Missions Emphasis Week kicks off at Liberty

A parade of flags, an international choir and an inspiring message by Steve Saint, the son of a martyred missionary and founder of Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center, launched Missions Emphasis Week at Liberty University’s convocation Monday.

After international students read verses and sang in English, French, Portuguese, Cambodian, Yoruba and Swahili, Saint spoke to students about what it means for a Christian to surrender his or her life to God’s will, no matter the cost. Saint also shared his testimony with students. His father died a martyr’s death while on a mission with four other men to make contact with the Waodani tribe in the jungle of Ecuador. Years later, the tribe invited Saint to live among them.

“Young people, if you can just come to that place where you can recognize that the God of the universe loves you and that he wants to write the story of your life, the joy of that complete surrender is incredible,” said Saint. “It’s unbelievable –he writes the most awesome stories that people wouldn’t dare to write.”

Liberty holds Missions Emphasis Week each semester to give students an opportunity to hear the stories and testimonies of missionaries and to consider God’s will for their own lives as it applies to missions. This year’s theme is “Ethnos,” a Greek word meaning “nation, people group or tribe.”

“We hope to expose students to the needs that exist around the world and give them the opportunities to get involved, whether it be long-term or short-term missions,” said Lindsay Taylor, coordinator of Missions Emphasis Week. “We hope the students catch a global vision as a result of the week.”

More than 100 representatives from 60 missionary organizations have set up displays in Arthur S. Demoss Learning Center and are available to talk to students all week.

Other events include seminars and prayer meetings. Interactive seminars on Thailand, India and Bible translation are new to Missions Emphasis Week this year and will be held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the classroom located in Dorm 17.

Susannne Geske will be speaking at the Ladies’ International Café Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the club level of Williams Stadium. Geske spoke briefly at Monday’s convocation about forgiveness – she publicly forgave her husband’s killers after he was martyred while the family was living in Turkey. President of Compassion International Dr. Wess Stafford will speak at Wednesday’s convocation, and Dr. David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., will speak at Friday’s convocation.