On Sunday morning we finished our first conference in Thailand. It was a wonderful week with many highlights. We met stellar men and women who are serving the Lord with people groups across Southeast Asia—some in large urban centres, some in remote rural places. All of them passionate to reach to those who are largely unreached with the good news of Jesus.
One of the young missionaries we met was the son of a classmate I had at Dallas Seminary thirty years ago. Another one of the young missionaries at the conference became a Christian when he was a high school student in California. In fact, the church where he came to know Christ was started with the help of the church my father pastored in the Napa Valley. We both grew up in California but met in Chiang Mai.
Both Linda and I were impacted deeply by the commitment of the missionaries we met at the conference. You should have heard them pray for the people they serve in Asia. Tears often flowed as they cried out to God to bring His salvation to the nations.
Now we’ve bridged to our second conference–the Global Proclamation Congress in Bangkok. This is easily one of the most amazing gatherings we’ve ever seen: several thousand pastoral leaders from over 100 countries. All day long we’ve been in workshops and working groups to discuss training pastoral leaders (95% of whom have not had access to a Bible School or Seminary). Tonight we had a lengthy concert of praise and prayer.
We’ve reconnected with friends in ministry from around the globe. And we’ve met fascinating men and women from a host of countries. It’s a foretaste of heaven.
I will be preaching in one of the conference sessions on Saturday morning (Friday evening in North America). My message, from 2 Timothy 2:14-26, is entitled, “How to be a Useful Minister for Christ.” Please pray that the Lord would allow me to be useful for His purposes as I preach His Word.
Rick and Linda Reed 