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May Prayer Requests

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• This past year, I've been "coaching" various STINT teams in ways to use digital strategies in their campus ministry. Please pray for wisdom and smooth transition as their intern year comes to and end in June. Please pray also for them as they figure out next steps - reSTINTing, joining Staff with Campus Crusade or joining the corporate world.
  
  
• Along the same subject of STINT partnerships, I've been invited to attend the 2014-2015 STINT leaders conference this July in Denver. I will be casting vision to the team leaders of what the Jesus Film - STINT partnerships look like. (I've learned quite a bit this last year, and I'm excited for this coming year!). My hope is that they can strategically connect me with the STINTer who fits this role, at the August STINT Briefing in Chicago.
  
• Another global-perspective prayer request is for the ministry strategy being developed for the Brazil World Cup. These past several months, my team and I have put lots of time and thought into how to equip and train national staff as well as other ministries, in how to incorporate the Jesus Film Media app in ministry. We've also had a lot of changes in plans - we are tentatively scheduled to go to Brazil May 24th - May 30th. Yes, I realize that's next week! Please pray for all the final details to be worked out quickly! 

Thank you for your prayers!

How to rest... or at least learning how to....

As many of you may know, the last several months have been extreamly busy for me. In the last six months, - not including whatever a "normal" life looks like here in Orlando -
I noted some facts:

• 6 countries and currencies
• 7 work related trips
• 34 flights

Needless to say, I'm tired. Probably more than I'm "letting" myself be. 

There are several verses in the Bible, telling us "Jesus withdrew to pray"... (Mark 1:35, Mark 6:45-46, Luke 5:16, and a few others). I'm sure this was restful for Him and His soul - getting away to be at the feet of His Father.

In the next couple weeks, I'd like to take a personal retreat, like Jesus, and get some much needed rest in. Reading, exercising, cooking, crafting, singing, maybe getting away from electronics for a weekend.... So, if any of you have ideas on what "rest" looks like - please feel free to share! I like to be an active learner :) 

Prayers for alertness and sleep.

The hours of 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm (2:00am - 8:00am EST) are probably the hardest to stay awake here. Reversely, between 2:00 am - 8:00 am (2:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST) is difficult to fall asleep.

I've got one more full day and half a night (we leave for the airport around 5:30am Sunday (5:30 pm Saturday EST). Tomorrow is our project action planning day. Please pray for clear thinking and creativity!

An Octopus card and pig's ears

This is all I brought with space to spare - and the red suitcase basically only has a pillow in it!

After arriving in the Hong Kong airport late Wednesday night - which was so lively at 11:30pm! - I made my way to the hotel shuttle desk. However, it had made its final run for the night. My other options were to take a taxi alone, or take the train/metro. I opted for the latter option.

After confirming directions with the hotel service man and making sure that it was safe, I bought my ticket (an Octopus card - their rail-transportation card), and made my way to the tram. Thankfully, after living in France for a year, I could figure out fairly easily the metro system.

Figuring out the Hong Kong metro...

 While waiting for the train, I heard a few people speaking English, and strategically stood near them. As we got on the train, I asked where they were from - MICHIGAN! The girl my age was teaching on the "main-land" as they call China, and her mom and uncle were visiting! I stuck with them till we reached the metro. It was about 12:30am at this point... and I'll admit, I was a little nervous traveling solo. (Don't worry mom, I was being extra cautious!) After figuring out where my next line was, I was on my way - a long way - toward the line, "Island Blue". I liked the name.

While hoping I would exit out of the right spot, I turned the corner to outside and saw the hotel less than one block. Phew!

After paying $130HK (about $18 USD) for 24 hours of wifi, (about the only thing that made me want to cry), I made to my boom by 1:30am. At this point, I had been traveling for 28 hours and couldn't wait to sleep. I think it was 3:00 am by the time I actually did though....

Okay, that was a lot longer than I had planned on writing about the actually "getting to the hotel" part of my trip...

Today's meeting was inspiring - "We are artists, created in the image of the Creator." "As Christians, we shouldn't push an agenda, but artistically tell a story that draws people in." "What inspires you?" This lead to discussion of strategy, film, writing, and design followed by the group connect projects - the thing I'm helping lead by His grace.

Day 1 of the conference - 12 countries, 25 companies, and 110 people represented!

 We (our group of 20) met for about two hours, discussing possibilties to solve this problem: "Christians do a great job of creating content, tools and websites for ministry - but do not do a great job of distributing it. How can we help fix this? The group came up with a couple ideas, which we will break into smaller groups on Saturday, from 10am-4pm during our project action time. If you think of it, please pray around 10pm EST Friday night for inspiration and collaboration on this project!

For dinner, we went to a local restaurant. There was so much food - so many courses! I learned quickly to pace myself. There may have been Octopus in the soup for dinner (I couldn't tell between all the different textures of the other contents... And if you know me well, I'm not crazy about texture.) One thing I did try was pig's ear. Very cartilage-y and fatty.

That squared like white/brown swirly thing on my plate = pig's ear

So many huge buildings!

Anyways, tomorrow 9:30-5:30 (tonight for most of you 9:30pm-5:30am) we will be hearing a series of Ted talks (basically a variety of short empowering talks around the theme of digital). Hopefully being inspired and challenged, we will apply some of what we learn, during our Saturday action group time.

Thanks for your prayers!

 

Traveling to Asia • 前往亚洲

So today, I get on a plane (well a couple, actually) and head to Asia - Hong Kong, to be specific. I've never been, other than Thailand - but I think that's considered South East Asia.

3 flights. 4 airports. 12 timezone change. 24 hours. 9,158 miles.  And that's just the travel journey there.

I'd love some prayers for the ability to "flick on the nocturnal switch" (Hong Kong is 12 hour time change, and being there for only 3 days will be interesting. I foresee sleeping pills and extra coffee in my future).

Please pray also for networking opportunities to help the participants think creatively about digital ministry and ways they can be innovative in creating new strategies or tools to reach their countries. (Writing the next statement is for accountability) I plan to share some stories as the conference happens so, check back!

I'll be traveling solo - but I wouldn't be surprised if there were other people from my company on my flights as well, who are also going to the conference. Either way, I'd also love prayers for safety and making all my connections. Last time I flew through Tokyo, we were delayed almost 5 hours!

Chelsea, Sabine, Rebecca and me on the beaches of Normandy (October 2010)

While I'm there, I by chance learned that a friend I met while on STINT in France, will be back home in Hong Kong for a visit. Her name is Sabine - we met at church in Paris, which is where she still currently lives. I am hoping to meet up with her during this whirlwind trip! 

Thanks for taking time to read this post and care for me :) Check my blog again for random stories, pictures and other prayer requests. Please feel free to comment below or email me your prayer request too!

Throw Back Thursday - video gem: "We Lift Our Hands"

Booth family vacations are never dull. This video took place in 2009, probably some where in Canada, on the way to our grandparents cottage. We seem to make our family road trips even that much more enjoyable with music videos.

This song "We Lift Our Hands" by Kirk Franklin, was one of the many gems on a CD mix a family friend made for our mom.