Travel Memories Part 2

Euro Summit 2005

This was the purpose of our trip. Euro Summit is a time when NLI leaders come together to connect, build relationships, inform, and inspire one another in the challenge that we are undertaking. We are provided ample opportunity to visit at breakfast, lunch and supper to build relationship. It is so amazing to be able to sit with people from Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Australia, New Zealand, USA, England and Canada and share. All of us coming from varied backgrounds but all with the same purpose. I think the thing that impressed me about everyone I met was the quality of people we met. Some could be making big money in the corporate world - bank managers, teachers, researchers, business men, engineers...you name it. It is exciting to be a part of such an amazing group of people.

Now here is where I have to be totally "gut-level" honest. I went to this Summit exhausted. I was feeling ..."I would much rather fly to visit my family members and hang out than fly off to another world and meet a bunch of strangers." I sat through many of these sessions trying to absorb information but I was battling some heart issues. Now upon my return I would like to go back and hear some of the sessions again. I do have the notes and as I'm reading them over, I wish I had been more "with it" and absorbed more. I also have to be a little easy on myself as I was learning too and trying to figure how everything fit together. There were reports from people co-ordinating Leadership Training sessions in all these countries, reports from people co-ordinating Short Term Mission trips to help with the church plants and reports from people co-ordinating the Church Plant Projects as well as from the church planters themselves. There was lots to take in.

We started each morning in prayer groups. That was special. My group was made up of a church planter in Poland, a leader in NLI based in England, a lady pastor from Australia who wanted to learn about NLI to see how they could help in the mission and myself.

If I could summarize some points to ponder that I embraced from the Summit they would be:

1. Let nothing be wasted...make good use of everything...even our failures.

2. Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do."
Share my weakness so others can stand with me. (Therefore I'm being brutally honest and putting lots of people on my e-mail list so I can connect and you can help me in prayer and encouragement)

3. I was challenged to be part of a "Life Group" and the importance of relationship for accountability, education, spiritual growth, financial responsiblity, physical health & well being.

The exciting reports have motivated me into the bigger picture of NLI and what our role is to help these church planters struggling to push through incredible barriers to reach others with the Gospel. NLI has successfully planted 60 churches since 1996. The men from Ukraine shared how the short term missions teams have given the church in Ukraine authority and favor with governments, have promoted the churches to step to the next level. More people from the communities have come to the church to "see what is happening" and therefore are exposed to the gospel. NLI trains all these church planters as Bible College is not an option for them in these countries.

My husband is actually leaving to go with our lead pastor Nov 16 to do a week training module in Slovakia for church planters in that country. We are trusting God for 8 - 10 church plants in Slovakia this next year. The following year our focus will be Estonia. There is a lot of other stuff happening but I don't want to put it on a blog. Remember Jesus will not return until people hear the gospel. We have a huge job to do. As each one of us partners together....WOW!!!!

The one evening we had a banquet and guess what we had the same meal we had every other day. That is something I haven't mentioned - our food! It was delicious by the way but just the same.

Breakfast ... cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, assortments of breads, yogurt, cold meats, cheese, eggs, weiners that were very greasy

Lunch - chicken breast, potatoes or rice, salad consisting of a leaf of butter lettuce, a tablespoon of grated carrot, tablespoon of grated green cabbage, tablespoon of grated red cabbage, a cucumber slice and tomato slice and an awesome dessert usually a donut filled with whip cream or cake

Supper - the same...chicken breast done as a stew or chicken breast in a sauce or chicken breast with a crumb crust

It was so special at the banquet as we all had to dress up and come down to the same restaurant for the same food but the tables had been arranged differently. Each lady received a rose as she arrived. You should have seen all the nationals as they arrived. It was so special. Each of these nationals, by the way, were sponsored by NLI to come so this was a "HUGE" treat for them. It was such a blessing to see them, to see their smiles, hear their laughter and watch them receive such huge blessing.

We took an offering that night for a building in Romania that the leaders are wanting to purchase to use as a rehabilitation center. We as a bunch of missionaries raised approximately $14,000. There were a few business men there too observing as to whether they wanted to invest in this missions organization but there were maybe 4 out of 70. Now isn't that awesome!!!!

I sure hope all these details of my trip are not boring you to death. I still have more to share but I'll let you look forward to another chapter later.