Latin American Pastor Conference #2 & #3

The Brook Ministries Latin American Pastors Conferences were so good! For 6 days The Brook team arrived every morning around 5:30am and most nights we travelled back home around 8pm. We went straight to bed! The coverage of your prayers smoothed the way for the pastors and their wives to learn new ways of handling conflict within their churches. Many had never had this kind of formal training. It had been years since many of the couples had free time together and time set aside with other pastoral couples. All but one person had ever been on a canopy tour. All but one of the wives had ever had a massage before. They were so excited to actually have the time to relax, fellowship, worship, & laugh together, and unwind in such a beautiful place such as Vista del Valle Resort. The last night at "testimony time" for each conference group, was a deeply moving experience of powerful sharing,prayer and worship. As a result, the needs are known and the direction can be easily seen. Keep your eye out for the ways you can continue to help by reading Pastor Steve Lucas' blog and The Brook Newsletter.
As for my part at the conferences, I gave ever bit of my energy, my love & prayers to each woman I served. His joy, His peace, & His love that it brought to our spirit was the gift we each received. It is so real that we are more blessed when we give than when we receive.
My spanish isn't so great, but better than it was at the first Latin conference in January. I also was better supplied. I created a spanish health history form, a spanish Massage Menu, and had matching "Ministerio del Arroyo" labels on each of the massage gift bags given to each woman along with a bottled water. About half of them wanted a Hot Stone Massage. One of the ladies gave me a beautiful scarf that she got on a mission trip to Chile. On the last morning of the last conference I was given strength first thing in the morning. I was really dragging and I'd been praying that the Lord would give me strength and he did. The first lady for massage took my hands and prayed for them. It moved me and gave me encouragement, strength, & power for the rest of the day! God is so good, He always is faithfull and gives us what we ask for. I will never forget her face or the power of her prayer!
After these 3 conferences, is it so obvious that Latin American Pastors and their wives are getting what they have prayed for....God is faithful and His church here in Central America is being built up, equipped, and strengthened to reach further into some remote areas and into the 10/40 window.
I am looking forward to serving the next conference in January for U.S. Pastors and the wives!
Please don't miss the opportunity to send your Pastor and his spouse. You can't even imagine how good this will be for him and his spouse & how far reaching it really is! Pay it forward!