2017 Azalea Garden Church Missions Conference

Once a year missionaries from around the world gather for our missions conference at Azalea Garden Church. It's an awesome experience talking and sharing stories. Every year our church foyer turns into an international convention hall display center with missionaries showing pictures of ministry projects and people with whom they minister.

Yvonne and I put up our display board as missionaries to the military right here in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.

The missionaries we support become almost like family members! In all of my years as a pastor I have never known so many missionaries personally. And every year Yvonne and I are privileged to host one of the missionary families in our home for the week they are here.

This year it was Carol and Rodney Friend who are on their way to be the directors of a Bible School in Kenya, Africa. What a good time we had with them! Thursday afternoon we took them sightseeing. We showed them the ships at Norfolk Naval Station, then to Fort Monroe to see the Casemate Museum where Jefferson Davis was imprisoned following the Civil War. And finally we drove across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and watched the sun set over the water as we drove.

 

Then Saturday night it was on to dinner at the Maye's house. That is a highlight of every missions conference!

Three of the ladies of our church with two of the missionaries. Tammy, Yvonne, Kelly, Suzie, and Gladys

This morning I had one of the missionary couples speak to us in my Sunday school class.

Then every year, the highlight of the week is our international missions banquet. Yvonne fixed a light lunch for the servicemen that came to the house today, knowing we were going to have a BIG dinner at the church.

Andrew, Tia, and Bethany (Yvonne's cousin) joined us at the banquet this year! It was a real blessing to share this time with them.

The food was GREAT! as usual. Yvonne made her German specialty: Saurbraten and Spetzle with Saurkraut, and home made rye bread!

This annual event is my favorite event of the whole church year!