Urbana 2006: Live a life Worthy of the Calling

There's no way I can write about all that God did and put on students' hearts during our time at Urbana 06. But I will share a few stories and a couple of things that I learned.

Halfway through the conference, one Tech student named Tim, a senior graduating in May, and I got to talk about what we were learning. During one of his lunch breaks, he ran into a homeless man in downtown St. Louis and took him to get lunch. As they were telling their stories, Tim started to see how the vicious cycle of poverty. This man could not get a job due to a couple of felonies, and because he cannot get hired, he is always tempted to resort to drugs, which leads to more felonies. Tim is starting to wonder if God can use his desire to eventually manage his own business to mercifully extend jobs to people like this man; people who are cannot break out of this cycle without the intervention of Christ. Afterall, one of the Urbana seminar speakers did remind us that Jesus himself was homeless for a couple of years.

I was able to accompany another senior named Jim as looked for employment after his May graduation. There were over 200 missions agencies at Urbana, and we talked to a handful, such as Food for the Hungry. Urbana helped Jim hear God's calling to use his computer science skills to serve cross culturally after he graduates.

Here are a few highlights from the notes I took:

Pastor Oscar Miriu oversees a dozen churches in Nairobi, Kenya. I got to visit and worship at few while I was there in July. He delivered a very powerful talk that is helping me develop my view of missions (I HIGHLY encourage you to watch it).

Some memorable quotes from his talk:
"The US is the 3rd largest pagan nation in the world, behind India and China"

"For every missionary that you send out, you need to bring one back."

"The world still needs Western missionaries - the goal is not independence but interdependence"

Pastor Oscar spoke with authority, but he also graciously explained that the West is no longer the world's center for missions. China and Africa plant more churches per captia than the US, S. Korea will soon pass the US in the number of missionaries it sends out, and the US receives more missionaries than any other country. HOWEVER, he still encouraged us and reminded us that we still have a contribution to make to missions - because the goal is not to be independent, but to recognize our interdependence. We all must give and receive with humility as one body in Christ.

Concerning the AIDS crisis:
An African priest and brother explained that we live in a chairos moment - a moment of judgment that reveals the best in some and the worst in others. God has used such a crises in the past (ex. hospitals were created as a result of the plague in Europe).

Our first step is to forget about a quick fix and to lament and mourn and receive God's compassion for his children with AIDS.

Other quotes from Urbana:
"Ninety percent of volunteering is done within the church (serving itself)"... ouch. [www.christianvolunteering.org]

"God loves cities! City is mentioned 1250 times in Scripture and there are over 140 cities mentioned." (For more, watch Ray Bakke's talk on urban ministry)

The Kingdom of Heaven and Great Hospitality

Jesus talked about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven frequently in the gospels. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray “may your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This semester, we’ve been focusing on what Scripture says about this kingdom. One speaker pointed out that the kingdom is a multi-ethnic community comprised of people from every tribe and nation, and challenged our fellowship to pursue this on campus. Another speaker spoke powerfully on forgiveness, reminding us that the kingdom means forgiving and being reconciled with one another just as God the Father removes our sin and forgives us. My roommate and ministry partner, Rob, reflected on our recent experience in East Africa and compared the kingdom of heaven to a Kenyan wedding - there’s always room for one more. He talked about God’s hospitality and invited students to share about a time when they were shown real hospitality. One freshman named Sherrin got up and shared about how an older student named Tiffany really welcomed her on campus and into our fellowship. It was obvious that Tiffany’s intentional hospitality was greatly appreciated by Sherrin, who was just recently baptized. It has been a joy to see these students provide a welcoming community for new students like Sherrin to grow in their faith and discipleship to Jesus.


Stephanie (in the white hat) poses with girls in her Small Group that she co-leads in Slusher Tower. Having a presence in Slusher again has been a big answer to prayer.





Fellow sojourners and I rest at our destination during a hike on Fall Retreat. The excursion to a nearby waterfall made for great free time recreation.






Turducken anyone? The Pritchard Small Group prepared this turkey-duck-chicken combination for a huge potluck dinner that we threw on Nov 10. The dinner was a great opportunity for members of the fellowship to share with their friends and hallmates in community. Between the main course and dessert, Chapter President Brian Johnson preached on how the kingdom of God means more than just going to heaven after we die, but that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.


Freshmen know how to get it done, going all out for Orange Effect 2006.










Frank Beamer met up with fellowship members at a local restaurant to discuss plans for the next game. After much pleading and begging, the students gave in and let Beamer take a picture with them.

Mission Trip?...Not Really

Robert Howe and I just got back from spending two weeks in Nairobi, Kenya. Most Westerners go to Africa for two reasons: safaris and mission trips. Both have value. Much of Kenya’s economy is based on tourism, so it is important that visitors come to take in the majestic landscapes and its wild animals. However, our trip didn’t really fit in to either of those categories, and I had a hard time trying to figure out why exactly I was going. We were going to spend time with a pastor in Nairobi that Robert knew from Chapel Hill Bible Church. Basically, I was spending a lot of money to visit a continent where I didn’t know anyone without making plans to do anything. What on earth (or in Africa) am I doing?
Fortunately, an article by the name of Experiencing Life at the Margins in the July edition of Christianity Today helped affirmed the reasons we were going. It could not have been more appropriately timed. In the article, Rt. Rev. David Zac Niringiye, an assistant bishop in the Church of Uganda, tells North American Christians the most helpful gospel-thing they can do. Here are some of his words: “One of the gravest threats to the North American church is the deception of power – the deception of being at the center.” “Come and be with us, with no agenda other than to be with us.” “Africa’s crisis is not poverty; it is not AIDS. Africa’s crisis is confidence. What decades of colonialism and missionary enterprise eroded among us is confidence.”
While in Kenya, I found these words to be very true. For so long, the American church has considered itself to be at the center of power, feeling that the whole world needs what we have to offer. While this experience helped me to see the gifts that we do have, it also helped assure me that we have much to learn from other Christians around the world. For two weeks, Rob and I followed an agenda that Pastor Kyama developed for us. The schedule included attending meetings of students, pastors, and young adults, visiting clinics around the city, and generally talking with people. At first it was hard, as I wanted to find my worth in coming to serve somewhere, such as with an AIDS ministry. Eventually, I realized that my ministry was just being there and enjoying the wonderful people of Nairobi.
I am impressed with the partnership that Chapel Hill Bible Church has with Nairobi Chapel, Pastor Kyama’s mother church. It is a true partnership, where no church is superior. Nairobi Chapel also partners with at least 4 other American churches. They have much to offer, especially considering their vision to plant 300 churches by 2020. I hope more American churches establish partnerships like this one with international churches to help us realize to a deeper extent the unity that we have in Jesus Christ.

A New Season in the Burg

Is June really here? A month ago, all the students were anxiously finishing projects and studying hard for finals. I spent May 6-19 at Rockbridge for two weeks of intense student ministry, and came back to an empty Blacksburg. A lot of things change when you are at camp for two weeks. I really enjoyed spending time with Tech students at Rockbridge. It was a great week of saying goodbye to recent graduates, getting to know the newer students better, and watching new Small Group Leaders grow in confidence by leading their first Bible study. While this summer features some time to rest, I still have my hands full. I just started reading for my first seminary class: Systematic Theology. I am very hungry to learn, as I haven't taken a class in two and a half years. The class will actually be a week long course at the end of June. After class, Rob and I will be heading to Nairobi, Kenya for two weeks. We will be visiting Rob's friends, taking in the culture, and learning what the church is like in Kenya. It will also give me a chance to practice speaking Swahili, a new language I've been learning since November. Here are a few pictures from the end of the year:



The Class of 2006 poses for one final picture together. This was taken at our annual Senior Dessert in April. I had a blast listening to them share about their years with InterVarsity at Virginia Tech. God is sending these guys are all over the place, such as the engineering field, the business world, grad school, Africa, and the golf course (Go Aaron). A big thanks goes to Jeff and Kat Werner for being awesome hosts for the afternoon.


As a Tech IV student, many fond memories are made at Rockbridge, our summer leadership camp during the middle of May. The chapter gathers for a picture after a week of receiving quality training, having fun, and worshipping with fellow IVers from Virginia and North and South Carolina.


Don't you feel better knowing that we are leading the ministry? Lindsey Jones will be the newest member of "Team Blacksburg". An alum of NC State, she just finished her year long internship with IV at UNC Asheville. Lindsey will be at VT part time and at Radford part time. Rob and I are donning some great mustaches as part of a joke that we did with some of the guys in the chapter.



Some of the 2006-07 Small Group Leaders got together for this pic. Next fall, they are going to be a missional community, as most of them are leading a Bible study in the dorm where they will be living.


Right after I got back from Rockbridge, I saw this duck fly in and land in my yard. A week later, we spotted her beside my house, happily incubating 10 eggs. We haven't named our new pet yet, but we are open for suggestions.

March Madness

In the newly adopted Virginia Tech Principles of Community, one statement says, “We affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the university. We acknowledge and respect our differences while affirming our common humanity.” As a chapter, we decided to carry this out during Spring Break. While many students went south for the sun and to help out in the Gulf Coast, 36 Tech students and I felt called to experience the joys and pains of New York City. We were called out of our comfort zones as our group, a mixture of white and Asian students, stayed in a neighborhood where the residents were black and Latino. God used this time to breakdown a lot of stereotypes that students had about the city, and particularly, the inner city. We were divided up into six groups and were scattered all over the city (Lower East Side Manhattan, Harlem, Upper East, Bronx). Our days were full of activity, from serving dinners at a homeless shelter to helping with after school programs in the poorest district of the country. Here is what one student had to say about her experience:
“One of the many ways in which I was blessed, was to spend a week with brothers and sisters of different races and ethnicities, giving me a broader sense of who God is, and what His kingdom is like. Through walking the streets of the Bronx, serving food to the homeless in the lower east side, and helping to run a homeless shelter in the basement of a church, I was shown a mere glimpse of the brokenness that is present in our world.  Back in the Bronx we talked a great deal about the brokenness in our world between people, people and God, people and our earth, people and life/death, and brokenness within the individual.  This brokenness, created at the fall of man in Eden will one day be restored by God.  He longs to restore this earth, and bring Shalom to this hurting world.  One of the greatest things I learned this week was that my heart is far from the heart God has for the poor and oppressed.  I need to be broken for the hurting, and desire to change the injustice.  This world does not represent the Shalom that God desires.  By turning my head the other way, ignoring the homeless person asking me for money, I am in no way showing him/her a glimpse of God's love.  Omission is just as much an act of apathy as a snide remark.  I learned that I need to fully embrace those who are different from me and not erase who they are and the culture they represent.” 

Here are few excerpts from my journal:
Sunday, March 5th - ...While we were waiting at the subway station for everyone to regroup, I started talking to a man named Al. Al was on crutches and his foot was in a cast. I asked him how this happened. He questioned my sincerity. Then he told me that he tripped and landed on his head in the middle of the night. He couldn't find work because of his foot, and thus, was forced to sit on the streets and ask for money. He never asked my for money. He just wanted to talk. He even asked if I had a place to stay for the night. I hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks and was looking a little unkempt. Al told me that I could fit with the city. I took that as a compliment...
Tuesday, March 7th....That afternoon, we met Jack Roberts at Hope Christian Center. Jack is one of those people that you only meet every once and a while. He's been doing ministry in the Bronx for over 30 years. He owns a house where 20 me live. These men come off the street, and they also come to get help for addictive behaviors. The atmosphere was very peaceful. Jack was busy, but he gave us an hour of conversation. He told us about his 13 children, half were his own, half were adopted. He thinks that the real homeless people are the orphans....
Wednesday, March 8th...Brandon and I had the privilege of eating dinner at the Bowery Mission with Hubert and listening to his story. Originally from Bogota, Columbia, he felt that he had to leave. The streets were dangerous. Drugs were everywhere. People were geting gunned down for no reason. Kids were killing kids. He saved up enough money to fly to Miami where he had relatives. Not long after that, he suffered from overwhelming heartbreak, as he left his girlfriend of four years back in Columbia. This led to depression which led to drug use. Tension in his family caused him to move to Buffalo, NY, where he got involved in a really bad relationship. Then, he fled to NYC where he got involved with drugs again. After four months on the street, he came to the Bowery where he vowed that he was through with drugs and wanted to live for Jesus. You could tell he was serious...


Students working with the Bowery Mission jump in the back of truck to go serve soup to people in the park.






A group shot of everyone that went on the project outside of the building that we stayed in during the week.






This group helped tutor kids by teaming up with the Bronx Connect.





Students share the day's experiences with each other over dinner.





East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx at sunset. This is the block where he stayed.






Our president, Brian Johnson, beside a moving subway train. I just thought this picture looked cool. The subway was our most common mode of transportation.

Daniel and Intoxication

Over the last two weekends, students came together from all over the place. The first weekend conference was at Young Life's Rockbridge Camp, which has become to be known as a small paradise among Tech students. Schools from all over western Virginia sent students to Winter Conference 2006, where we studied the life of Daniel. The main speaker challenged our world view to recognize that we are in exile here on Earth just as Daniel was in exile in Babylon. We are longing to go home, and our only hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Daniel and friends changed the world by staying faithful to God in a pagan culture, and we were challenged to do the same on our campuses. Conference number 2 was a sligthly different atmosphere. Imagine 200+ fraternity and sorority students from VA, NC, SC, Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Delaware coming to the same hotel for a weekend. But imagine them coming together to worship God, grow in their faith, and learn to share the gospel to their brothers and sisters in their houses. That was the atmosphere at Intoxicating: Greek Conference 2006. The main speaker talked about how a life with Jesus was intoxicating, full of exhiliration and excitement. I helped out by leading a small group of students in the basics of following Christ: how to study the Bible, how to spend time with God, how to pray. It was a great weekend to witness how God is renewing the fraternities and sororities that have been labeled as hopeless in the past.


Tech students during a small group discussion time at Winter Conference 2006.

It snowed the entire time that we were there, but that didn't prevent the annual football game during free time.


Tech students (Ana, Stevie, and Kira) and I get a picture at Greek Conference 2006. We were the first Hokies ever to venture to this annual conference in Charlotte, NC.

Bring on the Spring

After a great Christmas at Virginia Beach with my family, it's time to get back in the swing of the things here at Tech. The students started their spring semester this week, and the new Vision Team arrived a few days early to go on a retreat. Last weekend, the new Vision Team and I met to get to know each other more, pray for the campus and chapter, and seek the Lord about His plans for Virginia Tech. While waiting for one student to arrive, we introduced each other (Radford's team was with us) and then continued to wait awkwardly for the final member. Then, the best thing that could have happened happened. All the power went out. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I always loved it when the lights went out during a storm. We gathered all of our flashlights, and our new chapter president impressed us by starting a fire with some empty Kroger bags. We had a great time in community, sharing meals together, praying the psalms, planning for the semester, and playing a few games (i.e. an intense game of Signs; Full Contact Spoons) One of the highlights of the weekend was discussing and deciding to implement a long term strategy in which we can intensively focus on all our of Core Commitments over the course of four years. I will inform you more about that in detail later.

Here are few pictures from the break:


Christmas with my family.



Relaxing during the break with a cowboy hat and dog slippers.



A Tech student and Radford student get caught cheating by the "Game Warden" during a game of Spoons at Vision Team Retreat.



Introducing the 2006 Virginia Tech Vision Team



If we were a band, this would be our album cover.