Jesus to the Nations

When I woke up today, I just assumed it would be a pretty normal day. There was no way I could have predicted the events that occurred. I woke up late, did my methodical morning stuff like make coffee and read the Bible and some other cool books, and attempted to do some school work. I then became distracted, and decided to go to campus to see Clubs and Societies Day. Probably if you go to university your school has something similar. All the clubs had displays in the student centre and they were trying to recruit everyone. I had an interesting time perusing all these booths and I was pressured into joining the Ski and Snowboard Club, but they have free t-shirts so it probably was a good decision after all, despite the fact that I am about 100 percent sure I will not be making it to the slopes this winter. As I browsed these booths I became hungry, which made sense because it was lunchtime. As fate would have it, I was in the student centre, so I had a number of options to choose from, including Subway, which was my eventual choice.

Little did I know that when I sat down to eat that delicious chicken sub, my life would change forever. For as I took off my jacket I felt something catch on the inside of the jacket. When I laid the jacket over the back of the chair, a white object dropped from the sleeve. I could not believe it. It was my Jesus to the Nations bracelet. It had snapped.

That rubber wristband is from the 2012 conference, or perhaps the 2011 one. To be honest, I cannot quite remember. In fact, I have been wearing it pretty much constantly since I received it. And today it fell off. My wrist feels naked.

OK, so I am over-dramatizing this. But honestly, for nearly three years I have left it on because a) I want to remember all the things I have learned at the Jesus to the Nations conference over the years and b) I want to be reminded every day of my true mission in life- to bring Jesus to the nations.

For those of you who do not know, Jesus to the Nations is a conference that happens every year in Halifax. It is a conference about Christian missions and it is completely free. There are speakers, workshops, and missions displays. And I have been there every year for perhaps the last 15 years. I have heard inspiring leaders like Jackie Pullinger, Lorne Cunningham, Brother Andrew, Libby Little, George Verwer and KP Yohannan. I have been challenged to serve God and to surrender my life to Him. My heart has broken for the millions who don't know Jesus' name, or who live in poverty, or who don't have the Bible in their language. I have received practical advice on how to live out my faith.

Every year, I love to go to Jesus to the Nations because it is a reminder of how global God's Kingdom really is. It is just human nature to be so caught up in our own lives and what is going on here. I spend way more time praying for stuff like for me to get good marks than for stuff like for God to help child sex slaves in Cambodia or for people in Cameroon to be able to read the Bible in their own language. So it is extremely helpful to go to an event like Jesus to the Nations and open my mind and spirit to remember how BIG God's Kingdom is. He is not only at work in Truro or Wolfville or Waterloo, he is also at work in the city in Ecuador or a little village in India. Hearing God-stories from all over the world is also such a faith-builder. It reminds us of God's incredible power. The God we serve is so mighty.

So when I looked at my Jesus to the Nations wristband, those were the things I remembered. It is a reminder to my commitment to God, to serve Him wherever I go. I have worn that wristband to Africa and back (twice), and all over North America, and it is exciting to think of where God will take me next.

Meanwhile, I am on track to finish my Master's program which will presumably be the start of a decent career here in Canada. I am not sure if I will stay in Canada long-term-- I think I am not quite done with overseas missions. But for now, God is calling me here. And what I have learned, and am still learning, is that missions is not just where you go. Missions is a lifestyle.

Missions is a lifestyle, no matter where you live.
Missions is being generous with time and money.
Missions is praying for God to glorify Himself in the world (and especially through you)
Missions is treating each person like they are God's precious child (even if they are a homeless person and make you kind of uncomfortable, or that annoying guy in your building).
Missions is being perceptive to what the Holy Spirit is doing around you.
Missions is taking risks to bring people into God's Kingdom.

OK, now that my wristband is gone, I am going to need you guys to remind me every day of this. But seriously. I have been so convicted of this lately- this idea that I need to be using the gifts God's given me here, for his Kingdom. The idea that in every single one of my relationships here is a missions field, whether it is with professors, students, housemates or friends. Maybe someday God will call me to some frontier. But for now, this is my frontier, wind chill and all.

My year in Bible verses

As another calendar year has just come to a close, the time comes to reflect on the past year. I would like to do this using Bible passages that have been meaningful to me throughout the year.
Habakkuk 3:14, NRSV
Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold,
and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.

I read this at the beginning of the year and it has been a comfort throughout 2014. I had always known that God's goodness is not dependent on circumstances, but this year I was able to experience that fully. God has been good during a less-than-perfect job, unexpected illness, untimely death, and the struggle of transitions. And though it may not seem like there is much to rejoice, I can exult in the God of my salvation.

Township of Woolwich, Ontario

2 Peter 3:9, NIV
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

This verse is about God's promise that he will return. For me this year, it was a reminder to be patient. To speak with candor, at this point in my life I feel like I am in an awkward in-between phase between being a carefree undergraduate and being a bona fide adult with a career and a marriage and kids. But God is teaching me to be patient, and to embrace this transitional time in life. He is not slow in keeping ANY of his promises.

University of Waterloo

The first half of the book of Mark

I spent a week studying this with a group of students.
Here are some of my thoughts from that week:
There is something coming up in our study of Mark-- this pattern of God allowing people to get into these desperate situations, and then showing his glory. Like Jesus asleep in the stern during a storm. Like allowing Jairus' daughter to die and for the parents to go through that anguish before raising her. Why? Is it because God wants us to experience the desperation we would feel is we were not dependent upon him? I guess I mean, in order to experience what we no longer have to face? Would we be less thankful if we were less desperate to begin with? 

I am still struggling with this one.

Desperate people at MarkEast 2014

Isaiah 43:19, NIV
 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

Somebody read this verse during my trip to Cameroon in March. That trip was a huge paradigm-shifter for me, as this verse indicates. God is doing a new thing in the Bible translation movement, and I learned about it during my time in Cameroon. Bible translation no longer needs to be done by white, Western missionaries-- the chief purpose of these missionaries should be empowering nationals to do this work themselves. And in places like Cameroon, people in in the many language groups of the country are engaging in Bible translation and literacy, and God is doing amazing things. He is doing a new thing. This year, I learned to watch out for new things God is doing.

God speaks Aghem (language of Northern Cameroon)

Also, Cameroon is beautiful

Habakkuk 1:5
 The Lord replied,

“Look around at the nations;
    look and be amazed!
For I am doing something in your own day,
    something you wouldn’t believe
    even if someone told you about it.

And so, this is the verse I hold onto as 2015 begins. Somehow I managed to find verses in obscure Habakkuk for two consecutive New Years. God is doing something we wouldn't believe, even if someone told you about it! If at the beginning of 2014 I knew I would get to see two friends get baptized (and joyfully hear about two more), friends healed of sickness, my brother (and a bunch of other friends) get engaged, and my family/church family keeping faith despite unforeseen difficulties, I would not have believed it. That makes me hopeful for 2015. I wonder what God is doing this year? I wonder what I will look back on at the end of the year and say, "Who woulda' thunk?" 

Here's some artwork my super talented sister did. Please don't use it without giving credit :)

 Thanks for reading, friends. Maybe I met you this year- for that I am thankful, too. What a year! I am hopeful for 2015.