CHICAGO, IL (February 18, 2010) – Paying attention to how God already is at work among people missionaries are trying to reach was a major focus of two recent events sponsored by the Department of World Mission.
l to r: Jon Foley, Alison Honn, Steph Braman, Sara Wilson, Jamie Sladkey, and Kaitlin Choquette
One high school student, who recently returned from places in Central Asia where Christianity is not openly accepted said, “The Christian efforts there are especially powerful because God has made ways for his word to be heard, even though there are tons of efforts to stop it.”
The student was one of six from across the United States who traveled to two countries on a trip led by Kim Crawford, mission mobilization and connection assistant for the department.
“This trip was different than many mission trips in that there was not a project to complete or VBS to lead,” says Crawford. “It was much more about going to see how God is at work.”
One of the stops was to the Mekong Valley Food Project. Students and adults attending CHIC 2009 raised more than $109,000 for ministries in Thailand, including the food project.
Students participating in the trip included Steph Braman, Cape Cod Covenant Church of Brewster, Massachusetts; Jon Foley, Deerbrook Covenant Church of Lees’ Summit, Missouri; Jamie Sladkey, Naperville Covenant Church of Naperville, Illinois; Kaitlin Choquette, Evangelical Covenant Church of Sloan, Iowa; Sara Wilson, Lakebay Community Church of Lakebay, Washington; and Alison Honn, Valley Covenant of Eugene, Oregon.
The students visit the Mekong Valley Food Mill with Peter Dutton, right, Covenant missionary.
A missionary to East Asia told attendees to the Covenant World Mission Conference “Mind the Gap” that “there is an amazing movement of God throughout East Asia that cannot be quantified or denied. The Holy Spirit is drawing people to Jesus, empowering people to stand in the face of persecution to help others know truth.”
The conference was held January 23-24 at the Sheraton Denver Hotel. In addition to the missionary from East Asia, presenters included Jim Gustafson, Evangelical Covenant Church missionary to Thailand with the Sustainable Development Research Foundation; Sunil Sardar, leader of Truthseekers International in India; Beatriz Arguello de Bunch, lawyer and leader in the Colombia Covenant Church; and a church-planting pastor/seminary teacher from East Asia.
Sardar encouraged participants to consider stories of the people they hope to reach and be alert to how God already is moving in their midst. The gospel connects in places that may surprise us, he said.
See photos from the conference below.
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