The Personal Touch

Leon has been encouraging me to take my turn sharing a post, so now I will tell you about the honor I had to welcome several individual ladies.  My first lady was Luda (not her real name) from Russian Federation. She speaks very good English and sparkles with joy and interest in others.  I escorted her to her room with Leon pulling her bags, then I oriented her to the features in the room and how to operate the AC remote, find hot water on the left, not the right as in Europe, etc. and then asked if I could pray with her.  It was a bonding moment and both of us were wiping tears as I finished.  The next day when she saw me in the hall, she came close and pulled a bracelet gift out of her fanny pack and said, “I want you to have this, and thanks for all you do for us!”  (It was blue to match a necklace she noticed that I was wearing when she first met me.)

I welcomed 5 more ladies like this during their arrivals Saturday and Sunday and each time our prayer time brought us close.  A lady from Indonesia  asked if she needed to clean the room and I said, no, we do that for you and she said she was embarrassed to have me do that for her, but I reassured her that we are volunteers who chose to come and count it a privilege to serve so they can learn without these tasks to take their learnings back to their environment.

Monday afternoon, I offered to help with the introductory games and got many good laughs to see these professional leaders from many different countries relax, laugh and play together.  You see their personalities in the group dynamics and who takes leadership.

To see the ladies God has called to be here at this place and this time, gives purpose to my hot, sweaty, menial tasks.

Receiving my bracelet

Fun name guessing game

Carrying water blindfolded relay

The Anticipated Weekend Arrives!

Well the long anticipated weekend has finally arrived.  This first month since our arrival 4 ½ weeks ago we volunteers have been working hard at preparing the facilities for this next group of participants coming for the September training session.   We are expecting 59 participants from 25 different nations, plus another 10 or so international instructors, all of whom are graduates of the same program and are developing leaders in their home countries. 

Earlier this week, however, Pacific hurricane Lester, was threatening to disrupt our plans and probably many if not all of the flights of those coming in from all over the globe.  But, PTL, God in his gracious sovereignty had a “conversation” with Lester as The Master did in Mark 4:39, “[and He] rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace!  Be still.’  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  And the Pacific storm began veering to the northeast and further away from the Hawaiian Islands.  What a mighty God we serve! 

So tonight (Saturday) the participants began arriving and we have now welcomed 23 of the 59.  The rest arrive throughout the day on Sunday.  Many on them have been traveling for over 24 hours with multiple connecting flights and layovers.  One lady from Africa was almost shedding tears of joy saying that she has been anticipating this day for nearly 5 years!  From the moment they arrive they are welcomed and cared for with the highest love and respect.  The men volunteers handle all the luggage items while the women accompany them to their rooms, help orient them, and pray with them.

Thank you to all our friends who have been praying for us and for this important gathering of Christian vocational leaders.   We can see and feel the evidence of God’s hand at work every day in so many ways.  Please especially lift up in prayer the participants as they have so many adjustments to make in these next days.  One of them is that each one shares a double room with another participant who is not from her same country.  The full training sessions start on Tuesday.

Wishing for you a blessed Sunday!

Leon

Lester tracking to the north of the "pink" highlighted Hawaiian Islands

Some of the incoming participants and their luggage

Our volunteer ladies greeting the new arrivals

Male volunteers, as cheerful luggage porters

Our group about 2 weeks ago; 6 more have been added since

From where around the globe the participants come