The Fiel Conference starts today! A quick recap of all some of the prayers the Lord answered in this regard:
- several boxes of books we ordered from Editora Fiel and other publishers which were delayed – the last ones arrived this past Thursday
- Bibles I ordered from the international Bible Society in Brazil, which were held us by customs (even though we’re not supposed to pay duty on Bibles) – it is still a mystery to me why it didn’t go to our post box, but they couriered the boxes up to Nampula, and yesterday morning I got an exemption from paying duty (still had to pay a handling fee, not very impressed about that – they shouldn’t have handled it! 
) and was told to return at 11h30. After inspecting the boxes the official finally let me go.
- the tent for our meetings that wasn’t sent from South Africa in time – it arrived last Saturday and has been set up since Thursday last week.
Aside from these long-term matters, there was some anxiety, at least on my part, when our colleague Karl Peterson let me know on Sunday afternoon that our visitors coming from Brazil weren’t on the plane! Their plane had left late in Brazil, so they missed their connection in SA. They finally arrived in Maputo about 20h00 on Sunday evening – without their luggage. Eventually it was discovered that the luggage had arrived on the original flight, but it took quite a long time for them to get hold of it. The poor guys went to bed at 1h00 and had to be up at 4h00 for an early flight to Nampula.
I was so blessed by one of my friends who let me borrow her bakkie all of yesterday – I had so much to do! After running many errands in town yesterday morning, I was back out at SIL putting more finishing touches on the bookstore, laminating signs etc. Karl came by at around 13h30, as well as Ty Knight, a 19-year old guy who has been helping Karl’s church in Barberton with construction projects and various other things – he was gratefully put to work setting up tables and benches and carrying sound equipment! We thought we would be a whole group of people who could make quick work of putting together the registration packets – but then it was mostly Karl and I. O well… We were done about 16h30 and I left around an hour later, stopping at the flat before the big welcoming dinner and prayer time at the Woodrows. I could finally meet:
- Rick Denham, son of Editora Fiel’s founder, a great guy who had a VERY successful marketing company in the music industry in the States and is now working with Fiel – the prospect of picking his brain on Fiel’s possiblities in Africa is positively scintillating!
- Kevin Millard, the head of what we call the “Pastor’s Library” project – it’s so great to meet the man behind all the emails at long last. And he brought me goodies, so I like him already
- Gilson Santos – one of our two speakers, who has been here for a previous conference, a lovely man who I am looking forward to hearing
- Christine Hallett – a lady who was a missionary in Beira way back before Independance, who will be doing the ladies’ sessions
I somehow didn’t manage to speak to Ronald Kalifungwa, our other speaker…
After a lovely dinner, we went around the table introducing one another and sharing something about those we know well, and then had a time of prayer about the conference, followed by dessert, fellowship and some more work for some. Having everyone here at last really lifted my spirits and made all the frustrations and feelings of failure of the past few weeks worth it and, in comparison, truly insignificant. It’s such a blessing when the Lord helps us take our eyes off ourselves and see His blessings, His goodness and His beauty in new ways! May He truly be glorified during this week!
