En Construcción- Vida Estudiantil National Conference 2011

In the week leading up to Easter we held our national conference for students.  Many months of planning and praying had gone into the preparation for this week and there were even points when we questioned whether having it would be worth it.  One of the factors the national  leadership considered was availability of staff to help in planning.  Many of the Venezuelan staff have been unable to report to campus because they are in the support raising process.  Of the over 30 staff members, only half would be able to be at the conference.  Another consideration was the number of students who heard about the conference and would be able to attend.  Because of the lower numbers of staff on campus around the country, there are fewer students being reached and so we had to consider whether it would still be worth it despite the lower attendance.

By faith, we moved forward with the planning and promoting knowing that God would make Himself known through the conference and bring everything and everyone together for His glory. He did that and so much more.  I went into the week not knowing what to expect and not feeling very excited about it, but I left feeling refreshed, excited and encouraged.  Since we were short staffed, we were able to delegate responsibilities to students and enable them to lead workshops as well as men's/women's times and worship.  They did a wonderful job with what we asked them to do.  It was all worth it.

It was a wonderful week of connecting with students from our campus as well as students from cities like Maracaibo, Caracas and Merida.  There were a little over 100 students at the conference, which is only half the number of students form last year but I think that God brought the students there that He wanted to be there.  Students I talked with expressed that they appreciated having fewer students there because they were better able to connect with one another and with the staff.  Students were also encouraged and challenged by the main theme, which was "Under Construction-Faith. Hope. Love."  The main speakers gave talks on how God is working in us to build our lives on faith, hope and love.  

Throughout the week it was just so evident to me that God is at work in Venezuela, drawing students closer to Him and making Himself known.  The ministry here is incredible and the people of Venezuela are so grateful, loving and compassionate.  I have so much hope for what God is going to do in this country and in their lives! Thank you so much for your partnership that allows us to be a part of something so amazing!

Students and staff of Vida Estudiantil Venezuela

Lent, and other four letter words

I've participated in Lent before but it was mainly for the sake of doing it.  I couldn't explain why I considered it worthwhile to give something up for 40 days.  My roommates and I talked a lot before Lent started about what we would give up and the purpose.  In past Lent seasons I've prided myself in being disciplined and making it through the season without any setbacks.  I had made it about me-forgetting Jesus and reducing it to an exercise in self-discipline.  This year God began to change my heart and challenged me through those conversations to come back to the heart of it and remember Jesus.  I began praying that God would use this time to draw me closer to Him and show me new things.
After much debate I decided to give up coffee for Lent.  At that point I was still thinking my self-discipline would make this a cinch and that I would just try to remember to pray more.  This was not the case.  I would describe myself as a coffee addict and even recruiter of coffee-lovers.  I love talking about coffee, thinking about coffee and drinking coffee.  Giving up coffee while living in a country with amazing coffee and with girls who drink it everyday is really hard.  My withdrawal symptoms were not that bad.  I was tired more but there were no headaches so I was fortunate.  What was worse is that I never stopped wanting it.  Even the smell of coffee grounds made my heart skip a beat.  It may sound like I'm being dramatic but my roommates can attest to this.
The weird thing with this Lent was that it never got easier.  But for that reason I think it was the best one I've had.  God answered prayers and showed me things I'm so grateful for.  I saw how my desire for coffee was so great and God was asking me how much do you desire Me? Do you see your need for Me?  Do you see that you can't make it through the morning let alone the rest of the day with out Me?  It began a shift in my thinking and and a reordering of my desires.  I saw the never-ending cravings for coffee pointing me back to my soul's craving for more of God.  God created us with eternal souls that need Him to live and can only be satisfied in Him.  On some level we all sense this longing but we struggle to find the depths of it and think it can be satisfied with other things, like a our dream job, travel or anything else, really.  The more I've looked into this, the more I've seen that trying to live off of those things doesn't bring life..and often we spend our lives  trying to get them only to find that it wasn't worth it.  But when we seek our satisfaction and life in God, we find it..and we want more.  My prayer throughout the season changed from, "Lord, help my cravings for coffee to go away," to "Father, help my desire for you to grow and let me not settle for what can't satisfy."
"I wait for the Lord, My soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for
   the morning--
Yes, more than those who watch 
   for the morning."
                            -Psalm 130:5-6
As I sit and write this I've polished off what I've decided is my last cup of coffee indefinitely (I still love coffee but since I've been drinking it again this week I've realized that I'm healthier without it).  It will be hard but as I continue on this journey to knowing God better I hope to find an even greater hunger for my Savior and still more satisfaction.