Friday, ReachGlobal concluded the week of conferences and conversation together as European workers. The focus of the meetings was multiplying transformational churches (and figuring out exactly what that means!). Though I was happily looking forward to the time of learning, I had no idea it would be such a delightful event.
For one, I loved learning, praising, and praying in English a little. It was nice to interact without any language barriers. As much as I love Italian, every now and then I enjoy diving into complex English and swimming in the linguistic mastery. Mostly, I felt blessed by hearing from our main speaker and the many experienced missionaries as we addressed and unpacked important concepts.
Another beautiful thing was experiencing an international community of fellow servers. I loved simply opening my ears and sitting with them. So many perspectives, ideas, and such consistent love for Christ and God's Kingdom overwhelmed me with hope and peace. The desire to act coupled with the humble attentiveness to God's will was inspiring.
Overall, I returned to my room each night with a full head and heart. There was so much to reflect on each day, and I still haven't been able to process it all. Suffice it to say that I gathered many ideas, tips, and words of encouragement over the past few days. Though my body may be a bit weary, my spirit is certainly refreshed!
Praise God for the encouragement given to press on in our work or modify ministries to match our objectives. Praise God for the people I met and passion I witnessed. And praise God that my team and I can return to Rome with new motivation, material, and mindfulness.