The International Mission Board is meeting at the Ridgecrest Conference Center outside of Asheville, North Carolina beginning today, September 10, and going through the appointment service on Wednesday night, September 12, at the Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville, NC.
Rachelle and I were to have left Will Rogers Airport at 5:30 p.m. last night, arriving in Ashville just before midnight. However, our plane out of Oklahoma City to Atlanta was delayed by five hours due to overheating of the on board coffee pot. Despite repeated disavowals of the need for caffeine by all passengers, we were stuck.
There were approximately forty Miami Hurricane fans on the flight to Atlanta with us, and their only concern was that the liquor bar was open to drown out their sorrows over the 51 to 13 debacle in Norman, the worst loss of the Hurricanes on the gridiron in several decades. I loved giving them all grief.
We missed our flight from Atlanta to Asheville and had to stay the night in Atlanta. We arrived in Ashville at 12:00 noon and I am on my way to Ridgecrest for the trustee forum and the trustee meetings tonight. Over 1,000 retired missionaries will join the trustees this week as we honor and recognize several newly retired missionaries and appoint a good number of new ones. I have been promised a meeting with Billy Graham, but his recent poor health may preclude Rachelle and I visiting with him at his Montreat home.
I'll give a report on Monday's events late tonight.
In His Grace,
Wade
18 comments:
Be sure to tell Billy I said, "Hey."
If you get a meeting call me because Marty and I were suppose to go with you.
Wade,
If you have some down time, I would love to buy you lunch and show you some "sights" in the Asheville area.
You can email me at msmith@brinet.com.
Blessings,
Michael Smith
The coffee may have been for the pilots; you KNOW what they use coffee to help do, on occasion.
Personally, I think it was a guardian angel that troubled the coffee pot. So count your blessings already.
wade, the announcers stated that was the worst defeat in school history, and being a retired drinker myself, no amount of alcohol could possibly atone for that MIGHTY shellacking
rick talley
Wade, I'll be praying for you and the other trustees, and missionaries.
Wade,
Well, I'll be. I'm hurt, Wade. Why did you not call? I'm less than an hour from Hartsfield. I would have let you buy me a cup of coffee.
Oh, well. I guess we're not as close as I assumed.
I still wish you grace. With that, I am...
Peter
Michael Smith,
Are you the Michael Smith I know? If you are the one and do not want folks to know, just email me from my website ;^)
I hope you have a great evening.
With that, I am...
Peter
Peter,
We could have let Wade buy us both a cup o java. :)
Mark
First off, as a Penn State alum with Arizona State tendencies, I have to say I was hoping for a 0-0 tie between Oklahoma and Miami. I do the same during Notre Dame-USC week.
More importantly, Wade, we will be praying for you and all of our trustees this week. May God grant wisdom and clarity in every discussion and decision.
Frank Lamca
Quito, Ecuador (where the coffee pot is always on and working)
IMB
www.GodLovesQuito.blogspot.com
Wade,
Debbie and I would love to see you and Rachelle again. If you have some time let me know. We're only two hours east of you.
Regards,
Les
Wade,
As you have time, please seek out as many of the retired missionaries as possible and LISTEN to them. If there are 1000 retired missionaries there, imagine the years of missionary wisdom and experience in one place. In fact, I wish that ALL of the BoT would spend as much time with the retirees as possible. Maybe, then some eyes might be opened.
Grace and Peace,
A 10-40 Window Missionary
10-40 Window missionary,
That is GREAT advice to Wade and all the trustees. I wonder how often do the folks making the policy and decisions think they know all there is to know on a given subject. They seldom think to ask the folks who have been there and tried their best to share God’s love, mercy and forgiveness with a people group who may not be very receptive.
I have learned so much from the older folks on my mission field. They are such a valuable resource and a great encouragement to my wife and me. We have been on the field 20+ years, but we often call one of the “old timers” and ask what they think about something we want to do. (We also talk to our field leadership to make sure we are in the bounds of the current strategy as interpreted by our field leadership.)
Wade, please spend as much time as you can with the retirees. You will come away from your visits with joy in your heart and a renewed confidence that there are folks on every continent doing their best, despite the continuing “distractions” going on in the SBC. They may also give you a tip or two on how the IMB can do missions better.
Thank you Wade for being on the BOT. I would have given up long ago if I was in your place. The SBC need folks, men and women, like you to help the SBC and the IMB keep focusing of the “main thing.” You are appreciated by this missionary for sure.
RP in JP
Wade,
It would be nice if you and Rachelle would run into Christine Hailey if she happens to be there.
Also, have you met Steve Ellis?
nancy
Nancy, I'll look for Christine. I have not met Steve, but have heard good things.
Wade
Les,
Thanks for the invite!!
I'm not sure we can get together this time, but Rachelle and I will definitely take a rain check!
My parents, Jim and Pat Muse, are also there at Ridgecrest as emeritus missionaries. If you see them, give them a big hug from their son!
Brother Burleson,
I am not sure my earlier post was done correctly. I would like to know how to watch the appointment service on Wednesday. My step daughter and son-in-law are being appointed. I am excited that they are answering God's call to make disciples in Uganda! Scott Sowers
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