Conference Recap

The women’s' conference went really well on Saturday. The main speaker was good and only spoke in the morning which made it all feel a little less exhausting. This is the fourth year they've done this and everyone was saying how it was the best year ever.

The main speaker is a doctor from Murska Sobota. The subject she spoke on was love. It was encouraging. After her hour segment we had a break and I amazed my friends by drinking coffee instead of tea. Timothy and I are known for disliking coffee. Once I got enough milk and sugar in the cup it was okay! I was having a difficult time staying awake and needed a boost.

After the break my friend Barbara gave her testimony of how her marriage was dissolved and their home was a living hell right before becoming Christians. She ran the house, the daughter was manipulative and no one was happy. She said it was confirmed to her that her house had become a peaceful place when not too long ago an Indian couple (Ram and Sally) came over for lunch and fell asleep on their couch.

There were more testimonies and lots of praise and worship throughout the rest of the day. There is a fairly new missionary couple from California here near to us that I had heard about, but hadn't met yet. She, Michelle, was there and I sat beside her. She also gave her testimony of being healed of cancer in the afternoon. I met a couple other Americans during the day and got to sit with them at lunch, which was nice to know exactly what was being said for a change.

People are always asking me, while they carry on their conversation in Slovene, if I understand. I know some words and by being observant to what is going on around me I can usually figure out what they're talking about. It would be nice though to be able to study Slovene and actually understand.

While Michelle had been speaking a girl walked in dressed all in black and dyed black hair. She had blue streaks in her hair and a spike through her chin. Believe it or not, this didn't catch my eye right away. I just thought the Baptists were broadening their congregation. Later she went up for healing for something and our pastor's wife, Barbara Telzerow, went to her and started to tell her she can be free from her addictions. She said she used to take drugs, but not any more. Uh hu.

My bit came in the afternoon towards the end. The addict was really distracting. This is when I started to notice her. Her eyes were rolling back in her head and she started leaning forward like she was falling asleep. This is actually common here, but I hadn't seen it from this angle before. She was obviously demon possessed and it was very sad. My friend Lucija went to speak with her afterwards, but I haven't heard from Lucija how that went. Lucija is kind of like Pastor Sandy; she'll get ya.

I really felt the Lord impress on me not to take notes with me to the podium. I had known basically what I wanted to say, and I didn't hear the Holy Spirit change any of it, so I'm not sure why that was. I wasn't at all nervous, but all morning I had been wondering how I was going to end my presentation. Conclusions are always the hardest for me. Barbara Telzerow stopped me at the first break and suggested I pray when I'm finished. "Hey, that's a good idea. Thanks!"

Only one Slovene approached me afterward, and she knows me from church, but this doesn't really surprise me. If I had only one word to describe the Slovene's with it would be contrast. They are a warm and loving people, but they love their privacy and don't let you in easily.

However, the Americans and I were having some very exciting conversations after everything was over. One lady and her husband have started a publishing house to get more Christian material translated and printed into Slovene. Another lady is friends with Randy Alcorn. I became familiar with him when I wanted to get off the birth control pill, but had to prove that there was something wrong with it. Lori, the lady who is friends with him, said she would make him aware of what we're doing and see if his ministry will help print our book! AHHHHHHH! Please pray!

Lori and another American at the Baptist church work with university girls and weekly hear sad stories from girls who have had to have abortions. In case you're wondering at my choice of words, that is how society makes unwed mothers feel and there are no adoption agencies in Slovenia. Also, adoption is still a bit of a new concept here.

There were some older saints of God who would come up to me and hug me and say a bunch of stuff. I would just smile and nod: "Resumim malo. Hvala." (I understand little. Thank you.) They just kept on talking.
In other news... We had a snowfall last night, which triggered something within me and I immediately began singing Christmas songs whether I wanted to or not. Also, I have a dentist appointment today. YAY!!!