Renewal Conference

Renewal Conference is WorldVenture's Annual conference for all its missionaries (who can come) and the staff members from headquarters. The President of the mission gives the State of the Mission update, and we get to hear about all kinds of new ideas and great initiatives for reaching more people around the globe. It's very exciting.

But my favorite part by far were the first two days where we spend every minute of every session only in prayer. I'd never been to a Prayer Summit like that before, and I know I thought "What in the world could we spend two whole days praying about?" However, it was amazing! Monday morning was all about just praising and worshiping our cool God. In the afternoon, we broke into two groups - men and women. Tuesday morning was for prayer in small groups, and I got to share a neat time with 4 amazing women I admire. Then in the afternoon, we all came back together again to offer petitions for the various ministries around the world.

in the Europe/Middle East prayer room

I walked away from the week emotionally and mentally drained but spiritually so revived! Funny how that works.

Showing off my niece

This melts my heart! 12 days till I get to meet her:

My Country Tis of Thee ... which one?

The 4th of July always brings with it such mixed feelings. I am extremely grateful to be an American. More than anything, I know what privileges my little eagle-embossed, blue-stitched passport bears outside these borders, not to mention the incredible opportunities and freedoms I've gotten to experience within this country. I've gotten to travel coast to coast and back again in one summer, seeing sights such as roaming elk in Yellowstone, the crack in the Liberty Bell, the view from the top of Space Mountain, and the chance to lie in four states at once. My education is another thing not to be taken for granted. I'm nearly finished with my master's degree - how many people around the world can claim that? How many of them female? And of course, who can forget the American staples such as national security, religious freedom, and apple pie?

However, a part of me feels more homesick than ever on this particular day. And with each passing year it gets harder and harder to pinpoint where I'm homesick for. Austria to be sure, but each trip there reminds more and more that I've moved from resident to visitor status, so it's hard to be HOMEsick for a certain place anymore. Germany and BFA? Not yet. My parents' house? Maybe that gets a little closer, but it still doesn't explain the way I both burst with pride and feel riddled with guilt when I try to sing "My Country Tis of Thee," which has nothing to do with where my parents find themselves at the moment.

The longing to have a home country and, more than anything, to BELONG somewhere is so strong sometimes. Once again, the only place I can find solace for my aching heart is in God's word and the promise of the place he's preparing. I trust that he knows me so well that he's going to make my house in heaven exactly what I need on all levels - spiritual, mental, emotional - and that upon entering it, I'll know for the first time in my life that I'm HOME! It will fit me like a glove and wrap me up in a warm blanket. Until then, I'll gladly cheer the fireworks, mumble as many of the words as I can remember to the Star-Spangled Banner, and stand tall and proudly when I watch the waves roll in on an Oregon shore, but oh how I long for that day of being finally in MY country! The one that ironically truly is of sweet liberty.