This past week we hosted our annual missions conference at Heritage. It’s one of the highlights of the year. The conference is student-run, with some wise input from our faculty and staff. We cancel classes for two days and invite a number of missions representatives to come on campus, meet with students and present a variety of seminars on global mission. (Some of these missionaries even choose to stay in the residence halls with students! Brave!).
In addition to plenary sessions and seminars, there is a Missions Bazaar where missionaries/agencies give out literature and tasty treats from countries around the globe.
One of my favourite parts of the conference is the missions dinner and cake auction. Students, staff, and faculty bake and decorate various cakes. Table groups pool their money and make bids. The students/staff at the highest bidding table win the cake and immediately start to eat it (I guess you can have your cake and eat it too!).
I’m always amazed at the amount of money bid for various cakes. Cakes sell for hundreds of dollars. The cake Linda brought was sold for $450. Over the course of the evening, over $4,000 dollars was raised.
Why do Heritage students save up their money, pool it with others, and spend so much to buy cakes? The reason everyone is so generous is that all the money goes to support Heritage students headed out on a short-term mission this summer to Thailand or Portugal. It’s a sweet deal!
Can I ask you to pray for the continuing impact of this year’s missions conference?
1 Pray that the Lord would move many Heritage students to consider a cross-cultural missions trip. We believe these trips can be life-changing.
2 Pray for the students headed to Thailand and Portugal. Ask the Lord to prepare them to serve well. Ask the Lord to provide for their financial needs–both to go out and also to cover their school costs next year. (If you would like to help support Heritage summer missions, you can donate here. Indicate “Summer Missions” in the comment box).
3 Pray that all our students would gain a greater heart for bringing the gospel to people locally (through our Love Hespeler Initiative) and globally (through summer missions).
Rick and Linda Reed 