One Week Home.

I'm back from the Orient! Been back a week actually, and a crazy week it has been. I was not expecting major jet lag or any sort of culture shock. But there have been quite a few surprising things to experience this week.

Today I was greeted at my church with a very warm welcome. It was so good to be back at New City and the authentic and caring community present there. We didn't even get through verse 1 of the first song and I teared up, overwhelmed at the ease with which we were able to sing whatever we wanted, as loud as we wanted. Not so in East Asia.

Throughout the service, I felt small moments of anxiety, which I quickly realized was due to the atmosphere. I was sitting in a room with 20 other white people who were not speaking in proper code. I pulled out my Bible - which was not covered. I actually caught myself looking around a couple times to see if people were watching us! And all of this occurred at our small church plant - I can't imagine being back at a huge "cool building" (I mean, "Christian church").

I remember moving to Minneapolis two years ago and being so overwhelmed; like it or not, this bustling, confusing, sometimes dirty city was now my home.

Since being home, I catch myself day dreaming when I'm driving and biking and walking: I know that I don't have to watch out for a large van barreling driving down the sidewalk straight for me. Sirens and airplanes and car horns that once bothered me throughout the day are not even noticed anymore.

The sun is blinding. (On a good day in East Asia, you could look directly at the sun, which was only the size of a quarter due to the thick layer of pollution constantly present in the atmosphere). I had a love/hate relationship with the smog. It made the sky as full gray as a winter day - but it kept the temperature a little cooler. When you're walking several miles a day with a heavy backpack in 95+ degree weather, the smog isn't so bad.

I can't wait to go home to the farm in a few weeks to take in the rolling hills and peaceful surroundings!

Sending a Sender.

It was a weird spring for me this year, as I labored to send out teams of students and staff on mission projects this summer, but also prepared to go myself.

Now more than ever before, I see the importance of a support team to stay in the US while people are sent out around the world with the Gospel. Being a 'sender' myself, I recognize the strategy and significance - but this summer I step into the 'go-er' role (I know, probably not a word...).

A few weeks ago we had our Briefing conference, where 150 people gathered together before being sent out to 6 countries for the summer. As I sat with my team learning about security issues and campus guards and code words, a dozen people worked behind the scenes to ensure that these 150 people could go to the world with the Gospel this summer. As I type this from my international dorm in a rather large city in East Asia, I see the importance of people back home that can directly support what we are here to do: take the hope of Christ to Asian college students.

Speaking of support teams, I can't forget about the awesome financial and prayer partners I have! The senders at my office would not have a job to do if it wasn't for faithful friends who give and pray generously - not only to me, but to all our summer project students. More than $500,000 came in this spring for these 6 projects. That's a LOT of givers- and lots of pray-ers who go before the Lord to ask for provision for others. If you're a sender, giver, or prayer, thanks for what you do!

Leading Worship!

Last weekend was our annual May Daze staff conference. Once a year, all 200+ midwest Cru staff get together for a long weekend. I've only been staff with Cru for 3 years, but already I am experiencing the wonderful, tight-knit family present in this group of people. I was so very encouraged to hear at this conference what God is doing in the lives of college students around the world - and to just spend time hanging out and reflecting on my year with people who understand what it's like to be a missionary.

As a member of the region's operations team, I get the chance to serve our staff at a lot of conferences, assisting in setting up, running and packing up after events. I love being a part of the behind-the-scenes experience of a conference, and it's fun to do it with such great people that love our staff and love operations.

This year, however, I got the chance to do something totally out of my comfort zone - lead worship for these 200+ people! I've lead worship in various capacities before (Cru, Vespers, Church, small conferences) - but never such a large crowd, and never in front of this crowd that normally sees me behind the scenes. I connect very deeply to God through music, and place a very high value on creating an environment where people can easily enter into and meet with the Lord. I have never felt very confident as a musician, but I've always loved singing.

Leading this weekend scared me (...a lot...) but I knew this opportunity would be a huge chance for me to grow in some significant ways in my walk with God. Before each worship session I had to continually lay down before the Lord my fear of man, and remind myself that the Lord has given me this huge passion and small gifting, and He would get the glory if I was obedient to combine these two things, and share it with others, when he asked me to.

Kingdom Called

A few weeks ago, all of the international summer project teams gathered together in Minneapolis for a training conference, named Kingdom Called. This is probably my favorite conference of the year (I think I say that about every conference!).

Saturday night of the conference, I spoke to the students about some of details regarding their summer project. As I looked out on the room full of college students that I am sending to the world, I felt totally astounded and grateful that God would choose use me to play such a vital role in fulfilling his Great Commission.

One summer can change everything. When I ventured out to Sao Paulo, Brazil as a college student on a summer project, I had no idea God would stir such a passion in my heart for telling others about the life I have found in Christ. That same passion is still present 5 years later, and I pray every day that it will never leave.

There have been many highlights this spring in my ministry:

• Running a national webinar training for college students raising financial support for international summer projects. I also coached 3 other Cru staff to lead these webinars, and together we trained over 300 students from across the United States.
• Seeing over 90 students apply to in the Ghana Summer Project - about half of them were selected to participate (and 30 of them are women!)
• Preparing for my own summer project in East Asia. I can't wait to share Jesus with east asian college students and help train and coach the female college students on my project.

Here's a shot of me on stage speaking to the students about a website that helps them track their financial support that they raise for summer project.

The Legacy Project

I love learning the history of Campus Crusade. So much has happened in the last 60 years! Awhile back, the Legacy Project was started as an initiative to benefit young leaders, by connecting us to our organizational heritage. There are dozens and dozens of videos. Check out this one from a Jacquie, a staff woman from Madison, WI, about her husband's military ministry:



Click here for more info on the legacy project.

10 days to 10 months

Vision trips give students just a small glimpse of the work God is doing around the world. Sometimes, a glimpse is all you need. A year ago, we sent out a 10-day vision trip from the U of M to East Asia. Little did Amber know, she would return there a few months later for 10 month STINT (short-term international trip). This year, our vision trips resulted in six STINTers returning overseas this fall to be a part of reaching people with the Gospel. We see firsthand how God uses short-term trips to lead to long-term investment in overseas missions: showing the need for laborers and growing hearts for the lost, which leads to more people praying for, giving to and participating in overseas missions in the future. Only God can transform a 10 day experience into a 10 month - or even a 10 year - investment.

Coyotes around the world.

I was recently cleaning out an old box of papers and found this little gem. Seems like such a long time ago, my best buds and I were all headed around the US for summer project. Fast forward 6 years... almost two dozen Coyotes applied for summer project, and 10 of them are headed all over the world this summer: Denver, North Myrtle Beach (3), San Salvador, East Asia (2), Australia, Ocean City, NJ (2). Super excited that a few of 'yotes are heading to East Asia with me!