Hearts Around the World

They came from seven different countries—some from Thailand, some from Hong Kong and China, some from the Philippines, and others from Mongolia, Singapore, Cambodia and the United States. There were many Filipinos, some Americans and even one Canadian. But all were women and all had one thing in common. All are ministering in a land different than their homeland. What one thing could connect so many women with so many differences?

Their HEARTS!

In February 2007, many months of prayer and preparation became a reality as the first Asia-Pacific Women’s Conference was held in Hong Kong. The theme for the conference was “My Heart, His Home.” The participants primarily consisted of three groups of ladies—American personnel serving in Asia-Pacific, our BMA church in Hong Kong and our BMA Filipina ladies ministering throughout Asia-Pacific.

Our keynote speaker was Mrs. Marilyn Schlitt, a veteran missionary with Overseas Missionary Fellowship, formerly China Inland Missions. Marilyn wasted no time in getting right to the “heart” of the matter. Her sessions dealt with preparing our hearts for God.
Our Cluttered Heart: Dealing with Priorities and Listening to God
Our Clean Heart: Dealing with Sin in our Lives
Our Mended Heart: Dealing with Baggage & Hurt before God
Our Beautiful Heart: Dealing with Holiness and Integrity before God

Marilyn is a very special lady and it was obvious how God used her that week to touch us all in the areas we needed most.

We were also blessed to have several ladies from the United States assisting in the conference.

Jenny Bell served as coordinator for the conference.

Jerene Reddin led us in worship and also taught a break-out session on personal worship.

Sue Kidd led a break-out session dealing with loneliness on the mission field.

And Valerie Fish led a break-out session that dealt with issues of fitting into a different culture.

It was such an encouragement to have these ladies travel so far and sacrifice so much to minister to our hearts. They will never be forgotten!

As our time together drew to a close, it was obvious that our hearts would never be the same again. We had become closer to one another...

closer to our visitors...

and most importantly...

closer to God.

It is a well-known fact that women need other women in their lives. And for so many of us serving so far away from home, this conference served as a wonderful opportunity to “re-connect” with one another.

Thank you, God, for giving us this time to meet with You. Thank you for filling our hearts to overflowing and preparing us to return to our fields to minister. Thank you for calling us to be women of the harvest.