Summit 2005

Heartfelt worship, LOUD cheering and songs from different universities, challenging messages, a Napoleon Dynamite spoof, cardboard boats and one crazy staff member zip-lining into a crowd of over 400 students were just a few of the things that happened at Summit 2005 and what made it even more exciting than any other Summit before it.
One of my favourite things about Summit is the competition between the different university campuses. There's Queens with the jacket slapping and typical song/cheer. There's the Toronto campuses (Ryerson, U of T and York) with their T-O chant. It gets in your head! Guelph and Mac's cheer worked together as they both were doing the "O-le, ole, ole, ole" chant. You know I was singing along.
I wished I were on campus by now. It's hard to be support raising, but I know in the end it'll get me where I desire so much to be. How lucky am I? I get to work with awesome staff who have a heart to change the world and build into student's lives and to literally transform our university campuses for Christ. The students are so passionate and on fire that it often puts me to shame in my passion and heart for this ministry. It's exciting, though. And I love it.
And then there's STINT. Short Term International. Ever since Jamie went to Tanzania the first time and then ever since we both went to Tanzania in May of this year, we've both had a desire to spend at least a year in Tanzania to help with the ministry at the University of Dar es Salaam. I know that this is something I want to do, but I'm having a hard time focussing on it as I'm focussing so much of my energies on just getting on campus here in Canada! But it was great to meet with the Tanz team at Summit and see the passion that God has placed on some of their hearts to do the same with Jamie and I.
I know this will be a long journey that God is going to take me on, but I'm almost scared to "go there". Especially in my mind and emotions. I guess missions is something I've always been open to, but never really had a clear heart for a particular part of the world. Until now. As one of our supporters said, "If you are open to missions overseas, then you should go. Most people are not even open to going anywhere. If you are open, God will use you and WILL send you." That really spoke to me. I guess I thought most people were at least open to going somewhere, but I guess that's not true. I know that the "travel bug" God put in me, was to lead me to eventually go into missions overseas. And that's really cool.
After this weekend, I was just so refreshed by the amazing and awesome worship and just had some intimate communion with my maker and the lover of my soul, Jesus Christ. I just got the new Chris Tomlin cd called Arriving. I recommend it to anyone looking for a worship CD of solid lyrics and sweet melodies (how's that for a review?!). There's one song that I just love and it's called "Mighty is the power of the cross" and I am always brought back to the simplicity of my faith and the extreme and absolute love Jesus displayed for me on the cross.

What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?
Overcome

It's still a miracle to me
It's still a mystery
It's still a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believe

In a world filled with brokenness, hurt and pain, praise Jesus that the power of the cross is enough to heal, comfort and welcome back the prodigal sons and daughters.