So, I just wanted to reach out to you all and thank you very much for your prayers and support. This is an important time of preparation for the trip, and the spring semester is getting underway. However, the Lord opened the door to travel during Christmas Break, and I wanted to update you all on what took place then. There were both good moments and challenging moments as well; but overall it was great to visit family then and continue to update them about the World Race. When I look back on Christmas Break, it was a nice time of renewal and rest before this year got underway. When I was not travelling, I worked at a local ski mountain and caught up with friends from the Grandfather Mtn / Boone NC area. Sometimes we just rested as a family and spent the evenings together talking about what took place over 2019. It is crazy to think about what the Lord did over 2019; but as I look back on it, I am thankful for what did take place throughout last year. In addition, since I also do not visit my family’s church as often when I’m at college, it was great to catch up with them as well…
For Christmas, my family and I visited Florida; where my grandparents live. We spent a good chunk of time there, yet I really continued to miss my grandmother (who passed away in early 2019). The house is just not the same without her; yet it was a blessing to be able to visit Papa and be able to catch up from the year. Meanwhile, it was terrific to catch up with relatives and be able to talk about the Good News of Jesus together as a family. It was an overall relaxing trip spent with family, and we celebrated Christmas Eve in Ormond Beach. We went to a terrific church service and got to worship the Lord together as a family; then we celebrated Christmas the day after. Even though my family is scattered throughout the country, it is a blessing to be able to gather together multiple times a year and be tight-knit.
Near the New Year, I flew out to Texas to attend a conference that is put on by the Christians United For Israel (CUFI) group. This is a pro-Israel Christian organization that has a chapter on my campus; but this was the first time that I was at one of their conferences. As Christians gathered from different parts of the country and even Canada to discuss Israel and peace / stability in the Middle East, we were filled with the Spirit. I remember gathering together the first night to pray over the Conference and the Unreached People Groups of the world, and many of us passionately seeked Him. As the Conference continued; we made more friendships and prayed over each other and our respective cities that we came from. It is truly an encouraging time to see Christians from all over the country who are passionate about the serving the Lord- and in this case- called to advocate for the Jewish people. Some of them I plan to keep in touch about the World Race and pray over each other.
The second half of the trip was spent visiting family who live near San Antonio, TX. It was fantastic to be able to catch up with them, and we spent the next few days going to different parts of Texas. They moved to Texas Hill Country about two years ago, and we enjoyed exploring that part of Texas. Some of the sights, including Enchanted Rock, are amazing. Meanwhile, the Lord opened the door to further Gospel conversations with my cousins, which was a blessing. Please continue to pray for the Lord to prepare the hearts of my relatives throughout the country and that they can open up to these conversations. Meanwhile, it was also nice to be able to encourage this family who are getting established in a new church in TX as well. Another notable highlight was being able to watch Sheep Among Wolves (volumes I and II) that talked about the Gospel movements in the Middle East and the explosive church growth in Iran despite tremendous amounts of persecution. The title comes from Matthew 10:16 as Jesus tells his disciples about the challenges ahead as they are sent out.
As the semester started, Lenoir Rhyne University took a trip to the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM 2020) in Colorado. This conference is held each year in a different city, and we travelled out to Denver for six days. While we were there, we listened to math based research talks, toured the exhibit hall to network with companies who are hiring, and got to view the undergraduate student poster session. This was all terrific stuff to see as those who went on this trip are studying math in some way (I am minoring in Math). As I look in hindsight on the conference though, I look back fondly on the people that God brought into my life there. There were a number of friends that I was able to reunite with and have Gospel conversations with while out there. Meanwhile, there were ample opportunities to meet new people; including at the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (ACMS) dinner that took place during the conference. At the dinner, we lifted up our time in prayer and saw how math can be used to further the Gospel in the US.
If I was asked as to what the most pivotal moment of the Conference was for me, it was going to the grad school fair that took place during Friday (1-17-19) morning. During the two hours that it was open, over ~thirty graduate schools participated in the event recruiting math-minded students into their programs. What really made this event stand out was the sheer diversity of the schools and the different programs that were offered from across the country. There was a group recruiting students for cancer research, a university in Montana that has a strong engineering / Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program, schools from New England recruiting for math, and many other options. As I walked away from that room, I knew that I would have a lot of discernment to do for the future. Even though I am definitely going on the Race this year (unless God has very different plans), things just got much more interesting with regards to the long-term future. At this point, I do not have it all figured out. I am going into the end of my undergrad career and this mission trip with an open mind, and I am continuing to pray that the Lord will guide me with regards to future plans. Nevertheless, it was very eye-opening to engage these schools, and I plan to go through their information over the next couple weeks.
Those were the places that I ultimately visited while out for Christmas Break and as the semester began. Each area brought new chances to talk about the Gospel, visit family / friends, and be opened up to the many different opportunities that exist. Now, the semester has started, and I hope to continue processing what took place and prayerfully discern what will come to pass. Yet I also hope to continue to be intentional and decisive as I seek out opportunities that God gives me during this last few months of college. The World Race will be a big time of reflection and looking forward as I evaluate all that took place over these four years and seek the Lord’s will as to what it will come next. To be honest, I do not want nor seek to worry myself about the future; but given what took place over these weeks, I will continue to lift all of this up in prayer. I will also continue to lift up my family and relatives throughout this time as well as the trip preparations that are getting underway. Thank you again for your prayers and support for this trip; especially as the fundraising and mobilization gets underway. Please continue to pray for the semester as I seek to outreach to people on campus, build relationships, and make a Kingdom impact at Lenoir-Rhyne before I graduate in May. I look forward to keeping in touch throughout the semester and over the summer as well…
Proverbs 3:6-8: “In all ways, submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (NIV)
Thanks for reading, and I plan to post in a couple weeks!
#1: World Map on full display at Tomoka Church where we celebrated Christmas Eve.
#2: View from Denver, Colorado toward the Rocky Mountains from our hotel.
#3: Joint Math Meetings Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for opening of exhibit hall.
#4: CUFI conference delegates in San Antonio, Texas.
#5: Family outing to Guadalupe River State Park near Bulverde, TX.
#6: Enchanted Rock Natural Area north of Fredericksburg, TX (very beautiful).
#7: Ormond Beach, FL in December as Christmas approaches.
