As missionaries on Special Assignment with World Gospel Mission, Pete and I have been able to step into a mobilizing role along with some of the other things we continue to do with the organization. Mobilizing means we get to walk alongside people who are thinking about going into missions in some way. You guys, we LOVE getting to do this! We’ve always been superfans of encouraging others to follow a call to the mission field, and getting to do it as our role with WGM is pretty amazing.
We recently flew to Louisville for the annual Global Missions Health Conference. We first attended this conference seven years ago when we were still exploring organizations and an exact location for our future mission work. This time, we represented WGM at our booth. We spent hours talking to people of all ages and experiences about what it looks like to go into missions and move a family to the other side of the world.
Thousands of people attend the GMHC at Southeast Christian Church. There are multiple large sessions in the auditorium and then lots of smaller breakout sessions covering a wide spectrum of medical and missions topics.
WGM helps lots of churches and youth groups send out mission teams each year, but there are currently four trips that are recruiting people from anyone interested across the U.S. We’re leading the Kenya trip in June! If you think you might be interested in joining us this summer, click to our trip page and send us a message. The deadline for applying is January 15, not December 15.
Pete and I had the opportunity to share our missions story during the WGM meet and greet one of the nights of the conference. About 80 people came and we were able to answer lots of questions. There aren’t many things I like more than speaking alongside Pete, especially about things God has done in our lives. We had a pretty great time.
We got to catch up with lots of our WGM friends at the conference, even some from our Kenya team!
Since Pete and I were away for a couple nights without the kids, we definitely planned it like a date away. We stayed at a little AirBnB and ordered food from local places. We weren’t at the house very long, but it still felt really special. Also, Duluth lost its fall leaves a while ago, so it was lovely to see these colors again.
During our layover in Chicago on our way home, we had breakfast and worked on seminary assignments together. I’m such a fan of this guy. Aaaand the way he looks at me. (eleven years with this handsome fella!)
We had such a great time at the GMHC. It’s seriously so great to spend time talking about missions with people and encouraging them along the path. It’s not easy, and we know from lots of experience that it’s super helpful to talk with others on the same journey. We’ve got a few more conferences and events lined up in the next six months where we’ll get to keep sharing our story. If you’re a part of a group or know of anyone who might be encouraged by hearing more about missions, we’d love to chat with you! Send us an email at Pete.Olsen@wgm.org.
