Missions Conference 2007
HEARTS FOR THE HARVEST

Pastor St. John decorated the sanctuary with a big banner, and lots of hearts.

Our Conference format this year was three Sundays in a row, plus the Saturday night before the first Sunday. So, we met on Saturday April 21 with Bill Rogers of LIFE BUILDERS (Campus Crusade in Columbia, SC). Bill was also with us for Sunday School on April 22, and in our worship service at 11 AM.

On Sunday night Bill was unable to remain, but the Lord providentially brought Dr. Louis Carter and his wife Ann to be with us. The Carters are with SIM, and and training doctors in Africa and New Guinea, and other places, to do reconstructive surgery. They also show the "Jesus Film" at the hospitals, and many patients believe in Christ.

Here's a photo of Ann and Jack Currey, and Dr. Carter in the background.

Miss Virginia Strom was our missionary on Sunday April 29. Virginia (Miss Ginny) taught many years at the Woodstock School in India, in the foothills of the Himilayas. She speaks Hindi, and longs for India. However, the Lord has placed her in the Atlanta area, where she is ministering to Somali Bantu refugees, with Mission to the World's "Enterprise" group.

Here's Virginia Strom with Pastor St. John.

David Brooks, the Americas Director for Wycliffe Bible Translators was our guest on Sunday May 6. David will soon be transitioning into the role of Far East Director, and moving to Singapore this Fall with his wife Gwen.

This picture shows Kitty Stone, David Brooks, and our Missions Committee Chair: Jerry Best.

"Herman the Heart-Nosed Dog" was our mascot for the conference, and he was won by Logan Keith, who correctly identified all the nations represented by flags on our sanctuary walls.

Our "Faith Promise" goals for the Conference were full participation as far as prayer cards are concerned, and $60,000 to support missions this coming year. So far (May 8) we are up to 35 cards, and $42,000. We will keep on asking for cards the next few weeks, and I believe we will meet our goal. In our 2006 mission year, Waysiders were enabled by God to give over $120,000 to missions.

As usual, Waysiders pitched in to help. Here's Tom Cook, cooking hot dogs.

Here are Elizabeth Akins (with silverware) and Janet Best in the kitchen.

Everybody loves to eat. That's really the theme of all our Missions Conferences: "Meet and Eat!"

Here are some more folks helping out in the kitchen.

Rick Jahn and Larry Mick are "working." Jim Bardoner is getting some more chicken!

One night we had "Fiesta Night" with "Do it yourself tacos" and decorations by Bob Bukovsky. Here's Madison dressed up in a Mexican serape! We can't figure out what this has to do with Somali Bantus in Atlanta, but we had a great time!

Virginia Dove made us a lot of refridgerator magnets with missionary names on hearts, and we took them home to remind us to pray for our missionaries.

We had lots of good singing and instrumentals for special music!
Larry Mick, Lisa Talbert, Bob Brown

Many thanks to all the missionaries who took time to travel and be with us, and to all who helped with our 32nd Annual Conference, "Hearts for the Harvest."