Refresh Africa, Part 2

So, you're wondering what we did at our conference?

We had sessions from right after breakfast until lunch.  The afternoons were free (or less structured, I should say), and then we had a hour-long session just before dinner.

Now if session makes you think boring, well, you'd be wrong.  Quite wrong indeed.

It was such a wonderful mix of serious and fun, challenging and encouraging, West Africa and world stories.

I mentioned the theme was "Refresh Africa".  At first glance, it might seem that it was referring to us, the WA team, being refreshed by this conference.  But actually, the guy who gave the devotional the first morning explained that the heart behind our time together was...that Africa would be refreshed.  That we would take the refreshment the Lord was offering, and in turn refresh Africa.  Encourage our African brothers and sisters.  Serve them.  Serve with them.  Bring hope to those in Africa who don't yet know the Lord.

Worship -

Getting set up.  It's work.  All that practicing and fiddling around with knobs and repeatedly plugging and unplugging things...

Where is everybody?!

We figured if we started singing, they'd come.

And they did!  Like a rushing tidal wave.  Or...not quite.

Worshipping as a group in English was such a treat.

We did throw a couple French songs in there.  This one is based on the verse, "If the Lord does not build the house, those who build labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

Appropriate for us to remember...in our church planting or any other ministries, if the Lord is not doing the work, our efforts are in vain.

(Credit for this photo: Kirk R.  I just...sort of had to say something.  Several people made their pictures available to all of us who attended, and I know they wouldn't mind us using them, but I'd feel weird if I didn't mention that they weren't actually my pictures.  End of rabbit trail confession.)

Skits -

Prayer and discussion groups -

We had compiled a list of prayer requests from each of the West Africa church planting teams, and each day we spent time praying through part of the list.

Reports -

We got to hear reports from some of our church planting teams in West Africa.  So encouraging.

Coffee break -

Yay for snacks!

- - -

We talked about a number of different things over that week.

Discipleship was a topic that came up a lot.

I love this definition: Living life with believers with the intention of facilitating growth towards an eternal perspective.

It was a timely encouragement for me, right as I was getting ready to leave the ministry in West Africa.  I don't know exactly where or how the Lord will lead me, but I do know that discipleship is absolutely something He wants me to be involved in wherever I am.

One of our missionaries (serving in Brazil) gave a testimony of how they had learned to work together with the rest of the Body of Christ and not just their NTM team.

We'd invited some West African pastors to join us (they were mostly pastors from our host churches).  This gave us a deeper, richer perspective on what God is doing there, and how we can be involved in that.

Norbert talked about training "program" (if I can use that word) that is being developed.  Think of it as Bible School/MTC in an African context - to train and equip African believers for church planting and discipleship.  It makes me so excited.

We also had others outside of the West Africa team - for instance, our US headquarters.  This added yet another perspective to our week.  God is doing amazing things in West Africa, for sure.  But they're not in isolation from the amazing things He's doing in the US, in South America, and in Asia.  It's all part of His grand plan, which He's been carrying out in every part of the world, throughout history.

We had some great devotionals.  I tell you what, even if I've heard some of these Biblical stories a thousand times, they don't get old.

In closing (for today), meet the West Africa leadership team:

Dan and Sharon

Ron and Heather

Paul and Marina

I was so thankful for them - especially for the humility I saw them clearly demonstrate over and over, their passion to follow God's heart, and the way they constantly centered things on who He is.