Think back to when you were a child, and your family made the trip to your grandparents’ house for Christmas. Or maybe a time when you went to a school reunion. Or maybe an annual event or conference that you were looking forward to. The trip itself wasn’t the main event, was it? The arrival wasn’t the main event either. People were the main event. Seeing grandparents or siblings or cousins or fellow classmates or conferees brought a boatload of emotions, didn’t it? They each held a story in their person, parts of which included you. Lots of laughter and tears and jokes and new stories were shared as feelings of love and belonging bloomed in your spirit. You held many things in common. There was enjoyment at being together again.
That’s the feeling after arriving at T Bar M Camps and Retreats Center here in New Braunfels, Texas each year for the Vineyard Missions Leaders Conference. Not just familiar faces, but lives that carry astonishing tales of the work they do. Wild stories of how they were led to be involved in those tales. And even wilder tales of experiences they’ve had in the work they do. These are missionaries and local church pastors and leaders who are involved in many of God’s countries around the world. This is not a boring group of folks. They buzz with Holy Spirit energy. No one is in a rut and looking for excitement to pump up their fatigue of the same old same old. Life is full on and challenging and frequently exhausting.
This week in particular, I met a young man named Edgar King who is the National Director over all the Vineyard churches in Kenya, Africa. And Noel Isaacs (his Anglicized name), the National Director of the Vineyard Churches in the Himalayas (the church he pastors is in Kathmandu, Nepal). Because of a last-minute visa snag we didn’t get to meet Bourama Sidibe from Africa. We heard from Matthias Buehlmann who pastors the Bern, Switzerland Vineyard, Aisha Oyarekhua, an Immigration Lawyer from California, and Jamie Van der Westhuizen from Chile.
Then, of course, there was great worship led by David Ruis, the National Director of Vineyard Churches in Canada, and pastor of a church in Manitoba, Canada. The theme of this week has been the most loving rebuke about our sometimes lack of love and humility and willingness to co-labor. A secondary theme, if I can put it that way, was the loving generosity of God to extend grace and mercy to us – because he has chosen us.
I don’t know how to describe the intensity and volume of discussions constantly taking place during breaks, especially at mealtimes! People leaning in on their elbows at the table as they recount their joys and their challenges. Tears and laughter in abundance. Passing through the maze of tables in the Buckboard Dining room I heard Romania, Nairobi, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Philippines, Iceland’s newest church plant! many Vineyard churches struggling but surviving in Haiti, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, and places that can’t be printed because of sensitivity and on and on until my head was spinning.
God’s Kingdom work is humongous! And he uses these ordinary-looking people to get it done. He might even want to use us! Looking forward to seeing you precious, ordinary-looking candidates tomorrow at 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM UK. PD
