PNG Easter Conference Trip: The Big Weekend: "Unlikely people!"

Yup, 3 talks.  I never dreamed I'd be a devotional speaker at a Student Life Conference...and probably neither did anyone else who knew me as a student.  God has a funny way of using the most unlikely people!

For the last few years, this devotional spot has been my responsibility in PNG.  This year, however, it was harder to get my thoughts organized than ever before.  (I don't know if it was a result of spiritual warfare or a virus I've been fighting.)  However, after breaking the ice on Friday, Saturday and Sunday went better.

I learn quite a bit doing this.  I try to share what God's been teaching me, and by trying to explain it to someone else, the lesson gets crystallized in my heart.
I've recently realized that maybe in exchanging my own outlook to God's outlook, I hit the same bumps as when adjusting to a new culture.   The kingdom of heaven that Jesus talked about presented many new and radical concepts to his listeners.   Anyway, I gave my talks and got to use some of my MANY cultural mishaps as illustrations.  (See...there's a purpose for even the most humiliating and silly times!)

The conference, of course, was full of teaching and training and experiences beyond my small role.  Dan and I just went through the evaluation forms.  It looks like 12 students became believers...and a further 28 people in the community came to Christ during our afternoon of witnessing in the nearby street market.  This was the first time many of our students had shared their faith.  They were just been newly trained, and some had just become Christians themselves. God can use anybody...and it just blows my mind!  

Look who's talkin'!

Here's a short google video of our day of witnessing.  (Let me know if it doesn't work...I'll let Dan figure something out! (tee hee)