Global Missions Conference

Top five things about the global missions conference (plus a fringe benefit):

1) Worship. Lot's of it. Josiah would run to us, saying "singing...starting singing", and we would join with a thousand others in heartfelt worship of the King.

2) Networking (aka seeing old friends and making a few new ones). It is refreshing to be around so many others with a heart for missions.

3) Classes. Well, we missed a lot of them. We split the Josiah responsibilities, arrived late in the mornings (those who know us should not be shocked... we were some of the last to leave as well) and had some long lunches.

4) Meeting w/ Churches. Nothing like sharing your missions dreams with a church while eating Texas Barbeque. When people are happy (and Texas barbeque is the best!), they think happy thoughts. Whenever they smell brisket, their subconscious will cause them to want to partner with us in Tanzania!!!

5) Reconnecting with our team. We are learning how big our team is, first those who are going with us to Tanzania, the churches involved in this work, our resource people, are all part of our team, and it is sure nice to be together for a change.




and the fringe benefit: Hearing Josiah yell "Hit the ball!!! Hit it hard!!!" throughout the entirety of a Rangers-Athletics slugfest (21 runs, 25 hits, 4 hours of baseball fun at the Ballpark in Arlington (we also enjoyed all you can eat hot dogs, chips, soda, water [98 degrees at gametime] and Lorna Doone cookies with all of the conference attendees!!!)

An answer to prayer...

we have been invited to interview at the Cloverdale Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, as the church is beginning the missionary selection process. We will meet with the missions committee August 14, which is the end of a month of travels that begins tomorrow...

we leave in the morning to go to the global missions conference in Arlington, Texas, spend a week in Texas, then a week and a half in California, a few more days in Texas, then to Arkansas. You never know; we may stop by your house!!!!

Please continue to pray...

Armadillo in the Belly...

according to Josiah, that is what is in Mama's tummy.... according to the fetal monitor, there is a heartbeat. We (and our midwife) are pretty sure it is a baby human, but if it is an armadillo, I will be pretty upset!!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On that note, we have a number of friends who are in the process of highly complicated adoptions. Andy and Melissa are in Burkina Faso, adopting a child from America from one of Melissa's distant cousins. And Ron and Tracie Warren (close friends from Vegas) just returned from Russia with three children. Nothing could be closer to God's heart, who is a father to the fatherless, than this.

good news in the support department...

we spoke yesterday with Bill Richardson, the head of the missions committee at Downtown Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas... we had blogged previously about our interview there and our hopes that they would be our sponsoring church.

We were aware that they had made a strategic decision to wait two years before sponsoring a missionary, in order to build momentum toward sponsoring an entire team. They informed us yesterday that they had decided to make a one time contribution of $12,000 toward our mission, a major portion of our one-time expenses.

We are humbled by their generosity, and this encouragement was an answer to prayers, as we trudge along the long, slow road toward Mwanza.