Top of the World
I went to a conference yesterday… it was called Global Leadership or something, and I thought it would be about International Development since one of the workshops was from CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency), but the focus of the day was actually about international business… or rather, more like how to be the best business leader, succeed, and get to the top of the global ladder ASAP!The day was also a bit of a competition because they would be choosing just 32 students from across Canada to go to Hong Kong and China in August as a part of a business marketing venture (which I have no intentions of taking part in!). The guy I was sitting next to said he’d just graduated with a business degree and would be starting a company in Hong Kong. I told him I wasn’t planning to apply for the trip, and he was like “Then WHAT are you doing here???” I said I just came to get another perspective on international development, and he kinda just raised his eyebrows and turned away. I said with his plans and background that would be great for the Global Leadership trip. He just looked at me pointedly and said “I KNOW.” Oookay then!!
We got a brochure with the bio’s of last year’s project participants… their plans in the next 15 years? “Executive at large Global Corporation”, “International Lawyer at the Hague”, “Canadian Ambassador”, “President and CEO of a Global Corporation”.... I was talking to Selene (one of the staff on our trip) after the conference, and she said I should have put up my hand and said with a straight face that my 15 year plan is to be a successful International Bum, just to give everyone a reality check!
Haha… well, jokes aside, I was really glad to be at the conference. It’s only been in the last 2 years or so that I’ve really realized what it means that I was created for a purpose, that one purpose being knowing God and making God known (see my first blog post “Why am I even in Montreal?”). God had always been an important part of my life, but that my life is wholly because of God and for God is in the scheme of things, a relatively new understanding. And all my life, I’ve always been reaching for the top of the ladder – whether in academics, in snowboarding, in my school, in volleyball… I’ve always done everything to be “the best”… and always basking in the fame and glory that comes with it. And for sure, that hasn’t changed overnight. There’s still times when I get the urge to be someone great, whether it’s a snowboard competition, or even when famous development economists like Jeffrey Sachs makes headlines for his projects in Kenya. So actually it was a good chance for me at the conference, to observe other students’ attitudes and also that of some successful international business leaders that were there to offer their “advice for how they got where they are today”… and to see that that’s really how I think sometimes… and how I don’t want to! I know it’s a point of weakness for me (and Satan knows it too!), so the more I recognize that, the more I am able to surrender that to God and ask Him to help me keep my eyes on Him.
Okay… well that’s just some thoughts I’ve been having. I wanted to tell you a bit more about what’s going on with the project, but it’s almost 1:30am… and I’ve got to get some zzzz’s! So I’ll have to share with you more about other things later!
Quick thing you can pray for:
- We will be having an outreach on Saturday about the Da Vinci Code movie – talking with movie-goers outside the theatres. Pray for people watching the movie that they wouldn’t be misled by false ideas, but that the movie would “serve as an open door to begin their own explorations and rekindle their interest in topics of faith” as Dan Brown himself said. Pray for us that we would be able to speak the truth of Jesus confidently and effectively (and even through language barriers!). Pray also for good weather, as I’ve apparently brought the rain with me from Vancouver and it’s been pouring all week!!!
- I also got to meet 2 girls at the conference from Montreal that were super friendly and offered to show me around the city (Janice… and I can’t remember the other girl’s name right now!). We might go visit some touristy stuff together this weekend. Pray that we would be able to build on our friendship in the next couple weeks and that God would use this opportunity to speak His love and truth into these girls’ lives this summer!
- Job search… still looking. I’ll share more details soon, but do keep this in prayer!
2 Comments:
Are you guys going to watch the Da Vinci Code too? I hope that will go well; I heard that the movie got horrible reviews. It is supposedly less harsh than the book... Did you read it? I couldn't finish because of the poor writing! =)
~Steph P.
go to Hong Kong?? what the...that's so you, Bow! NOT! lol, i think the story of asian dude is one of the first encounters where you didn't get the "little people advantage"! who does he think he is raising... his eyebrows like that at little you?! some people i tell ya! :P
debs
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