We are thankful that so many GFM staff spent time hanging out in the GFM lounge, at booths, attending seminars and tracks, and meeting undergraduates, grad students, faculty and alumni. Here are a few stories. If you have an Urbana experience that would encourage your GFM colleagues, please email myra.koontz@intervarsity.org. We would love to hear your stories!
From Karen Guzman, Women in the Academy and Professions
The GFM lounge saw hundreds of folks come through over the 5 days. Some, like a small group of women from the University of British Columbia, came daily. The final day of the conference, one came over to me and asked if we could talk. With tear-filled eyes she explained she was seeking to discern whether to stay in her PhD program (she's in her third year) or leave to work at her church. Her pastor had expressed some skepticism about her schooling reminding her, "Jesus never got a PhD." (Unfortunately, women hear this sort of thing all too often.) I talked about how we listen for God's direction and how often it means cluing into how he has made us. I suggested she pay attention to her emotions - how does she feel when she considers leaving her PhD program? Does she feel relief? Or is she troubled? What happens inside her (and in her countenance) when she thinks or talks about her work? I looked at her and again her eyes were full of tears, but she said, "These are tears of joy." Her UBC friends had just walked up and one remarked, "She is really good at what she does." It was a privilege and deeply satisfying to help this dear woman work through what God was saying to her.
The first video for this semester’s WAP book club call was Wednesday, 1/23 and we had 9 ladies attending. One was from Hong Kong - literally from Hong Kong and in Hong Kong. It was 10:00 a.m. She had been at Urbana and came to the ESN/GFM Lounge and found out about the book club - probably talked to me, though I don’t remember it b/c I was so fried by the end!
From Jeff Banks, GFM Boston
The 28 of us from Harvard who went to Urbana got back a month ago, but the conference is still shaping our fellowship on campus.
To kick off the semester, our student leaders gathered to talk about what it means to be a multi-ethnic community of Jesus-followers. Those who were at Urbana shared what it meant for them to see 10,000 other students coming from every nation, tribe, people, and language to learn about what God is doing in the global church. When we had our first worship night of the month, we sang and three students shared stories about how God encouraged and challenged them at Urbana.
Since Urbana, our students are becoming more passionate about pursuing justice in the world. We have seen them engaging in prayer and conversation about how to come together across lines of difference. We have seen them wrestle with what it means to be faithful witnesses at Harvard. They are missionaries of sorts, but in the place in which God has already put them.
From Chelsea Whitfield, GFM NY/NJ
Joanna, pictured on the right with other SE Asian internationals, is one of 9 graduate students we brought from NYC. She shares how God met her at Urbana:
"Among the testimonies I heard at the conference which deeply touched my heart was one of a Christian fine artist who had been conducting art workshops for immigrants and international students in New York City as a form of outreach. Somehow, word about her workshops got spread to an Imam who then invited her to hold them in a mosque! Despite clarifying that she was doing these workshops because of her belief in Christ, the invitation still stood, and she used arts to engage the hearts of 200 girls in their Sunday Arabic School. As a student of the arts (music) now residing in NYC, I too am praying that God will use me to creatively share His good news here!
I've also been praying that God will show me more of how to use music for rehabilitation, which I believe is a dream and deposit He has entrusted to me. For I've been convicted through a seminar speaker at the conference that God will hold us accountable for the dreams that He places on our hearts. May He continue to help us dream big and accomplish His plans through us!"
Please do not share photos from this staff article outside of InterVarsity or on public websites out of respect for the privacy of students/faculty.
