemala this summer. Very cool.

Afterwards, we all went to "Tasty Freeze", an awesome little burger eatery. Very small town.

JBU World Awareness Week

One year ago, I attended the JBU mission week. Richard Sharp spoke last year. This year, Dr. Yung-Gurl Kim (a former professor of mine) shared about his agency that he is involved with. Basically doing community development for poor communities. This year a newly formed SMF ran the week. They did a great job. All the reps met one night together for coffee with several students for an informal time together.

Passion07

What is your Passion? 20,000 students from all 50 states and 34 nations jammed Philips Arena and The Georgia World Congress Center for Passion07, four days of worship, teaching and prayer focused on God's redemptive work in our lives and His desire to use us to shine His light to the whole world. In a late-night gathering on International Plaza adjdacent to the Georgia Dome, a sea of candlelight shimmered in the cold night air as students and leaders expressed their desire to reflcet the beauty and grace of Jesus on their campuses, in their cities and to all people on earth. -- from 268generation.com
Our team had the privledge to be a part of Passion07. 20,000 students bonded together and took up the challenge to make a difference now. Over $500,000 were raised for various projects around the world: 11 Wells, 20 College Student Sponsorships, translation of the Bible into the Dela language, 6 child surgeries, and a freedom center to be built in Iraq. Way to go guys!

Urbana 2006

This year Urbana left the small town of Urbana, IL to travel to St. Louis, MO. Our team arrived with much excitement for the conference. 20,000 were estimated to be in attendance.






Our team was made up of members of OM USA, a contingent from OM Canada, and as well as a partnership with Cafe 10/40.
We had a great time talking with many students. Some of us even lost our voices in the process. One highlight was our cool button machine. Cool button phrases like "Corn on the Cob, Kitchen Detergents, and American Idol Winner" were greatly sought after.

Free the Dalits

John Brown University recently hosted Kumar Swamy in a Chapel raising awarenes on the Dalits. Kumar is the South India Regional Director for OM. Originally from a Hindu background, he became a Christian and joined OM in 1981. He holds degrees in Psychology and Missiology. In addition to his role with OM, he is a pastor in the Good Shepherd Community Church movement and is involved in the Dalit empowerment movement across India.

Kumar recently attended the Asia-Europe People's Forum in Helsinki, Finland where he presented a paper in a Seminar on Human Rights. click here to read it.

For more information, check out the Dalit Freedom Network.

True Grit

Over the last couple of days I read "True Grit" by Deborah Meroff. She tells the true adventures of nine ordinary women, who are making a difference in such places as Tajikistan, India, Egypt, and Lebanon. Brief fact files between stories highlight global abuses of girls and women, sex trafficking, prostitution, female circumcision, poverty and domestic abuse. This book not only raises awareness of global issues but points out simple ways in which we can help turn the tide for women worldwide. I want to recommend this book. For a free copy of this book, go to the website of George Verwer. Send him an email with your mailing address and he will send you a copy of that book.

John Brown University

I have arrived on the Campus of John Brown University for their Mission Fair. I'll post more later.

It is beautiful here. I love the Fall in Arkansas and on Campus.

Fresh from the Ship

One of the absolutely BEST things I've ever done was joining the OM ship Doulos a few years back. I had an awesome 1,5 yrs traveling to 16 countries, living with 300+ people from 40+ nations. I had to work hard, learn to give in to other ways of doing things and trust God in a new way as I was living outside my comfort zone.

Here's a little clip of some recent Doulos Steppers (Step= Short Term Exposure Program, usually 6 weeks long).

Check it out! Maybe you are the next person to live on the ship and experience the ride!

Last Night at the Cheesecake Factory

The night before we flew back to Atlanta from Palm Beach, we had an fun hang out time talking about movies, dreams and taking over the world.

Keelan, me and JP.

Keelan and Maria.

Danilda and Ben. (The Dominican Republic meets Birmingham, Alabama!)

All of us!

Erik, Danilda and Ben.

Fascination.

This is some of the students at Palm Beach Atlantic watching a video about the OM ships. Some of them are going on Logos II for a week to shoot a video during spring break. Keep them in your prayers!

Finally: Photos! Smile if You're in!

That's me and Erik eating the famous Mexican corn with mayonnaise, cheese and of course: hot sauce!


JP, Christian and Jonathan took us to eat. They knew the way into our hearts was though authentic Mexican food!


And the dish itself here.

Finally: Photos! Smile, if You Recognize the Place!

It does look like southern Florida, doesn't it?

Leaving

Erik and I are sitting at the airport in Palm Beach waiting to board the plane back to Atlanta. We've had an amazing week here at Palm Beach Atlantic. Beautiful place, fantastic people and great shark stories (they've all been in the water with a shark or stepped on a shark and kind of just shrug about it - hello?) .

Last night we had a prayer night with a few hundred students. We showed videos from around the world and prayed over the situations. I love doing prayer nights like that...coz praying for the world has definitely changed my perspective on the world.

Now we're boarding so...adios!

(pictures later....)

La Comida Latina en Florida

The awesome folk here at PBA took us to a taco stand for dinner tonight. You know, the real Mexican taco stand -kind and more. They did not have just tacos, but also corn with mayonnaise, cheese and hot sauce. Definitely not good for you, but fantastically delicious.

Click. Click. Click. Aaaaaargh!!!! Here would go the pictures that I have, if this freakin' thing would work.

Ahem. Maybe later then.

Who Wouldn't Want to Go to School at the Beach?

Palm Beach Atlantic is the name of the college we're at in West Palm Beach, Florida. Apparently most of the students here come from the Northeastern states of America. In the middle of the cold Connecticut winter, who wouldn't want to stroll into class in flip flops and board shorts?

Erik and I flew here yesterday. We had delicious Cuban food last night (they brought me a chicken and a half! hello?) and just a chill time talking about the ships and Erik having visited 63 countries. (No kidding!)

Check this space for stories about what's going on here in Florida this week.