A few weeks ago i attended my first Missions Conference in Shell Lake Wisconsin. I just thought i’d take the opportunity to tell you a little about how the conference was for me….
Terrible.
Awful.
Wonderful.
I was warmly received by all, maybe more warmly than is natural — my name was mentioned almost exclusively in almost every single service during the conference, as if i was some great missionary. On Sunday morning, Pastor Virgil Amundson surprised me by asking me to come up and share where we were going / what we were doing even though i’m not an affiliate missionary. That was generous, a little unfair for me to get to share in service when other real missionaries didn't get to.
But then.
the terrible
awful
wonderful.
In the Sunday night service, after a time of worship, Virgil was at the front, during a time of a kind of quiet prayer before moving on with the service… Virgil had the mic, was closing his eyes and just praying and said, “what is it Lord?” “Who needs something special?” he tarried, then i started to get nervous… “no, Lord, not me, not me, not me…” i said under my breath… of course when i realized how wrong that was, i said “i’m sorry Lord, do whatever You want, but oh please not like this…”
It was me.
Virgil broke the tarrying by saying “Joe Cathcart…” He explained how we were going to Japan in faith and not expected anything from this conference. He went on and on and said “maybe we could…” before he even got the words out missionaries started walking to the front and laying cash and checks at the altar… i bet every person in the room delivered some money at the front of the church.
of course i went to the front and graciously (or my best attempt) received the offering.
It was heavy.
it was generous.
Virgil said it was God.
:)
that was the
terrible
awful
wonderful
experience i had at the Shell Lake Conference.
in those few painful minutes, those affirming minutes, $3,000 dollars came in.
What a gracious, giving, glorious group of people that i got to rub shoulders with in those few days. Here's hoping some of it rubbed off on me. :)
God bless you all, and thank you.
-joseph
