Many people, many questions

Can you picture it? 22 000 people in a room, excited about Jesus? Urbana was quite something.... Singing in a crowd that size, in songs in about 10 languages: it's a snapshot (though poor and pale) of what heaven will be like (Revelation 5:9-12).

We returned home excited, challenged, and exhausted. The 5-day, 16-hour/day schedule was grueling, and each speaker demanded our attention as they unpacked more on the theme "live worthy of the calling", from the book of Ephesians.

There were many memorable moments: seeing hundreds of students commit their lives to Christ for the first time, singing in Chinese, watching American students eat a simple meal of 'mielie pap' (corn and soy-enriched porridge) to better identify-with and have compassion for the hungry in Africa, meeting up with old friends (Grant & Colette, Mawethu & Lisa) and meeting new ones, late nights at the Waffle House...

It seemed that God had a different challenge for every one who was there. My own challenge was hearing much about race and ministry, and trying to grapple with what it would mean to go back to South Africa and be a white person there. My feeling of "belonging" in South Africa is a volatile thing: on one hand, it is home, and nowhere else ever has been; and yet on the other hand - we are so aware of our "whiteness", and all that it represents colour-wise at home. We continue to struggle with our calling: the responsibilities of family (our parents, and our future children), our burden for the gospel, our questions about where to go and how best to use our lives and the opportunities we have... All these came to the fore at Urbana: a timely "nudge" to start thinking, praying and preparing more for the decisions ahead of us next year.