Delight-full!  Are those words you would use as the theme for a gathering of people working on issues of human trafficking and prostitution? As the Coordinator and a Founder of ICAP, I had spent hours and days and months—over a period of a couple of years—working on the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP) Global Conference.  There were:

--dozens of plane tickets to arrange

--60+ visa letters to write, (and double and triple checked), copy and send

--70 workshop applications to narrow down to the best 50

--1200 e-mail conversations to carry on

--gazillion other details to sort out…

Working alone at my desk in The Netherlands to get my part all done, I just couldn’t imagine what it would really be like when it Really Happened… (thank you, dear Marion Kobow of GLCC for YOUR great part in coordinating everything else…registrations, inquiries, coordinating with conference center, etc., etc., etc., !)

And then it Happened…WOW!  People started arriving--it was like a giant homecoming!  Hugs abounded!  Laughter rang!  We were ready to Celebrate ICAP’s 10^th year at our 5^th conference!  So many of us have gotten to know each other well over this time—and we were also eager to welcome the new ones to join The Movement!  What a Movement of God’s Holy Spirit we witnessed!  What delight!

These are no ordinary folks who gathered:  these are people who have been powerfully called by God to walk in the darkest, most evil places of the world where God’s precious daughters and sons are bought and sold.  They are offering God’s unconditional love and care for them—on the streets, in brothels, in shelters, in prisons—wherever victims or those at risk are found.  And we, with ICAP, have felt Called to care for the care-givers.

Held at the Green Lake Conference Center (GLCC), more than 300 people from 50+ countries showed up to be inspired, to worship God and to learn from each other. For those 4½ days in May, we lived our theme verse from Zephaniah 3:17:  He will take delight in you with gladness.   With his love, he will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.  We lived into God’s Delight for us—and for those we serve! 

The program brought together The Best: 

--Some need to heal from the trauma they witness and personal issues they face so that they can continue in ministry—and great, professional, multi-lingual counselors were available for individual sessions (thank you Rita Berglund for coordinating the counselors!).    

--Others spent quality time in the spacious and thoughtfully prepared prayer room, pouring out their hearts and listening to hear God’s voice and guidance. (thank you Peggy Giacoletto and your team for your hard work organizing it!) 

--The workshops were all offered by practitioners—well experienced in their fields on topics relevant to our group that will enhance their ministries. 

--Our worship was sensitively led by Brad and Rita Berglund.   The musicians were the greatest--some even took time off from Broadway to share their incredible gifts with us!  Oh, we Delighted in the music, and the movement, and The Word!

--Representatives from every region of the world inspired us with stories of God’s work through their ministries—and delighted us with songs and dances from their cultures.  What fun we had dancing together around the room!  Delight-full!   

--And the plenary speakers…. Well, you can’t get much better than Dan Allender, Tony Campolo and our own ICAP Leadership Team members, Cherry Friedmeyer (Ethiopia) and Mariliana Morales (Costa Rica) delighting us with great depth of wisdom and insight.

And when it was over, I heard participants say that it was  “A landmark experience...”  And that it was “Life-changing…” 

God worked powerfully—way beyond my expectations!  I was filled with such gratitude—and delight—that I had the privilege to participate in God’s ministering to these Heroes who showed up in Wisconsin from all over the world.

Thank YOU for participating in this work of the Holy Spirit work through your caring, your prayers and your financial support of God’s ministry through me.  If you are not already doing so, and feel so led, I will appreciate any gifts that will help me to end the fiscal year (Sept. 30) with a positive balance.  At the moment, I am falling short, but am trusting God for provision.  Thank you for being a part of The Movement of God’s Light being shown in the darkest of places!