Global Focus Week kicks off at Monday Convocation

International evangelist Andrew Palau was the featured speaker at Monday’s Convocation.

Global Focus Week kicked off at Liberty University on Monday, giving students a chance to meet representatives from mission agencies and attend special mission-focused Convocations and seminars. (For a full schedule of events, click here).

Liberty holds a week dedicated to missions at the beginning of each semester. Campus pastor Johnnie Moore asked students in Monday’s convocation to consider: What is my part in God’s plan to reach the world? He announced a special partnership with Global Media Outreach, who is helping Liberty hit its goal of reaching 1 million people with the Gospel in three days through Internet evangelism.

The online effort directs people all over the world, through a keyword search, to websites that share the Gospel. On a special interactive website, students can then watch who is being reached, how many decisions are made for Christ, and where they are coming from – all in real-time.

On Monday, Liberty recorded comments from people in Egypt, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and many other countries.

Moore encouraged students to pray every night for different people who are hearing the Gospel online.

In Monday’s Convocation, students also heard from international evangelist Andrew Palau, who shared his story of God’s grace in life.

Palau is the son of world-renowned author and evangelist Luis Palau, who spoke at Liberty’s 39^th Baccalaureate Service in May. Luis Palau has spoken all over the United States and in more than 73 countries.

On Monday, Andrew Palau shared how he was raised in a “good Christian family” and church but he “never gave God the opportunity” to change his life for 27 years.

He described how he put on “a mask for the world to see” that he was doing well and proving successful in life. In reality he was going down a “shameful and painful” road, struggling with sins of self-reliance, pride, self-indulgence, relationships, partying, and enjoying success in the world rather than trusting Christ.

He said his addictions were so bad that he never wanted to go to bed sober because his mind would wander about the sin he engaged in and the pain it was causing.

In 1993, he went on vacation in Kingston, Jamaica, where his parents were leading an evangelistic outreach. He went with the intention of having a good time at a tropical destination. However, during that time his father preached the same Gospel message he had heard hundreds of times, but this time he responded to it and accepted the freedom in Christ.

Today, Andrew Palau works with his father’s ministry and travels around the world sharing the Gospel to millions of people. His book, “The Secret Life of a Fool” details his testimony. He signed copies of the book after Convocation.