An International Day

Reflecting on this, I had to smile:

Yesterday afternoon, I went to buy coffee at Coffee Bean, which came from Brazil. There, I met a man from Iran. The coffee was for the visit of a Westmont alum from Cambodia. Then, at dinner, I met a girl from Uzbekistan, and later e-mailed my friend from South Korea.

Preparing to Focus

Looking forward to Westmont's Global Focus Week 2008 (next week!), all the preparations have been solidified. We are getting more excited as the time draws nearer! It will be an incredible week to challenge students to go "beyond our boundaries," to serve God, whether here in SB, on an ER trip, or eleswhere in the world!

On Friday, God used a chapel speaker from International Justice Mission to further prepare students for this week of global focus. His message encompassed the theme verse of GFW: being a light to the nations, and he reminded us of God's saving work around the world! One challenge to ponder from his message was in relation to the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. Jesus asks us, "What do you have?" and "Will you give it to me?"

You said your glory will fill the earth..

Praise the Lord for the ways He's been working through Emmaus Road (Westmont's missions organization) this year!

Recently, we have been interviewing potential team leaders for the summer service projects, and it has been so exciting to hear their passions for serving God around the world and their visions for their teams!!

Today, is the community picnic and we will be announcing our trips!
This summer, we will be sending Westmont students to Russia, Uganda, Indonesia, El Salvador, China, and Malawi!

Please pray for those God is preparing to go beyond their boundaries and serve Him wherever, whenever, and with whatever God calls them.

"You will be my witnesses.."

Last night, I helped out with the Jewish Community's High Holy Days. It was the eve of Rosh Hashanah, and I was able to teach the kids as I myself learned about this important holiday in the Jewish calendar. I was struck by the Jewish tradition of reflecting on the past year, tallying the balance of good vs. bad deeds and determining whether they are in the Book of Life. It was deeply saddening to watch these people, so in awe of God and familiar with His history of faithfulness, living their lives without an acknowledgment of God's grace.
I am reminded of:

Titus 3:4-6

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior."

ISI

Last Friday, I had the incredible opportunity to spend my evening with students from around the world! I attended the welcome-back dinner for UCSB's international students hosted by International Students, Inc. (ISI), a friendship partner program. We enjoyed delicious food, good conversation, and fun icebreaker games! I was hoping to meet my international friend, Da Yea, from South Korea, but we missed each other.

Unbeknownst to me, God had a different reason for bringing me to the dinner. A girl from the Ukraine struck up a conversation with me about what makes Westmont different from other schools. When I mentioned Christ as our foundation, she became really excited and started rattling off all these deep questions about my faith. God gave me the chance to share the gospel numerous times through our talk. Praise Him, the Lord of the Universe!

Ignite

This weekend I had the amazing opportunity to meet with missions leaders from other Christian colleges in the area for the Ignite Conference at Biola. It was so incredible talking with students with similar passions and hear how God is working on their campuses!

Beyond our Boundaries

Last night was an exciting time to join with other students in exploring my two favorite passions: God's work around the world and how to serve Him with the gifts He's given you.
Emmaus Road, Westmont's Mission Organization, hosted an information panel where members from last summer's teams shared about their experiences. We had about 62 people come for dessert and conversation, and the team members kept the students engaged with entertaining and powerful testimonies!

Let the nations be glad!

This summer, I spent time in both Israel and Japan. Their cultures were incredibly diverse, and it was such an adventure exploring new places and meeting people who came from very different backgrounds! My goal is to go to 6 continents before I'm thirty years old!

Around the world in a day

I am fascinated by other cultures and people from all over the world!
Today, we learned about this resource called: flickr, where you can post and comment on pictures and learn more about the world outside your hometown. What an amazing opportunity this generation has to go beyond their boundaries and expand their global horizons!