Ben and I had the privilege of attending the World Missions Seminar at Faith Baptist Church of North Little Rock. The seminar is organized by Lynn and Brenda Raburn (pictured above). This is an extraordinary couple that has a heart for missionaries. Having been full-time missionaries out on the field, it became their calling to educate, support, encourage and equip missionaries so that they can be successful on the field. I knew that the seminar would be full of useful information, but I was not prepared for how well it would deal with every aspect of being a missionary. Not only did they teach us about the ins and outs of deputation, finances, planting churches, cooking on the foreign field and more; but, along with their team of highly skilled teachers (including James and Kenya Taylor!!!!), they also taught us about the emotional side of transition, culture shock, leaving your family behind, Inter-personal relationships and conflict resolution. All of these subjects were delivered with the harsh realities, yet with compassion, concern and love. They really prepare the WHOLE missionary to enter the field.
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| Brenda instructing the ladies about carving out time for God and how to disciple women on the field. |
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| Kenya sharing her heart with us about the marital relationship on the field. |
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| Adapting to the Culture with Lynn |
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| Pre-field Deputation with James |
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| I adore this woman!!!! |
The education was phenomenal, the food was delicious and the company was priceless. It was so nice to mingle with others in the same position, others who are in the trenches, and some who have been there done that. I have an even richer support system now that is worth its weight in gold!
We also thoroughly enjoyed our stay with the O'Kelleys. Prior to this week, we had no idea who they are. However, they have a heart for missionaries so they opened up their home for us to stay in (for free!) for the week. We enjoyed getting to know Clint and Andrea and their adorable girls. It is so nice to know we have some awesome friends in Little Rock now!
We are so grateful for all of the people that helped to make this trip possible. We thank God for calling the Raburns to serve missionaries. We are blessed to have the Taylors guiding and encouraging us. There are so many more details from the week, but I cannot possibly share them all. If you have an interest in mission work or are already a missionary, I cannot recommend this seminar enough. You can also get additional online training through the Missionary Training Missionary at www.missionarytrainingministry.com We will be returning to the seminar next year, and hope you will be able to join us! Stay tuned to see what else God has in store for the Fishers...
Equipped and Ready- Anne
"Do not fear the Holy Spirit's movement, embrace it." -Terry Parrish
