A Join-In: How A New Chapter Of My Life Began

      Last year, I was told that something called Urbana was coming up. I thought that perhaps I was suppose to be a part of missions, so I prayed about it and decided to go.
      At first, Urbana was overwhelming; there were so many missionary organizations to be a part of, so many people there, and so much to take in. I felt that I had no idea what I was supposed to learn. However, the worship, skits, seminars and Bible studies were amazing. The worship drew you into the presence of God and they taught us to sing the songs in other languages. The skits symbolically illustrated Biblical truths, and the seminars taught us a lot of great information. The morning Bible studies taught us a new way to study scripture; first, look for questions or things that stood out to you. Next, look at the text and see if the questions can be answered by looking at the verses around it or at the text as a whole. Finally, find a way to apply it to your life. It was interesting to do this as a group and to hear what others had to say.  

      The third night, we had something called "A Join-In" for our evening session. We had no idea what that was until we got there. It turned out that all 16,000 of us were going to make something called Caregiver Kits. They showed us videos like the one below, and explained that they are medical kits that Caregivers bring to the homes of people with AIDS to take care of them. http://vimeo.com/56112963
They also gave us a booklet that shared some of the stories of the caregivers or the people that they help. When it was my section's turn to go and make them, I felt that there was something special about it. It was then that God encouraged me to want to be a part of this project. I mentioned the idea of bringing it back to campus and was told that I should go for it. Hesitantly I agreed.. and the journey began.

NYC and My Parents

As I write this, I am preparing for my trip to NYC and Jersey City this weekend. I have training with other new staff members in the region on how to best build fund development relationships. I am excited to spend the time connecting with other staff members and also to learn more about how to raise the funds needed for the ministry. After I finish the training, I will be staying at a fellow staff member's apartment for the rest of the weekend. During that time, I will be connecting with alumni of Fredonia, enjoying some of what NYC has to offer, and trying to not get lost on the public transportation before enjoying a train ride back to Buffalo. Next Friday, I leave for two weeks visiting my parents in the Alfred area which will be filled with meetings with possible donors, churches, and other people I have not seen for a while. It will be wonderful to spend all of Holy Week and the week after at my parents and to finish up some of the lose ends I need to do as I fully prepare to move to Fredonia. When I return, I will be bringing back a 'new' stove for my apartment which will nicely go with the other small upgrades I am making to my college apartment. It will be a much nicer place when I finish and a place I will be proud to call my home. Until then, I have more phone calls and meetings with possible donors and would appreciate prayers for God's blessing as I trust in Him completely with my life, including finances. He's provided so far and will continue to provide. Thanks for your prayers.