A perfect day! A fabulous schedule. Excellent speaker! Delicious everything! Deeply moving testimonies! Nice set up in the sanctuary! Loved the worship time! Loved meeting old and new friends! Loved the sharing time! These comments on the evaluation forms gladdened the hearts of Margaret, Joan, Ann, Rose and Deb when they met on Tuesday to debrief after last week’s “Women Together” Conference with singer/songwriter and speaker Kelita.
A week earlier they were worried. They had worked so hard to prepare this bi-annual conference, but only one hundred persons had registered. Then we prayed about it in church. Expectantly! The result was 163 attendees and 20 support persons including musicians, speakers and organizers. PTL!
Behind the scenes, there were more blessings. For example, when the organizers took Kelita out for supper, the restaurant mishandled the timing so that half of the group had to leave for sound checks while the other half was still waiting for their food. The restaurant manager owner felt so badly that he forgave their bill, an amount that was used to bless Colleen and Grace’s band with a raise. Additionally, the vendors gave some or all of their profits to the Zion/Hope Food Bank, an organization that deals with violence against women, a ministry that works to alleviate poverty, and the Esther School in Kenya that the GEMS support.
It was not always easy to listen to Kelita’s stories and songs because she really “came out from behind the mask,” using comedy, story-telling and original songs to share her difficult life. Given the painful things that she shared, the biggest “God-thing” is that she is such a trusting, committed, believing and inspiring Christian today.
In two years, Lord willing and health permitting, this Women’s Conference will be offered again. By then the members of the organizing committee hope to be rested enough to gear up for another one. I can’t thank God enough for them. An evaluation form said it well: “Thanks for all your hard work in organizing this day. It’s good to be stretched and listen and reflect and grow.”
- Pastor Peter
A week earlier they were worried. They had worked so hard to prepare this bi-annual conference, but only one hundred persons had registered. Then we prayed about it in church. Expectantly! The result was 163 attendees and 20 support persons including musicians, speakers and organizers. PTL!
Behind the scenes, there were more blessings. For example, when the organizers took Kelita out for supper, the restaurant mishandled the timing so that half of the group had to leave for sound checks while the other half was still waiting for their food. The restaurant manager owner felt so badly that he forgave their bill, an amount that was used to bless Colleen and Grace’s band with a raise. Additionally, the vendors gave some or all of their profits to the Zion/Hope Food Bank, an organization that deals with violence against women, a ministry that works to alleviate poverty, and the Esther School in Kenya that the GEMS support.
It was not always easy to listen to Kelita’s stories and songs because she really “came out from behind the mask,” using comedy, story-telling and original songs to share her difficult life. Given the painful things that she shared, the biggest “God-thing” is that she is such a trusting, committed, believing and inspiring Christian today.
In two years, Lord willing and health permitting, this Women’s Conference will be offered again. By then the members of the organizing committee hope to be rested enough to gear up for another one. I can’t thank God enough for them. An evaluation form said it well: “Thanks for all your hard work in organizing this day. It’s good to be stretched and listen and reflect and grow.”
- Pastor Peter
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