Everything started for me with the projects team at 9am on Friday morning (Dec. 4th) and the meeting ran on unexpectedly into the afternoon. We did an excellent review and evaluation of all our projects and sorted out lots of things which certainly needed sorting. The main focus was of course on the critical drought and the need for more wells and other emergency water and food supply mechanisms. We have the bit between our teeth.
Well having worked all day on this I got to the Leadership Conference in time for the opening evening fellowship meal prior to the initial meeting. There were the usual Brazilian hugs all round as everyone arrived. Wonderful! Different ones wanted to tell me this that and the other - just as well I am a walking computer!
Then came the opening service in which the visiting speaker from Fortaleza knocked everyone for six! It was greatly blessed. Fantastic! What ministry about servant leaders! Just what the doctor ordered! Brilliant! In the other two meetings which followed, on the Saturday night and Sunday morning, the messages were equally good. In fact it just got better and better. PTL!
I got to bed the first night at gone 11pm and Liz even later. We were both up before 6am on the Saturday and the marathon (a joyous one) continued. After breakfast I chaired an excellent meeting of the Projects Board of Leaders (see photo below) and this was later followed by another very good meeting of the Churches' Board of Leaders. We just managed to finish in time for lunch and after that we launched into 2 general assemblies - one of all the church leaders and the other of all the Projects people in general. We just managed to squeeze all that in prior to the evening meal!
After eating it was meeting number 2 with great praise and worship, lots more hugs and interaction between the 90 leaders (a total of 130 were there including kids and support team) and then the visiting speaker was off again and this time hit the ball out of the ground! After the service we had a long wonderful meeting with Pastor Wostenes (vice-chairman of the work here) and his wife Gleydice and I got to bed half an hour after midnight with Liz arriving, amidst my snores, two hours later as she had to counsel another leader unexpectedly.
So came Sunday morning and the final great service with more great preaching from my friend Carlos Queiroz which was like winning the World Cup! Absolutely glorious. We all ended up having our final fellowship lunch together and then everyone, after loads more hugs, headed back to their respective churches for the evening service. I managed to post some photos of the event on facebook in the afternoon and made it to the Communion service in Patos in the evening which I lead and preached at. It was a lovely service. So as I said - we ended up exhausted - but inspired! Thanks for your prayers and support.
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