The last month has seemed to fly by in a kind of a blur.  Lots of late nights and early mornings trying to keep all the balls in the air. We are heading full steam towards the 3-day communications seminar we are hosting at the end of the month and preparations are coming together. Initially, I was skeptical about the seminar, not if we could do it, but if people would actually come on such short notice. We have been pleasantly pleased with excellent reception and strong interest. In fact, there was so much interest, the decision was made to make similar communication seminars with different topics an ongoing part of what we do, putting them on every quarter.

Due to the short lead time for this first one, most of the attendees are from nearby. However, we have groups from places like Australia, South Africa, and the US who want to come for our future seminars!

We are calling the seminar Create & Communicate. Our goal is to create short intensive style training for people who are actively working in the area of communication. For this first one, we are focusing on photography and social media. We have 3 really incredible speakers, Susi Childers, Joseph Avakian, and Samuel Taipale. They are all extremely accomplished and I am really excited that we get to have them. Susi is a photographer and a hero of mine. Using her camera as a tool she has traveled all over the world shedding light on injustices and being a voice for the voiceless. Joseph is a wildly creative designer who has spent his career work both in missions and professional contexts. He has done work for some high-profile companies like BMW. Last but certainly not least, Samuel is a photographer with a following in the hundreds of thousands. He is a master at using social media and uses his influence to promote healthy family values. I am still amazed that we were able to put together such incredible speakers. 

The Speakers for Create & Communicate. From left to right, Joseph Avakian, Susi Childers, and Samuel Taipale.

The seminar is running from the 28th-30th, and there is still a ton of work to be done and details to be arranged. I could use your prayers, especially for wisdom. There are still a lot of details and decisions that I will have to work through in the coming days and your prayers would be very appreciated!

Progress on the new website is still being made all be it with a few delays due to things like last-minute seminars. We have moved from the rough buildout and are now spending time on more of the technical details like handling translation to Korean & French, connecting the site to our database, and what feels like 100 other small details to figure out. As more of the site comes together, the visual style definitely attracts attention. We are wholeheartedly embracing the rich history of swiss graphic and typography design. I find the new look refreshing and ahead of the curve in terms of trends which bodes well for its longevity.

We have recently been blessed with an extraordinarily rainy summer. Normally, there are just a few days of rain in July, and this year, there have been only a few without it. I don’t think it is a secret that I love the rain. There is just something so simultaneously peaceful and refreshing about the downpour. With a lot happening, the persistent pitter-patter of the rain has served as a constant reminder to take a deep breath and remember that God is still in control. I can attest firsthand how easy it is to lose sight of this in the midst of life’s twists and turns. Thus, I have been thankful for the reminder.


As always, thank you for coming along with me in this adventure of faith,
Ben