I had a really great time at ASI, held this year in Louisville, Kentucky, August 1-4. From a work assignment standpoint, my primary objectives were photography and meeting people, but of course I was blessed with far more than those accomplishments.

As could be expected, I saw many friends at ASI, as well as some family, including my brother and his wife, and my cousin James and his family. I met some new friends. I volunteered a little at 3ABN‘s booth, which is always fun (at least when one doesn’t have to do it!). And I volunteered a little at the Health Expo booth that was put together by my friends at LifeStyleTV.

Since this was the 60th anniversary of ASI, there was a strong emphasis on the history of ASI, especially its roots in the Madison school, and the ideals of E. A. Sutherland and Percy Megan. (The story is also vividly told in the book, Madison: God’s Beautiful Farm, which I highly recommend.) It was neat to hear this history repeated for the thousands of attendees, especially in light of the many parallels between their difficulties and what other ministries face today.

There were many inspirational testimonies of people sharing Christ “in the marketplace” (ASI-speak for “on the job”) as well as in innovative mission projects and other forms of evangelism. We also heard inspiring messages, and some awesome music. It was also interesting to see the new projects and products in the exhibit area, which is always a major highlight of ASI.

ASI is one of my favorite events of the year, the other being GYC. Both are events where God’s presence seems especially near, and the personal blessings are abundant. If you want to see where Seventh-day Adventist evangelism is headed, as well as hear powerful stories of ministries on the front lines, ASI is the place to be.