May 20th 2007

Greetings friend,

This is a random compilation of the thoughts of Richard following the conclusion of the conference and the silence that precedes the storm of missions. Please forgive me for anything that may be repeated by the others, we had a lot of shared sentiments. Also forgive me for any grievous spelling/grammer errors, I have had about 3 hours of sleep.

On the Conference:

Despite my earlier skepticism, the conference was amazing. It turns out the only thing that the church here is bad at is the posting of information on their website. Everything was well organized from the motivating worship to the inspiring speaking. The worship team was very enthusiastic and the congregation could really get into the singspo. The speakers varied on topics, explaining the various mission opportunities for the 2nd generation Chinese students. Thomas Chan the main speaker kept things relevant and in context, even going as far as to saying that one of the weaknesses we face today is lack of Bible knowledge (go P. Nelly).

On Weather:

It is raining today.....and the day before...etc. so on and so forth. I'm thinking that sunny Paris was propaganda. However the weather couldn't dampen our spirits, we get more chances for fellowship.

On Friendship:

I have met many new people and heard very heart-warming stories. Many of the youth here are recent grads with ideas for a very missions-oriented future. Some of them offered new games, some various views on scripture and Christian living, but all of them offered friendship. It reminded me of the importance of fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters. Nothing seemed to emphasize this more when Kevin left with the Amsterdam team (Pat and Shirley). Despite being only away for a week, I'll still miss you. bro.

On Christian Living:

With the conclusion of the conference and the increasing anxiety as the mission start date approaches, I am striving to keep myself spiritually ready. I like to plan ahead, so this is definitely a test that God designed specifically for my growth. Even with the unknown rapidly approaching, I feel a sense of tranquility. I know God can use in London, if I let him. A theme that came up during the conference was the idea of fitting into God's plan and not forcing God to fit into our plan. The idea is a simple concept but infinitely hard to put into action. This mission trip has been a large step for me in that direction.

Praise the Lord.
-Richard