Long time no post

I apologize for the fact that my last post was at the beginning of May! A lot of things have happened since then (most notably, my trip to China), so allow me to briefly play catch up:

I traveled to China during the mid-late portion of May. Here is an excerpt from a newsletter I recently sent out, as I feel it is the best summary of my trip:

Last month, I had the privilege of leading a group of students from the Wesley Foundation to China. As I reflect back on the many months my fellow leaders and I spent planning for our two week trip, I have to say that it was far more enriching and Spirit-filled than we could have imagined. Our student leaders showed flexibility and determination in situation that we faced, and they walked in an authority that could only be the result of God moving in powerful ways both through us and our fellow believers.

As visitors, we experienced Chinese hospitality: we ate well, slept well, saw many classic tourist spots such as the Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, and the Forbidden City. However, the best experience we had by far was the opportunity to edify and encourage a very special group of young Chinese believers, the men and women featured in the photo to the left. Their ages ranged from seventeen to twenty-nine, and they came from completely different walks of life. Nevertheless, they all have one thing in common: their dedication to making Christ known in every tribe, every tongue, every nation. Many desire to proclaim the gospel to Muslim minority groups in China, many of whom are completely unreached; others want to travel to foreign countries and follow God wherever He leads them. We ate together, had fun together (as we are in the picture I included), studied the Word, worshiped and prayed. It was wonderful to see the Father working in each of them and to witness the confidence with which they left the comfort of their hometowns, well-paying jobs, and families and friends, to follow His will for their lives.

In front of the entrance to the Forbidden City!

Our team on the Great Wall

Now that I am back from China, I am working at a wonderful school supply store here in Athens, and I cannot wait to start back at Wesley on August 1st. I am so blessed to be able to work both jobs in the fall, and I am excited to see what is in store for Wesley and for ISM next year!