Missions Convention 2018 - University of Valley Forge

Missions Convention 2018

Missions Convention 2018

Walking into Flower Chapel, one is immediately reminded of the call God has placed on each of our lives. Along the walls hang flags from a multitude of countries, each one representing a place where a UVF alumnus is serving or once served as a missionary reaching people for Christ. This month during Missions Convention, we were thrilled to place another flag – another group of unreached people – on the wall of our chapel.

Missions Convention is an annual reminder and celebration of the job we all share as Christians – to reach the unreached people of the world. During the week, we welcomed missionaries onto campus to speak in chapel and classes and to pour into us throughout the day; such as AGWM Pipeline Representatives Leah Musacchio ’15 and Dan Desrosiers ’05. Students were able to talk to missionaries over lunch or afternoon coffee about what it means to be a missionary, what it’s like in the field, and whether full-time foreign or local missions is right for them. It’s a unique opportunity to have a calling brought out or confirmed. Missions trips for the year are also announced, so students can act on their callings right away! This past summer, a team from UVF served in the Mohawk Nation under missionaries Al and April Bender. During Missions Convention, the Benders came and reconnected with the students who served and made even more connections with UVF students.

This year, the theme was Every Tribe, Every Nation, and we heard from Reverend John Easter, missionary to Africa. He shared faith-building stories about our brothers and sisters in Africa, who are doing amazing things every day to save more people even under heavy opposition. One story that stood out was about a man who, even after being beaten within an inch of his life for sharing the gospel, returned to the field immediately after his six-month recovery to get right back to work delivering the good news of Christ. Rev. Easter’s message of faith and perseverance was a true inspiration to the Valley Forge community!

Missions Convention was memorable this year as young missionary alumni, Isaiah and Heather Mattocks ’06, presented a brand new flag to hang on our chapel wall. They are committed to serving the country of Colombia in South America. We are ecstatic to have the name of God proclaimed to the people of Colombia, and extremely honored that UVF was a part of the Mattockses’ journey to becoming missionaries!

Thanks to our incredibly passionate students, UVF’s missions trips this year include Mexico, Romania, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Philadelphia, Russia, Thailand, Ecuador, and Peru! They look forward to serving, sharing the gospel, and encountering God in new ways on their trips!