The Eastern European Summit on Defending the Orphan that took place last week was a huge success! I would have written more about it last week, but between playing hostess to our wonderful foreign guests and catching an awful cold I was exhausted! I'm just now stopping to reflect on what an amazing week it really was.
530 Christian pastors and ministry leaders from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Romania and other nations were all in one room for 2 days hearing from a cross section of Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox leaders. If you know this country-- you know that this fact alone is no small feat!
A region that can often be so divided by denominational differences was instead united under one cause-- to see Eastern European Christians rise up and care for the fatherless in their land.
To see this cross section of leaders, all sharing the stage together on the opening day, sharing their heart for their nations and then together praying the Lord's prayer was a beautiful site to see.
We had the privilege of having some great leaders from the US share their hearts and experience as well, and from the response we received, we know that those who were listening were both challenged and encouraged. Sometimes it is hard to evaluate a big event like a summit or a conference-- I think it takes time to see what God will do and how these leaders will go back to their churches and regions and influence the climate. But I have no doubt that God is doing something.
And what would a big event like this be without a little bit of controversy?? Some fringe Catholic group (that the Catholic church doesn't recognize) from Russia decided they would come out to protest the event. Holding signs and passing out literature opposing the summit, a group of about 20 or so gathered outside the conference hall the first day-- saying our group was propagating child selling and worse. Another reminder about the war against children and the spiritual battle we are facing.
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| protestors being filmed by our CBN news team |
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| sad that they didn't come and listen to the heart of our messages! |
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| Wess Stafford giving a powerful message on the importance of one minute in the life of a child.
I left my camera at home the 2 days of the Summit- so these photos are all thanks to our awesome CBN News correspondent, George Thomas. George came to film a story surrounding the events of the summit and the movement taking place among Christian leaders in the realm of adoption and orphan care. I'll look forward to sharing that piece with you once it is produced!
Now I'm off for a few days to take a break...and it involves tea, scones, the Queen and a wedding! More on that later...
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