It's a Friday arvo (Day 3 of Urbana 2006) and I'm sitting in the Millennium hotel lobby, using the free wireless, facing St Louis' famous Gateway Arch. It's 3pm and Urbana delegates are just getting out of the 2pm seminars. FYI, St Louis is another hour behind so Singapore, I'm 2 hours behind you now.
How's Urbana so far? I've been absolutely incredibly blessed!!! Took a break off the seminars today coz yea... past few days has been pretty long. Was really encouraged and edified by Rebecca Manley Pippert's (Author of "Out of the Salt Shaker") Seminar on Talking About God in Everyday Life. Basically, she talks about Evangelism and how we should follow Jesus' example in being radically different!
The bible studies on Ephesians have given me a fresh perspective of Paul's letter and the worship has been phenomenal! We sang songs in like Korean, Spanish, Haiti, Japanese, Swahili, Yoruba and anointed speakers for the general sessions in the mornings and nights such as Ajith Fernando (YFC, Colombo, Sri Lanka), Oscar Muriu (Pastor, Nairobi Chapel, Kenya), Brenda Salter McNeil (Chicago, IL), Lisa Espineli Chinn (Int' Student Ministries IV, Madison WI), Rick Warren (Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA) and more have all blessed the delegates in revealing God's insights into scripture.
Practically the whole of St Louis got activated into hosting Urbana 2006! It's incredible! Like 20 hotels around the area downtown and near the airport were reserved specially for the delegates coming from more than 140 countries! Think there's a total of 22,000++ delegates here. Like Urbana even got the Metro (MRT service) and restaurants around the area to accomodate all of us arriving on the 27th!! Urbana delegates took to the streets every morning and night, walking/riding to the Edward Jones Dome (America's Center) for the general sessions, flooding the sidewalks, mass crossing traffic lights. It's overwhelming. Finding lunch one the first day was crazay!! Everywhere you turn there were Urbana college students with the signature name tag hanging on their necks and gold waterproof Urbana'06 'hospital' wrist band to be worn till the conference is over, the Urbana diary in their hands as a reference map to the different seminars and hotels they're in.
God has been amazing! All glory to God in the highest and peace to His people! When we attended the first prayer meeting, the common question was "Why did you decide to come for Urbana?". Personally, I'm here to know more about God's heart for missions and to seek some direction, career wise and missions wise. Where should I go? What would I do? Do I go for mission internships first before going on a job hunt? Yup.
I have a Calling. Lord, here I am.
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