At our GMC Annual Conference in 2025 Steve was elected at a Lay Delegate for our General Conference. It was planned for Aug/Sept of 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. I was so excited he had been elected, so I began to fill out the application to be a volunteer and serve however I may be needed.
Well, Dec 2025 changed everything. He was gone, should I still go? We were planning the trip together and really looking forward to all that it could hold. After Steve died, I decided that if I would be chosen as a volunteer I would go, and if I wasn't chosen, I wouldn't go... I wasn't sure how else to make that big of a decision in my life at that time. In Feb. I received on email saying that out of the over 300 applications for the 140 volunteer spots, I was being asked to serve on the prayer team. I guess I was going to South Africa.
Man, did I miss my detail oriented, planning husband - I can do that stuff, but I don't like it - Steve loved planning and researching and arranging everything. I eventually got it all done and on Wed August 26, I was off for this trip. Pittsburgh to London, time in downtown London then to Johannesburg after a 4-hour delay. I was thankful for a retired pastor friend on my flights so we could navigate all the airport things together and figure out how to get to our hotel in J-burg and such.
Then it was hitting the ground running, checking in to the hotel, finding places to eat and learning how to navigate the HUGE mall attaching the hotel and the convention center. Had orientation for the prayer team and then the conference kicked off on Sunday. Unfortunately, I got quite sick by Tuesday and spent the day in the room - sleeping and watching conference online. The pace was demanding and the work happening in the conference was tedious. I was missing Steve, it would have been SO mice to have him around, while we both would have been serving in different capacities, just having his presence would have been amazing. But this "we" trip had turned into a "me" trip and just like everything else in life, I had to figure out how to manage. Thankfully I had some great AW friends there that included me in their meal plans and checked in on me to see how I was feeling.
Overall, conference was a great time. I met so many people, from all over the world that many I can now call friends. A woman around my age, newly engaged, getting ready to step into really hard ministry in a tremendously difficult place. Folks from all through Africa, struggling with how to bring peace and unity in their countries. Filipino friends bringing a great joy of the Lord and deep prayer lives, a couple from India changing their area for Christ. I also go to reconnect with some folks that I hadn't seen in a while and connect face to face for the first time with a band member. We have talked almost every Monday for 2 years and finally met for the first time.
As Steve and I were planning, a game drive/safari was definitely a desire. So, while I was planning, I wanted to make sure to still do this, but with who? So, it was my fellow band member that said - join us. She was going with her conference to Blessman International to see all they do and it included a game drive. Done. So, after conference, I connected with the folks from the Upper Midwest and a few from Florida and spent 3 and a half days with them. Seeing God's amazing creation and serving in so many ways. I was SO impressed with Blessman International. They drill wells, feed children, give shoes and glasses, they speak at schools and help build churches. They have a large farm and teach young people how to farm so they can take it to their homes and have sustainable jobs and food for themselves and others. And they do all of this while proclaiming Jesus and helping all they serve come to know Him. It was such a remarkable time, and I was SO glad God made a way for me to be part of this and realizing that if Steve had been here, we most likely wouldn't have done this, we would have gone a different route for a game drive.
Even though what would have been an amazing "we" trip, turned into a "me" trip it was a remarkable God thing. I shouldn't be surprised that God worked it all out and it was an incredible thing - that is what God does. He allows the hard stuff to happen, and in that we can still experience sweet things that we wouldn't have known otherwise. There are still days that "we" to "me" things are really, really hard but when I am open to it, God does some sweet, sweet things.
No comments:
Post a Comment