I LOVE Missions Conferences

I went to the Waldheim Missions Conference Sunday night, and had a great time! I've been telling several friends about it via email and realized that my friends here may enjoy this too.

Or, maybe be amused at my enthusiasm, eh?

Waldheim is a small prairie town about 40 minutes drive north of Saskatoon, and has been having a summer missions conference for 90 years!

I recall our family going almost every evening for that week in July from way back before the churches in that town were built bigger and better. Back then it was held in the hockey or curling rink. It had no real glass windows, but it had wooden window-sized sections that could be pushed out at the bottom to let fresh inside.

My earliest memory is about me babysitting my young siblings in the car just outside one of those louvered openings, and listening to Theodore Epp preaching inside, whom I knew from his daily sermons on Back to the Bible on the radio.

As the younger siblings learned to sit still through the service, probably because some of the missionaries dressed in the ethnic clothing of the people they went to reach, and we heard stories and saw interesting displays in the foyer, or side room. I got to hear and see more too.

While I lived in London, Ontario, I was glad I attended a church that believed in having missionary conferences every fall. I was excited to be asked to help make theme displays!

When I moved back home in 1983 to care for my parents, I was glad to see that they still went to at least one of the missions conference evenings each summer. I felt like the ugly duckling who had found her own kind!

I can't afford the gas or time to go for every night to Waldheim where the churches take turns hosting the service, but I do try to go for the opening Sunday evening if at all possible.

This past Sunday evening the place was swarming with people; I must've greeted a dozen missionaries I have known for years. I hugged and received hugs from a number of those! I signed up for prayer letters from a couple from Costa Rica. (I'm already on the mailing lists of many others.)

Driving home in a blue/grey fog which was actually smoke from the forest fires to the west of us, I could not help but think how blest I've been to know about and enjoy my friendships with so many missionaries. I really love their reports and would gladly go again - Monday thru Wednesday this week, but I know it is not wise or feasible.

Perhaps you thought you knew me but this may be a new side. I was surprised myself to realize how very special missions and missionaries are to me!

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