Equipping Families to be Strong in the Lord
The “Strong in the Lord Conference” here in the Dallas area was another statement of God’s grace and faithfulness to provide in countless ways! We thought you would enjoy experiencing Session Three from the conference in 35 seconds.
“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.” Psalm 116:5
The Radiant Purity Conference started tonight and will end tomorrow at 6pm. Thank you for your prayers!!
This was our first time to do a Bright Lights conference in Houston – the 4th largest city in the US.
Just as He did in Arkansas, the Lord blessed us in Houston with several godly young ladies from the area who helped us lead the small groups. It was mutually refreshing to have that instant fellowship with them in Christ as we served together, even though most of us didn’t know each other previously.
After attempting a few conferences overseas last fall without Stephen, we are very grateful for all his work to make the conferences run smoothly on the technical side of things. Thanks also to Kristin for running Power Point.
Cool down discussion with leaders …
Mrs. Moore (right) told me that a few years ago her daughters told her “Mom, we aren’t doing anything to get the gospel out to people.”
So they began pursuing various ideas for witnessing: door to door, children’s ministry, open air presentations to kids at parks, etc. It sounds like they have been busy!
She told me that her daughters are comfortable to share the gospel just about anywhere now since they’ve been doing it so much.
Their example illustrates the concept that we grow in witnessing by simply obeying Jesus and doing it. We improve and gain confidence as we go, but how will we learn if we never start?
Amy and Melanie Bogner (above) hosted the conference and also hosted our whole group in their home. We loved their fun and encouraging personalities and wonderful hospitality. It just went by a little too fast. [smile] Melanie came to the first Bright Lights Leaders Training in 1999.
Today we are setting up at the church in Carrollton, Texas (near Dallas). The “Strong in the Lord” conference starts tomorrow. Please pray that the Lord work prepare hearts and minds and produce much fruit for His glory!
“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)
We have had a few free days in Houston in between conferences. They have been fairly relaxing with many good times of fellowship. Our Radiant Purity conference here in Houston starts tomorrow. After that we have another week of conferences in the Dallas area and then we go home.
Some friends (the Moffitts) generously let us stay in their house for a few days while they were away.
Our computers and printer come in just about everywhere because there is always a lot of office work to keep up with.
Tuesday we spent several hours at NASA. It was pretty interesting.
In one of the buildings they have a Saturn V rocket.
After NASA we took a Ferry ride and watched the dolphins.
And then we had dinner and a 2 Corinthians study on the beach.
We have lots of “van time” on Bright Lights trips. They usually consist of sleeping, talking, or singing. On this particular van ride we decided we’d go around and everyone say one of your favorite verses and why you like it. It turned into many mini sermons [smile].
Yesterday we set up at the church for the conference this weekend.
Happy Birthday Natalie (left)! You’ve been a huge blessing on the team, and I’ve appreciated your sincere love for the Lord and others.
Things are going well here in Arkansas! Yesterday we concluded the “Strong in the Lord” Conference, and tomorrow the “Radiant Purity” Conference begins. Please pray for us and for the attendees.
Olivia (left) with three conference attendees. Olivia is just starting a Bright Lights group here in Arkansas, and we’re so glad she joined us to help at these conferences.
Hannah (right) and her mom and sister. Hannah’s mom told me about how faithful Hannah is in passing out tracts. She told me her favorite is the “Good Person Comic” from Living Waters. It sounds like the Lord is really using her! [smile]
The topic of “learning to witness” is often the topic that the attendees say they are most interested in. Please pray that the Lord would give these girls boldness to act upon what they are learning and truly be bright lights!
The Lord has provided a fantastic team of leaders. They have really been an encouragement to me! It is a true gift to be able to have fellowship with other girls who have been walking with Jesus and have riches to share because of it.
I took this picture Monday night as we were studying 2 Corinthians 1 before bed. It was very refreshing [smile]. We chose 2 Corinthians as our book for this 3 week trip.
Nawon talking with Nickie. Nawon is from Korea and has led a purity conference for young ladies in Korea. She sees a lot of needs among the girls there and has a heart to provide more discipleship for them in the future. We are excited about how the Lord is going to continue to use her.
Last night Maiike shared with us the whole story of how she began a Bright Lights group in Congo. She gave a beautiful report of the Lord’s hand at work, even though it has not been an easy process. She has been back in Canada for the last 9 months, but the local girls in Congo have continued the work. And Maiike is thrilled to be returning to Congo in September. The Lord has given her great vision for discipleship for that country, and her enthusiasm is very encouraging. [smile]
We had a very good trip down to Arkansas yesterday. This morning we are unloading and setting up at the church.
Though many of our previous Bright Lights leaders are now married, courting, or busy elsewhere, we are grateful for how the Lord has provided many new girls to join our team this year. We’d appreciate prayer that the Lord would work in mighty ways in the lives of the young ladies and parents who will be attending these conference here in Arkansas this week. Please also pray for strength and wisdom for our team.
“… the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:14
Savannah and her mom got up in the middle of the night to begin traveling to Lilydale, Victoria, where the Bright Lights conferences were being held. They knew they had a very long drive ahead of them. Unfortunately they had some obstacles to navigate around: kangaroos jumping in the road. They explained to me how one kangaroo was actually jumping along in front of their vehicle, keeping them from going the usual speed. Eventually they decided to pull off onto the side of the road for a while to wait for the kangaroos to clear.
On Thursday Sarah taught a Leader’s Training. We were so excited that forty-four girls and moms came. We were even more excited that many of them are seriously interested in beginning a Bright Lights group!
On Friday and Saturday we ran the Radiant Purity conference, and then on Monday we taught the Strong in the Lord conference.
Brownie lost his head during the Brownie skit. “Brownie, hold yourself together!” Cowgirl Bekah exclaimed while handing his head back to him–er–her. [smile]
I think we all agreed Jolynn was pretty funny as the “day-dreamer” in the CBN News Report skit during the purity conference.
There were many priceless moments during the conferences in Australia. Hard moments to capture on a blog … most happened during individual one-to-one interactions and during small group times. Australians have much less opportunity to attend live conferences like this, and many came from long distances.
Our prayer is that the seeds of God’s Word that were sown in girls’ hearts will continue to bear fruit and grow, affecting all of Australia and beyond. We know that as individuals make decisions to deny themselves and follow Christ, their influence affects many more.
After the Radiant Purity conference one girl told Sarah that her life had been changed. She is planning to end a relationship that she knows is not God’s will, to live for the Lord now, and also to begin a Bright Lights group with her mom!
Grace Wong giving final announcements as we concluded the Radiant Purity Conference. Grace has been leading a Bright Lights group in Australia for a couple years now, and she and her family were the main ones who organized and hosted the conferences. She did an excellent job, and we are so grateful for the hard work she and her family put into this. So many others also sacrificed to help in big ways.
Our team of leaders who helped us lead the conferences. We snapped this picture Saturday night after we were all tired out and about ready to start saying goodbye. Just like He does in every country, the Lord brought together a beautiful team of leaders who love Him and display it in their lives. It is so special to go to a “far away land” and yet be right at home with sisters who are so like-minded.
Besides for the three conferences, we also had some opportunities to enjoy Australia. The trees and animals in Australia are so different. It was really fun to wake up to unique bird calls. After feeding this bird, Jolynn ran into a little unforeseen problem. “Um…How do I tell the bird I want it to go now?”
Tuesday evening was a highlight for all of us as we went to the Langford’s house for dinner and had a really special evening. The delicious meal got even better when the kangaroos started hopping out. Talk about dinner entertainment – watching real kangaroos in the wild!
Though difficult to see in this picture, there were dozens of kangaroos hopping around out there.
I still have a lot to post so I will be putting up more pictures and reports soon.
Singapore Conferences!
Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell B Vanderbon have taken on … um … a new look look for these overseas conferences. Dani has definitely exceeded what I thought a girl could do playing Mr. Maxwell.
The good thing was that I could actually get this dress zipped up. When we do overseas conferences we ask local people to help find skit props. Some Asian people are kind of … um, small! [smile]
Small groups!
This picture is of Reena (in white), a 26-yr old girl who is now engaged, sharing with my small group about how the Lord had changed her thinking in the area of purity and relationships. The girls loved hearing her share, and it was really a provision from the Lord to have her with us!
Dads praying for their daughters
Moms praying for their daughters
“Cool down” time with staff and those who had helped to host the conference, sharing stories.
Eating pizza and ice cream with flavors we don’t get in the States…red bean, durian, jackfruit …
This is something else we were eating that I’m going to miss! … it’s a soft bean curd desert with a sweet syrup-like sauce.
There is so much more to share, I feel that this is a very inadequate representation of the Singapore conferences. Right now we are in Australia. It has been an extremely full week and blogging hasn’t been top priority, but I will definitely be posting more reports soon. Sarah and Nickie are packing suitcases now as I write this. We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning to fly home.
It doesn’t feel like Christmas yet, especially since I have a sunburn! We’ve had an amazing trip, and we are going home to snowy Iowa for Christmas with full hearts of gratefulness and awesome memories. More reports coming soon.
Wow, I’m definitely behind in sharing what has been happening. Since the last blog post, we’ve had two conferences in Kuala Lumpur, two conferences in Singapore, and now we’re in Australia. For now, I’m just going to give a short report of our time in KL, with more reports coming soon. (Depending on how much time + internet access I have. 🙂 )
We adjusted the schedule in KL so that each conference was just one day. Friday was the “Strong in the Lord” Conference, and Saturday was the “Radiant Purity” Conference. In a way, the weekend felt like it went by like one crazy blur [smile], but we really saw the Lord working in girls’ lives!
Bekah’s small group at the Strong in the Lord Conference.
Nickie kept very busy at the book table. It was encouraging to see how thirsty the moms were for discipleship materials for their families.
Although Stephen wasn’t with us, the Lord provided some other young men from the church. We really appreciated all their help and time. (Running sound isn’t always an easy job at a Bright Lights conference because of so many different actors coming and leaving stage during the skits.)
This is what we ate for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning at an Indian restaurant. These “fried pancakes” (roti prata) come in many shapes and sizes, and this one was about 3 ft tall.
…with sweetened condensed milk on the inside.
I’ve heard my dad give his “Rebekah” message from Genesis 24 many times at churches, but this was the first time I heard it with Chinese translation! (The church that hosted the conference had a Chinese church that met simultaneously to the English service.) This is one of my dad’s “life messages” upon which we have based many aspects of our ministry.
It’s been great having my parents with us. They flew in to KL and joined us the day before the conference started. Things are always better when they are along.
BUT the big surprise happened a week later when Stephen flew in to help with the Singapore conferences. He’s with us now in Australia. Having him with us has definitely been a highlight of the trip for me and Sarah. 🙂 It was a last minute decision.
Traveling light is not really a possibility when you are bringing a sound system, book table supplies, and misc. conference materials in your suitcases…plus traveling for 7 weeks. It definitely made bus trips extra interesting. We are VERY grateful to the many kind people here who have helped us with transporting them. I’ve also been gaining more insights on Hebrews 12:1. (Haha.)
Wherever we go, one of the highlights is always simply getting to know the people. This night was just a relaxed evening with a couple other families.
One evening we out with several young people who we got to know when they attended the University of Iowa. Their friend, Xin Hui, came to our church, and we got to know them through her. Sarah e-mailed them in advance saying we’d be in KL, and they took us to a nice Chinese restaurant. They also gave me a “green tea / red bean” cake for my birthday. It was great! [smile]
One evening, we got together with a Chinese church of new believers. It was refreshing to hear their vibrant testimonies and share with them some of the lessons the Lord has taught us.
As I mentioned, we are in Australia now. (Trying to keep warm, haha!)
Please PRAY for the Bright Lights Leaders Training that Sarah is teaching tomorrow. Last I heard, 44 girls and moms were attending. This is pretty large number for a Leader’s Training– normally these trainings are with a smaller group. It would be great to see more Bright Lights groups begin in Australia. The Radiant Purity Conference begins the next day.
At the last conference in Melaka, the Bright Lights was not an independent event, but the girls’ track in a home school conference.
The picture above is the parents’ sessions. Homeschooling is more difficult for families here in many ways. It was refreshing to talk with families from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore who are desiring to be different from the world and raise their families for the kingdom of God. It’s refreshing to have that “instant fellowship” with like-minded families on the other side of the world. God is raising up a remnant of young people for His glory all over the world [smile]!
This is a short video of “our girls” singing for their parents on the last day of the conference. Since our theme with the girls this year was “Sing a New Song,” we taught them a new song called, “My Life is Like A Flower.” It speaks of how our lives go by so quickly and we want each day to be a “song sung to Jesus.”
Report from today: Today we have been setting up at the church where we will be running the Bright Lights conferences here in KL, Malaysia. My parents just arrived this morning and had a great flight. We will be running 2 one-day conferences tomorrow and the next day. My dad will be helping to run a young men’s conference simultaneously. Please pray that the next 48 hours would be fruitful for the Lord.
“O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” Psalm 96:1-6
Thanking the Lord for the privilege of working with such special girls for three days. They were SO sweet. So affectionate, appreciative, eager to learn and grow … so much fun to be with!
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment…” 1 Peter 3:3 Each of the girls at the Bright Lights conference in Melaka, Malaysia made a little reminder to take home of one of the lessons taught—inward beauty. The world chases after a fading beauty and cherishes the “shell.” We, instead, chase after Christ and cherish the pearl of knowing Him. Philippians 3:8 says, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…”
Jolynn and Carolynn (Bright Lights leaders in Singapore who both lead a BL group there) planned the theme this year: “Sing a New Song.” They did so much work and planning and did a fantastic job!
This was a fun activity. The girls fill the glasses with just the right amount of water to make five notes on a scale so that when you tap the glasses with a spoon so you can play a song.
Bekah teaching memory verses
Saturday evening we ate a delicious Chinese dinner with the Tehs – leaders in the home school community here.
I don’t know which was more entertaining- seeing Mr. Teh remove the fish eyeballs from the fish head and suck them (a Chinese delicacy) or watching the the reactions of the Americans around him.
After dinner we also went to Jonker street – a popular night market in Melaka. Very neat place to go! Very little “personal bubble space,” lol, but that’s just part of the fun experience. [smile]
Yesterday after walking around and getting some things to eat at the bus station in Kuala Lumpur, we learned that we were going to be there for another hour and a half. So we decided it was a good time for a Sunday afternoon Bible study. Surrounded by our mound of suitcases, we all turned to Hebrews 12 and had such a good discussion. This has been one of the best parts of Bright Lights conferences this fall season…. all the interesting Bible studies we’ve been able to enjoy together in various places [smile]! So fun to “put your heads together” on a passage hear others’ insights.
We continued the discussion this morning and talked for a while about how God disciplines us (Hebrews 12:5-12). Although He chastises us, but He does not punish us (people saved through faith in Jesus) for our sins because Jesus took that punishment on the cross. Later today, Sarah reminded us of a quote from David Brainard that says, “Oh methinks if He would punish me for my sins, it would not wound my heart so deep to offend Him; but though I sin continually, yet He continually repeats His kindness to me.”
I went on a shopping trip last night here in Kuala Lumpur. You really see what you’re getting when you buy fish in Malaysia! And you really smell it too. [smile]
I wonder how to choose which fish to buy? Maybe whichever one looks the friendliest?
