|
|
I was standing on one of the highest hills on my site this windy
afternoon, looking out over the vast desert, silhouetted by the rugged beauty
of the mountains in the distance, thinking about my life and all the directions
it could take and all the pulls of this life, and how God has been so faithful
in providing for me more abundantly than I could have ever dreamed or asked. Realizing
Christ is my joy and for His purposes that I was created, there really is
nothing else that satisfies… I pondered… now that my heart is ever focused on Christ,
on Eternity, now what?, Now the adventure deepens and becomes more real as each
day it is not a challenge to survive, but a challenge to thrive, fulfill His
life in me, the purposes that I have been called to and the people I see more clearly
to whom I love and serve. It is a time now where I am running in full stride,
the middle of the race, I have reached a runner’s high, must keep going, I
cannot see the start and I cannot see the finish, but I know I must run, run
each day with Purpose in every step…
| | |
| The last day of the conference I met with a friend who was invited to go to Indonesia for two days to see a business executive training conference but opted not to go so she asked me to take her place. We are both interested in seeing if this business development training model will work out where we live.
I and a colleague arrived yesterday and first saw the beautiful gardens at the airport before getting a taxi to the city. The conference is held at a beautiful hotel and is by Equip, a BAM consulting group out of the San Francisco area. They have a great model of coaching and mentoring senior execs of medium-large companies and partner with US/National consultants working with local business clients. It was an amazing day, power packed and fruitful for everyone there. It is a two week training course, so I just get a taste of it. The consultants worked together wonderfully applical sound spiritual principles to related business areas and topics. We then worked on action plans on different areas of the companies that will produce the outcomes desired.
We will be visiting some villages tomorrow and see a school that a like-minded Indonesian has been funding before going to one of his factories. His products and businesses reach over 60million people in Indonesia and surrounding countries. It was great to be able to work with the Equip team today and I am looking forward to tomorrow.
I was talking with God today and he was reminding me about resting in him and praying to him about everything going on with MSENT and that he is the one keeping it going, it has been such a testimony to hear from my office manager how well things have been going even in my absence. Praise God. I still look forward to getting back to Kabul in a few days. | | |
| I finally made it into the computer lab when a computer was free and when it was not a big storm outside! Way to go me! Day 5 Billy Graham wrote an encouraging letter to all of the Young Leaders which was really encouraging for me to see and have. In the first session Johnny Erickson Tata gave an inspiring video message to the group to press on amidst hard circumstances and take the joy and love of the Lord wherever we go. Here are some cool highlights from the day:
> What we have cultivated in times of calm and comfort are pulled out in times of Crisis. After the session we got a volleyball and a big group of us went in the pool and had a great time with 30 people trying to keep the ball in the air for as many hits as we could. We made up a new game and for a while would splash people whenever the ball was dropped. It was hilarious with all of us 23-35yr olds playing like children. It was such a testimony though of the heart of God. Seeing us all together from 6 different continents getting along in unity, enjoying God's creation and friendship with each other. Afterwards we all grouped together and had a short time of prayer, in the pool, for the nations. Day 6 Highlights from the day: > The JOY of the Lord is to be my strength - we often take this for granted but it is truly where our strength and hope comes from rejoicing in the Lord and who he is and what he has done for us. His joy will give us all strength to fulfill what God has called us to. If we don't have it fight and strive to enter into the fullness of Joy God has for you. - Be an example of C-like joy to everyone! - > Our Primary Identity is in C
> It is only love that can minister reconciliation
> Theologeon's must be missiologically focused, and missions must be theologically grounded.
> When man works, man works, when man prays, God works
Met with my small group and discussed some of the things that we have been learning and appreciated in the conference. I shared about the structure and organization of the conference how it was one of the smoothest, tech saavy, and most well run conferences I have ever attended. It is a good example to see when I go back to Afghanistan and continue conferences and events there. It is amazing how people from all over the world can get together so well working so closely for an entire week. I played volleyball and went swimming in the afternoon in the ocean, great to swim back and forth across the bay. I stopped by the sailboats down the bay and found that it was the Malaysian team for the Asian games, so no rentals for me.
After the last session my small group went out for Sate', which is a very tasty asian style barbeque with peanut sauce, it was great to have some fun time with my team.
Day 7 (Morning)
The sunny weather has turned into a mini monsoon with winds, lots of rain, and big waves. I am tempted to go swimming in the ocean this morning because of the big waves, they look great for bodysurfing. Had a great breakfast with a friend name Heather who used to work in Afghanistan, she was kidnapped by the Tlbn and later released a few years ago. She is still longing to go back to the country but she is working elsewhere right now. Today we are all wearing our ethnic clothes and garments and I am wearing my Shalwar Camise from Afghanistan. This morning was an inspiriting message to fulfill the challenge before us. That the Call can be fulfilled in this generation, my generation. I may be going to Indonesia on my way back for two days, my friend I met with was going to go but feels the need to get back to where she works and offered me her ticket. It would be to work with an international business consultants team that we may have come to Afghanistan to work with some of the Afghan business leaders to better develop their skills. | | |
| Day 3 Small Group: We continued with our small group session in the morning taking time for each of my small group team to share their lifeline testimony, this is something that is always valuable in small groups and helps my team to more fully appreciate the background each of us comes from.
Workshop: I attended a workship on Living a Transformed Life: This dealth with Character and emotional strength needed to go with giftings and callings. This was a great session which will be useful throughout life in asking introspective questions as well as helping me to better help my team process the things they go through and make sure they are on the right track all the way to the core of their heart. Regional Connect Time: We connected with other people from our regions and talked about issues we are facing and solutions for the future.
Plenary Session: State of the Gospel, this was an amazing presentation that depicted the state of Missions as is exists today, showing the demographics of the the world, there M's come from, where they go, people groups that still need to hear and much more, it was a great inspiring time. Some facts: 27% of the world unevangelized, and 2.5% of missionaries go to unevangelized places of the world, Mongolia was the top country for mission sending with 1 missionary for every 222 church members. Day 4
We finished up sharing and went to Kuala Lumpur for a visit with our teams. Fun time visiting Chinatown, we had an undercover Pryr walk in a Chinese Temple, then visited some other markes and had white coffee made in Malaysia. Tried to get a Kareoke night going but we all got back late from the city so I came back went swimming then played some serious ping pong with a Moldovan, Bosnian, Russian, and South African.
| | |
| Well my time Sailing in Croatia was wonderful, beautiful, and relaxing and I will write more about that after the leadership conference, I thought sailing was cool, this conference totally takes the cake. Young Leaders Conference 2006 What do you get when you have over 500 young leaders from over 100 different countries who are on fire for God all together in one place for a week? stay posted and find out... Day 1
Yesterday we had some free time before the start of the conference and we toured Kuala Lumpur, after driving a 100km by taxi and two trams to the city we made it! We had an urban adventure where instead of taking taxis or buses to our destinations of interested we hiked across parks, back alleys, through busy highways, and to some of the tallest buildings in the world, All with a GPS that couldn't get a satellite lock because I never stopped long enough to do it.. We had our first big group meeting that night, it was amazing to worship with so many people from so many places the worship band was from all over the world and so was everyone in the room. Such a foretaste of heaven and such a great experience. The conference opened up with a sharing of the vision of Lausanne and the theme of the conference. YLG Purpose:
To develop, inspire, and connect more than 500 younger leaders from over 100 nations to take the whole Gospel, to the whole World, with the whoel Church. Theme:
Live and Lead like J until... Day 2
Got up and met with my small group, my roommate is from Liberia, who is also in my small group, we had a great time sharing about ourselves then we had another session about Servant Leadership and the four aspects of it Concept, Credentials, Conduct, Commitment. The points I will share about that are: Bblcl leadership brings hope, we are called not as judges but as deliverer's, DREAM BIG (we are all often to guilty of dreaming too small!, God has huge and great plans for you!), We are to be a voice not a name.
This afternoon I attended a workshop on Leadership and Management
After that we had a super great time in the pool and the ocean swimming, talking, and having fun. I also met a friend from the Cch in Hungary that I visited last week who is also here at the conference
We had another big group meeting tonight about some distinctive things that Lausanne promotes us as believers to all have: Integrity(Whole Chrch), Vision(Whole World), Cooperation(Expressing Unity).
Great things God has in store... | | |
|
