I am tired... whooped. I believe that Susan is even "whoopeder".
Still, it was worth it.
During the last two weeks we have had over 260 visitors with us in Costa Rica. With our team of incredibly dedicated co-workers, we have met those visitors at the airport; gotten them on buses, vans and taxis to Puntarenas; registered them in a hotel and for the conference; helped them to take advantage of a wonderful meetings; sent them on excursions throughout the country; and, gotten them out of the country and headed back to their ministries.
We just may be the whoopedest we have been in a long time.
A few snapshots to go along with the attached snapshot of some of the Latin brothers that attended:
Tim Dyer, a board member of IT Australia, gave some great teaching on Kingdom Values and Leadership. It was biblical, valuable and practical. Now, if we can only put them in practice!
Michio Ozaki, our worship leader for the ILF, was born in Japan, grew up in Ecuador, married a Dutch lady and led a worship group from four different countries. He did a fantastic job of helping us come into the Lord's presence. Having people from so many cultures created a unique worship experience... very unique and very wonderful.
The conversations were the best thing:
Tut Kong, a missionary who has returned to his native Sudan, shared his life with us in the conference and during several days as a guest in our home. He left his own home during a civil war when he was only 11 years old. As Tut says, "I wasn't even a refugee... I had no refuge." It was humbling just to share with a man like this. It was wonderful to see his smile when we saw monkeys for the first time in the jungle.
By a work of God, Tut saw his mother for the first time in 26 years while traveling to the ILF. That's right. 26 years. God still cares for the orphan and the widow.
At literally the last minute, we had to get a replacement guitar player. Kenneth helps pastor a church in the southern part of Costa Rica. During the conference he did a wonderful job and showed excellent musical skills. However, the best part was how the conference impacted him. He told me, "I will never be the same, Woody. This experience has changed my life!"
Pretty good for a meeting with a bunch of missions leaders.
A leader from the Ukraine named Victor talked to me about training and sending missionaries from that country to the rest of the world. Can anything good come out of the Soviet Union? Without a doubt.
There is more. So much more. However, I will leave you with this last snapshot: Joseph, a Philippine missionary planting churches in Japan, praying for Dotun, a Nigerian missionary reaching out to Somali refugees in Kenya.
I wish you had been there. If you had you would have seen the face of missions today.
From one whooped Woody in Costa Rica.
Still, it was worth it.
During the last two weeks we have had over 260 visitors with us in Costa Rica. With our team of incredibly dedicated co-workers, we have met those visitors at the airport; gotten them on buses, vans and taxis to Puntarenas; registered them in a hotel and for the conference; helped them to take advantage of a wonderful meetings; sent them on excursions throughout the country; and, gotten them out of the country and headed back to their ministries.
We just may be the whoopedest we have been in a long time.
A few snapshots to go along with the attached snapshot of some of the Latin brothers that attended:
Tim Dyer, a board member of IT Australia, gave some great teaching on Kingdom Values and Leadership. It was biblical, valuable and practical. Now, if we can only put them in practice!
Michio Ozaki, our worship leader for the ILF, was born in Japan, grew up in Ecuador, married a Dutch lady and led a worship group from four different countries. He did a fantastic job of helping us come into the Lord's presence. Having people from so many cultures created a unique worship experience... very unique and very wonderful.
The conversations were the best thing:
Tut Kong, a missionary who has returned to his native Sudan, shared his life with us in the conference and during several days as a guest in our home. He left his own home during a civil war when he was only 11 years old. As Tut says, "I wasn't even a refugee... I had no refuge." It was humbling just to share with a man like this. It was wonderful to see his smile when we saw monkeys for the first time in the jungle.
By a work of God, Tut saw his mother for the first time in 26 years while traveling to the ILF. That's right. 26 years. God still cares for the orphan and the widow.
At literally the last minute, we had to get a replacement guitar player. Kenneth helps pastor a church in the southern part of Costa Rica. During the conference he did a wonderful job and showed excellent musical skills. However, the best part was how the conference impacted him. He told me, "I will never be the same, Woody. This experience has changed my life!"
Pretty good for a meeting with a bunch of missions leaders.
A leader from the Ukraine named Victor talked to me about training and sending missionaries from that country to the rest of the world. Can anything good come out of the Soviet Union? Without a doubt.
There is more. So much more. However, I will leave you with this last snapshot: Joseph, a Philippine missionary planting churches in Japan, praying for Dotun, a Nigerian missionary reaching out to Somali refugees in Kenya.
I wish you had been there. If you had you would have seen the face of missions today.
From one whooped Woody in Costa Rica.
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