We started our adventure to Australia and New Zealand with a conference/international board meeting held just outside of Melbourne, Australia and Marty's responsibility with Pioneers Missions Movement. Marty is Chairman of the US Board for Pioneers which means he is on the International Board (Treasurer). I was invited to go along. Yea! The days were long and exciting with reports of what is going on all over the world by missionary Area Leaders and others in leadership. Their passion is contagious. Pioneers is truly a movement that celebrates and spreads leadership and ideas throughout the world. Some of the highlights:
Getting together with longtime friends, Steve & Arlene Richardson (US Director) and celebrating at their daughter, Joy's, engagement party to an Aussie.
Connecting with other friends from Pioneers and putting names to faces with missionaries I've corresponded with over the years.
Meeting new friends working in far reaches of the world.
On the last day, when Marty had his board meeting, I went with a few others to an animal sanctuary ... Australia has a lot of "weird" animals! Even in the forest around our conference center, kangaroos roam like the US has deer. A little strange to encounter them early in the morning! And Aussies think deer and elk are exotic. I guess it's just what you're used to.
Marty had a lot of business to do, I was just having fun with all the missionaries. Peggy Fletcher who with her late husband, Ted, founded Pioneers and is Arlene's mother. Peggy is smart, gracious and awesome to be around. Uncle Jack is a pillar of Pioneers and still going strong in his 80's. And I will never forget JFK Mensah's fervor as he spoke about his desire for his people in North Africa to be reached for Christ and said as much as a report to us as his plea to God, "give me Africa or I will die."
It was well worth the very long flight to Australia and we looked forward to exploring the south island of New Zealand.
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