Urbana 2025

Post-Trip Essay - Eric Gu

My experience at Urbana 2025 has been a period of spiritual and strategic recalibration. I arrived with a focus on future planning, but I am leaving with a renewed understanding of God’s providence. I’ve realized that much of my internal anxiety stems from trying to manage variables that are already secured by Him. The promise of Matthew 6:33 - that if I follow Him, everything else will be added - has transitioned from head knowledge to heart knowledge. 

The study of Jonah served as a critical case study on the cost of the "Tarshish detour." I’ve learned that running from God’s voice even if deeply uncomfortable is an inefficient use of the life and resources He has entrusted to me. That either way his will will be done. Jonah’s struggle reminded me that immediate obedience is the only path that leads to alignment with His mission. I am learning to listen for His voice not just for inspiration, but for the direct commands that dictate my next move. Avoiding the "storm" isn't about safety; it’s about the integrity of my mission and the stewardship of His call.

I am returning to my daily life with a refined purpose. My goal is no longer just to secure my own path, but to engage as an intentional partner in God’s global work. I will focus on seeking the Kingdom first in my work, trusting that my professional and personal needs are already accounted for in His providence."

Post-Trip Essay - Catherine Tu

From passionate speakers, to unconventional seminars on topics like AI, greed, and justice, to worshipping with over 7000 people as we rang in the New Year, Urbana was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m so grateful that I was able to attend the conference.

At Urbana, I was exposed to perspectives I would never hear in a typical sermon. Speakers came from all around the world, each bringing their own cultural, theological, and lived experiences. During the Big Room sessions, where all 7000 attendees gathered together, we learned about the changing realities and spiritual needs of the six continents and how we could pray intentionally for each region. It was humbling to be reminded that God’s work is global, diverse, and far bigger than the contexts I am most familiar with. During one of the sessions, we learned that “Africa has shifted from being seen as a missions field to a missions force”, and speakers from Palestinian and Israeli backgrounds came together to testify about choosing love in the midst of conflict.

During a gathering with Asian American Ministries students, I spoke with a Chinese graduate student who shared that he was raised in a Chinese church and feels most comfortable serving within that community. He affirmed that there is nothing wrong with this since ethnic and cultural communities are a gift, but at the same time, we reflected on how God does not ultimately call us to remain in comfort. As people made in the Imago Dei, we are called to obedience and to love beyond what feels familiar.

As I return to MIT, this conviction has stayed with me. I want to reach Chinese and non-Chinese students, Christians and non-Christians, people my age and those older and younger. I am so grateful for on-campus communities like MIT ACF that provide me encouragement and accountability, and through Urbana, I’ve reflected on the fact that the Gospel does not stop at sustaining community: it moves outward. We are called to live lives that show why our God is different.

My encouragement, to myself and to others, is to cherish the communities God has gifted you, but to also look around. There are people both like you and unlike you who deserve to hear and experience the Gospel. May we have the courage to step beyond comfort and faithfully reflect Christ wherever we are placed.