Set Us ABLAZE

Set Us ABLAZE is the theme for Missions Conference this year. Isaiah 64:1-2 is the theme verse. For three days, classes are suspended and we get to attend main sessions, mini-seminars, meet with mission organizations, and get a taste of what different people groups all over the world are dealing with and why they need our prayer. Each student is required to attain 8 conference credits over the course of the three days and that comes from attending sessions and other parts of the conference that are offered to students. Here are some things we get to do:
Devotions: Devotions are in the mornings before the days' activities begin in our dorm lobbies led by some of the RA's.
Main Sessions: these consist of worship led by The City Harmonic (a band from Canada) and speakers. Kevin Humble(missionary in Indonesia), JFK Mansah(from Ghana), and Mike Parker(from New Zealand). The gym is PACKED for these but the energy and feeling the power of the Holy Spirit is an indescribable feeling.
Seminars: one hour long, in a classroom with a speaker from a mission organization. Super packed as well with students sitting everywhere possible and standing outside the door to hear.
Marketplace: Biola is sending out mission teams this summer all over the world and they are trying to raise money. They get to use this as a fundraiser and it's really cool to learn about what they will be doing.
MO tent: There are 100 Mission Organizations here to tell students about what they do and how they can get involved.
Global Awareness: The entire McNally Campus(junior high looking classrooms on the other end of campus) is turned into a place where students can learn about different people groups that need our prayers. You get to travel from classroom to classroom watching students put on skits that show the traumatic realities of so many people around the world today.  We learned about the homeless community, the genocide in Darfur, trafficking in China of North Koreans immigrants, poverty in Paraguay, Muslim oppression, Russian youth living in alley ways, Chinese Christians who meet in secret and are persecuted for their faith, Colombian politicians who are being taken over by communist radicals, and the people in America who deal with abortion. This was a very eye opening experience and very cool to see students so passionate about raising awareness for these people groups.
There is also a 24-hour prayer room open for students.
I have really enjoyed the conference and love the feeling on campus right now. God is working through the student body and has set us ABLAZE and is stirring up the desire to take action to help others. Not everyone is called to short-term or long-term mission trip teams, but there is so much hurting that we can help relieve right in our own community.