the glory of the New Covenant

i came across this Scripture first, when researching applicable passages for another blog, and then while listening to a talk on Psalm 103 by scott yeager, intervarsity staff at roanoke college in virginia.

i found it powerful (and personally inspiring) in its description of the glory of Jesus Christ, who is the New Covenant, and its transforming power on those who believe.

now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the israelites could not look steadily at the face of moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? if the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! for what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. we are not like moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. but their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. it has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. even to this day when moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. but whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3.7-18

weekend bliss, weekend heartache

this weekend brought me back to london somewhat, and it was at the same time confusing and wonderful.

friday i spent the evening with the fellowship of international bible study (ibs) at north carolina state university. i became involved with this group of international students, scholars, past students and scholars, and us americans who like to befriend them, last year when the intervarsity undergraduate chapter i volunteer with and ibs desired to join forces to impact the nc state community. my roommate jenn, an american, staffs ibs -- our partnership last year led to our friendship which ultimately led us to share a cute little duplex near downtown raleigh. now we constantly have members of the ibs family coming over to enjoy our cute little duplex with us and i couldn't love it more. jenn also introduced me to the operation mobilization (om) program in london, and for that reason (and many more) i will be forever thankful for our friendship.

anyway, friday was the first time since returning from london that i had the opportunity to go to an ibs meeting. when i walked in, my mind returned to london and my om teammates -- it was the first time since om i had been among so many nationalities at one time. how i had missed the world being right in my face! conversations about foreign food and places and people and even politics abounded. during worship, the dozens of voices from around the world singing in unison to the same God was glorious -- being able to be a part of it all is such gift. and the raw and honest study of Scripture among my questioning brothers and sisters stretches and humbles me. i believe i get to see a glimpse of His kingdom come every time i am in the presence of this fellowship.

saturday was an encore treat. a bunch of us from the Bible study met up to cook dumplings and play board games. what a rare treat to have authentic asian cuisine and also to have the opportunity to learn how to make it with my own hands! the food was delicious, the game antics ridiculously funny, and the friendship priceless.

i missed london all over again. part of me thinks i left my heart there. but then i look around raleigh, and in my relationships here, i see so much to have a heart for without needing to cross an ocean. am i to go or am i already at the place He meant for me to go?

the journey begins

if you were looking for yet another blog about one woman's waltz down the aisle, you've come to the wrong place.

but, if by some chance, you're interested in one woman's beginnings in career missions, i might be able to oblige.

to start, here's my follow-up prayer letter sent to supporters after i returned from a two-week stint in London. hopefully it will give you an initial sense of my passion for this endeavor. some details have been changed -- one must be careful in the world of cyber-community...

December 29, 2005

Dear friends,

Happy Christmas! It's my sincerest hope everyone had a wonderful holiday full of time spent with family and friends, great food, and a general rest from the bustle of ordinary life.

I was very blessed this December with the opportunity to join Operation Mobilization (OM) in the United Kingdom for a two-week outreach campaign to Muslims living in London. Many of you were a tremendous part of this experience, as without your prayers and financial support, my 'fruit-filled' time in London would not have been possible. I cannot thank you enough for your faithfulness.

One of the most important lessons I learned through my time in London is that God is faithful to answer prayers. God worked through your prayers in big ways:

Both flights went smoothly and my customs experiences in both the UK and the US went relatively well. My ground transportation -- a van, a car, the Tube, and half a dozen buses -- also worked brilliantly! Thank God for no explosions and no transit strikes!

Can you believe it didn't rain one day while I was in London? I'm still a bit taken aback, especially since the forecast said nothing but rain! Our campaign also enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures many of the days we were out, which aided our enthusiasm for book-table work and tracting. In North London alone we handed out 2500+ pamphlets, Christian newspapers, and invitations to Christmas events!

God could not have blessed me with a better team of Christian brothers and sisters! Five countries -- Canada, Germany, Malaysia, South Korea, and the United States -- were represented, and we got on together beautifully. I was especially encouraged by my sisters on the team as both their personal testimonies and their interest in my personal story touched my heart.

Our training was phenomenal! We were fortunate to have a number of well-versed, passionate Christian lecturers who made apparent the need for Christians to gain knowledge and understanding of Islam and its cultures. I was also humbled by many of our speakers' commitments to career mission work and have left London ever-so-hungry to learn as much as I can about this ministry field.

Outreach and evangelism efforts probably stretched me more than anything else on this trip. With regards to my team, each of us had unique talents that came together to create one body of Christ reaching out to the North London community. Whereas I rediscovered my love for child evangelism through the encouragement of my South Korean and German mentors , one of my Canadian teammate utilized her boisterous personality to approach Christmas shoppers with tracts and a South Korean brother overcame the barrier of language to share the Gospel through his music. My sister, a youth worker in Germany, pushed through her own hesitations with English to reach out to a 15-year-old English girl who stopped by our book table and ended up taking a New Testament. I do not doubt that the Holy Spirit was at work in each of these and other circumstances; He showed me-point blank that we are all God's vessels, that He is constantly at work within us, using every personality, every cultural background He created to reach out to the whole of His creation.

These are just a few of the priceless memories I take from my trip -- I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

I also want to ask for your continued prayers. God showed me a world of possibilities in London, and I am now prayerfully seeking to return for a 1 to 2 year commitment to gain further training in Islamics, outreach and evangelism, and church planting. If you are willing to continue your prayer partnership, please keep the following 'specifics' in mind:

The application process, especially during the initial steps that I might have helpful conversations with personnel staff, both in the United States and in London.

The provision of a second job. I need to be debt-free (with the exception of student loans) before I can enter a missions field. A second job would help to tackle my credit-card debt quickly, plus provide me with an opportunity to build up some savings to pay for my student loans while I am abroad.

Clarity. I never imagined coming back from London with such a desire to return: it wasn't until I was there that I could picture myself there long-term. I still have several open opportunities for employment, education, and ministry in the Raleigh area -- please pray that I will continue to trust God to provide answers for my next steps.

Thank you for sticking with this incredibly long letter! I look forward to seeing each of you soon. Until then, have a wonderful start to the new year!

In Christ, Virginia