Guest Blog: Paula Katzberg

Attending the City Mission World Association 6th World Conference in Kansas City with Ken, Michelle and Jack could probably be described as a life changing experience! I'm so pleased Michelle invited us to go.

Listening to presentations, praying and chatting one-on-one with delegates from the 22 countries in attendance gave an almost overwhelming sense of the history and variety of challenges they face and solutions and sacrifices they experience. It was also very humbling to hear what they are doing, often with so very little. After visiting a men's shelter consisting of huge dormitories full of bunk beds, I am so grateful for the facilities we have been blessed with.

As non-American delegates, Jack and I were hosted by a local resident the first afternoon of the conference. Our hostess, Joyce, coordinates the Learning Centre at a local mission, but had taken vacation leave so she could fully participate in the conference – one more example of the sacrifices people made to be there. We enjoyed a great lunch with her family, and got to know Samuel, from a mission in Bangalore, India.

Themes I observed at the conference:

1. We must not lose sight of the fact that it is only God's grace, and faith in Him that changes lives. We must not compromise our primary focus in order to fund the secondary goals of providing food, shelter, etc. Countries where we have traditionally sent missionaries now have stronger churches than we do. Many delegates expressed their appreciation for that heritage.

2. World-wide there is no food shortage, but less than 10% of the population have 80% of the wealth in Africa. Missions in wealthy countries need to partner with those in 2nd and 3rd world countries, sharing skills as well as resources. Our friend from Romania was so grateful for a Canadian couple who recently helped them set up a dairy farm, so they're now self-sufficient. A group of women in the Philippines with almost nothing is feeding and ministering to 4,500 children a week.

The conference wind-up was held in an ex-church, now just used for weddings and catering, where Samuel's father led the 150 delegates in an impromptu gospel-sing, which was very moving, especially as it was our last time together before we all headed home to different parts of God’s creation, but with many more friends than we had the previous week.

Paula Katzberg
Board of Directors
WARRM Treasurer