Agape

My dad is on his way to Myanmar with two other guys from Calvary. It is really hard to know that he is going to be at Agape for a week while I am stuck in snowy Pittsburgh. My sister and I both spent time writing letters for him to bring over to some of our favorite girls. We both left him messages for him to give, hugs to deliver, and health issues to check up on.

The country is more unstable than it has been in our past visits which is causing this trip to weigh a little more heavily on my heart. So I thought I'd take a minute to first celebrate the fact that Calvary yet again has an opportunity to bless Agape as well as the fact that students are graduating from the International Calvary Theological Seminary. And secondly, to ask you to pray for a few specific things as you read this.

So first the celebration! ICTS is a seminary that is preparing students to become missionaries. Whether that be through starting a church, traveling to areas that have not heard the word of God, or being sunday school teachers. While their goals are different- one thing is the same for each of these students- they are about to embark on a very hard yet rewarding journey. It's not exactly easy to be a missionary in Myanmar. With over 95% of the people in Myanmar practicing Buddhism, Christianity is by far the hated minority. These students are about to do an amazing thing and I am so glad that my dad will be there to celebrate with them and pray for them as they get sent out to spread the love of God to a people so in need of a Savior.

Whenever I think of Myanmar I can't help but think of the song, God of this City. I listened to it a lot while I was there last December and as a result I can't sing the song without thinking of driving through Yangon and its surrounding villages. I believe with all my heart that the God I worship is the God of Myanmar. And I pray that one day Myanmar will recognize him as such. Agape is doing awesome things in the name of God and people's lives are being changed as a result. I pray, and ask you to pray, that this will continue. Pray that the people of Myanmar would stop searching for fulfillment in the practice of Buddhism and would instead turn to God. That they would see the desperate love and worship the people at Agape pour on the Lord and that they would desire that kind of relationship. Pray for the government. (I selfishly also pray for adoption to be legalized...feel free to join my family in that prayer- it would result in the Nold family tripling:) )

I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures!