Caricature of Karen & Keith by Sam Mylin: Masterpiece Art Ministry
Yes, We're Back on the Road
This blog finds us back in Lancaster, PA where we just participated in Grace Church at Willow Valley's mission conference. As always, Grace did another fantastic job of welcoming us home, encouraging us in our ministry, and providing wonderful venues through which to share the many ways God is working around the world. This was our first opportunity to share our work with Global Outreach Mission with everyone at Grace!
The conference started with a casual "Coffee House" gathering on Friday evening inside the Family Life Center. Karen and I enjoyed the 3 hours of congregational coffee, cookies, fruit, conversation, mingling, chatting, sharing about Global at our display, and networking with the other missionaries.
Sharing Global with friends during Grace's Coffee House.
Progressive Dinner
Saturday evening's featured activity was the Progressive Dinner where five different missionaries had the chance to share their ministries during each of the five progressive courses. The evening started with five sets of participating missionaries sharing the full meal together before heading out to our respective "courses." This is always a special hour for Grace's missionaries as we very seldom have the opportunity to gather around the same table to break bread.
While celebrating all 28 missions/ministries supported by Grace, five specific agencies and outreaches were represented during the progressive meal: Water Street (Rescue) Mission, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Encompass World Partners, Camp Conquest, and Global Outreach Mission.
Breaking bread (eating Pig Stomach) with our other Grace missionaries.
There's Nothing Quite Like A Steamy Plate Of Pig Stomach
Sandy Thomas was our gracious host for the combined missionary meal and also served as Station 4: Main Course. Karen and I were blessed to remain at Sandy's house as the "main course missionaries" and were privileged to watch five different groups sit down to steamy platters of "Pig Stomach" with green beans on the side. Also known as "Hog Maw," "Pennsylvania Dutch Goose," or "Susquehanna Turkey," it is a traditional Lancaster County "comfort food" which Sandy and her kitchen crew prepared to perfection. As each group worked their way through the Hog Maw and beans, Karen and I shared our work with Global Outreach. The caricature at the top of this post was sketched by Sam Mylin as we explained our role with Global during the progressive dinner. THANKS SAM!
Sunday Morning
On Sunday, Karen and I were blessed to share Global with three different adult Sunday School classes and give a report at the conference's closing banquet.
Sunday Evening K&K Debrief
And when three days of conference and conversation are all said and done, there's lots of follow-up to organize, notes to write, tasks to assign to each other, thoughts to categorize, and a myriad of loose ends to wrap up before moving ahead. Karen's brother, Steve, and sister-in-law, Cindy are our hosts for nearly all of our trips into Lancaster. They do a fantastic job providing us with a place to eat, sleep, and work.
Sunday evening conference debrief at Steve & Cindy's.
We still have a full week of appointments, visits, and follow-up to move through. And, of course, our Gobal "office" is still open for business no matter where we are in the world. Thanks for keeping us going through your personal investment in our lives and in our ministry. This trip has been, and continues to be, good for us as we grow in Global and share the nearly endless opportunities and ways to expand God's Kingdom inside, and outside, The Church.
God's Richest Blessings Upon You!
