Thank you for your prayers for my time in Florida!
Thursday morning I did a presentation alongside Michelle Atwell (CEO of SEND US), Robert "Mags" Magwood (Director of SEND Canada), and Derek Johnson (Global Director of Member Care for Christar). The topic was Member Care collaboration in the context of The Sending Collective (an intiative both the US and Canada offices are implementing, but in 2 different ways). After the presentation, there was a networking session where Michelle, Derek, and I were on a panel answering questions others had regarding collaboration. It was exciting to present to other Member Care professionals in the missions world, but I'll admit that I was relieved when it was finished!
We had some great conversations with folks from other organizations about how we can work together to send missionaries better and continue to support them while on the field. I'm looking forward to continuing these conversations which may lead to more formal partnership in the future.
Thursday after dinner was the final evening session all together as a group. After spending time in worship, the main speaker shared about culture and the challenges of sharing the gospel in different cultures, as well as the struggle to maintain culture after conversion.
Friday morning I was able to meet with a friend from another missions organization, along with his co-worker who is their director of Mobilization, to discuss what it might look like if we were to formally partner through The Sending Collective. It was encouraging to hear that it may be a good fit, and that they are looking to discuss more moving forward. The morning breakout session was about caring for missionaries who have children with disabilities, and was very helpful in bringing to mind ways we can better come alongside our members. That wrapped up the conference for me!
After a hotel room snafu, my cousin and his family generously let me stay at their place overnight in St. Cloud (even though they were going out of town for the weekend). We had opportunity to catch up a little before they left, and I enjoyed resting up in a bed shaped like a Disney princess carriage. I extended my stay in Orlando to meet up with an old friend and go to Universal Studios together. She and I had a great time (I especially enjoyed Harry Potter World and eating lunch at The Leaky Cauldron).
Sunday was full of travel, and Monday was a much appreciated day of rest! Now, the preparation for Alaska and Thailand continues, as I only have 10 more days to catch up on office work, get debriefing content put together, practice for leading worship, and raise another $2,000.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- For my health: I started feeling a little sick on Tuesday night, and today it's clear I've got a little cold. Fortunately, it seems pretty minor, but pray for a quick recovery and that I stay healthy for my upcoming trips.
- That I would be efficient in catching up on my office work and reaching out to those I connected with at MissioNexus.
- For my preparation for AK and Thailand: there's a lot still left to do before taking off on the 11th!
- That I would raise the remaining $2,000 before I leave for AK
Thank you again for keeping me in your prayers, and for joining me in the work God is doing!
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