A World of Possibilities
Matt and Lydia Hall ended 2022 in Indianapolis by attending the Urbana Student Missions Conference, along with 5,500 other participants! For decades, young people seeking God's guidance for "all things missions" have been flocking to these Intervarsity-led conferences.
Lydia, our Director of Student Life, and her husband Matt, both students at Faith Bible College, share their Urbana experience:
What expectation/purpose did you have going into the conference? Were you able to fulfill that purpose?
(Lydia) I did not have many expectations, though I had seen videos of Elizabeth Elliot speaking at Urbana, so I was hoping to hear from some missionaries like her. That expectation was met! We heard some wonderful testimonies of faith and of the strength and protection of the Lord! As for the purpose, Matt and I are continuing to seek wisdom in three areas of our life, so we tried to choose sessions that spoke to those areas. A session that was hosted by a wonderful missionary couple spoke directly into one of those topics and I was greatly encouraged by what they had to say... even the challenging statements.
(Matt) I don't think I had many expectations going into the conference. This was my first time attending, but I had heard from others who had gone in the past, and they had nothing but great things to say about the conference. I can attest that the good things they had to say were more than true.
What was the most fun about the conference?
(Lydia) We both really enjoyed talking to the people running the various booths in the connection hall. There were so many creative ministries out there!
(Matt) I most enjoyed being able to take a break from work, life, and school, and really focus on the content of the conference. It was also quite fun to go through all the sessions and lectures that were offered and plan out a schedule based on what we were interested in learning. Getting to see so many cultures represented throughout the entire week was also a blast.
What did you appreciate the most?
(Lydia) I appreciated the vulnerability of some of the missionaries who presented. There were some who wore red lanyards, indication that they work in high-risk areas so we were not to take any photos of them whatsoever. Those people could have easily chosen not to share at Urbana because of the possible risk, but they were bold in Christ and came anyway.
(Matt) I appreciated all the people who had their own exhibits and booths, and how encouraging they all were. We were able to share our story and testimonies, and we received nothing but encouragement and support from everyone we talked to. Some of them were even able to relate their own experiences with ours.
What was the biggest challenge of the conference?
(Lydia) There was so much to choose from, and because we were sent by our church, I wanted to be sure to get the most out of the money that was graciously provided for us to be there.
(Matt) The conference contained a lot of information, and we were only there for a certain amount of time. The challenge was deciding on what lectures and sessions to attend. Some of the speakers even compared the conference to an all-you-can-eat buffet and you had to choose what to put on your plate.
What surprised you the most?
(Lydia) I was surprised by our interactions with some of the people hosting a few of the booths. First, I enjoyed the people who told us what their ministries did and then got to know us as individuals. One man was so personable that after he heard our story, he referred us to a whole other ministry. Second, it was encouraging for me to hear that Matt and I's story was an encouragement to others! As we talked with the people from the booths, the reactions shared with Matt and I made me grateful to God for the way He brought us together! It gave me confidence that we will make an impact for the Kingdom of God on the mission field one day.
(Matt) I was surprised to see how many different cultures were represented in the conference. They had worship songs from other cultures in different languages, as well as missionaries from all over the world giving their accounts and testimonies.
What were your biggest takeaways?
(Lydia) "If God calls the parents, He is calling their children as well."
(Matt) There was so much information that I was able to absorb during the week, and to this day I am still reflecting on it all. I can confidently say that my eyes were opened to a much wider lens of the world of missions. I got to see how all types of people were able to contribute to the mission of God's kingdom.