Missions Conference

Missions conference offered a refreshing change of pace. The main speaker was Dr. Joseph D'souza (Find more about him here http://www.josephdsouza.com/)who has been advocating for Dalit freedom in India. The Dalit class ('untouchables') are not allowed class mobility, education and are viewed as spiritually inferior according to Hindu religion. We heard about his schools he has started for these children and we watched the documentary "Born Into Brothels". (learn more about this project and see the beautiful pictures taken by the children at http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/)

My favorite thing about missions conference was being able to talk with the missionaries who each had a beautiful story of what God is doing in their life. I got to know two people from World Impact, a urban ministry begun by Keith Phillips in the inner-city LA. One World Impact missionary was a Moody Urban Ministry grad and is now working with inner-city teens and a church plant in the city of Chester Pennsylvania. I was able to have lunch with this woman and just chat about life and the things we get excited about.

Another person who impacted me was Dennis Brice who works with Arab World Ministries. I attended two of his seminars and had lunch with him twice as well. He challenged us less about reaching Arabs specifically he challenged more our world view than anything else. The way he thought was creative, philosophical and passionate. Perhaps a bit abstract and not always linear, but fortunately that's not the way my thoughts work either. He challenged us to stop dichotomizing spiritual from physical, but to see our physical life more holistically, down to the way we eat and party. What saddened him most was the exclusivity of the church, God's community on earth which is intended to be a home for the hurting has become a place of rules for perfect people. He showed us this clip and challenged us to reach out to hurting people, like Tori Amos who is wounded and looking for a home. (Copy this and put it in your bar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0kiKVrxS_Y

Chicago is getting colder, they say it will show pretty soon but in the meantime I am still enjoying running outside along lake Michigan. For those of you praying, please pray for:

- discipline in my studies

- For the friends I am making who are not Christians that I can be intentional living my life genuinely in front of them, with all my passion for Christ and also my weaknesses evident.

- For the friends I am making who are Christians that I can be intentional about these relationships as well, that I can look to encourage and challenge at every opportunity knowing that those following Christ sill carry deep wounds.

- Wisdom and faith as I trust God with my finances. I currently don't have a job since the Mercury Cafe went out of business and I don't think I will have time to work for the rest of the semester. I need faith and good stewardship with what I have right now.