Another Heidi Baker Conference

Last weekend was really neat for us. We attended a conference to hear Mel Tari and Heidi Baker. It was very neat! If you don't know who Mel Tari is, then you are in for a treat if you listen to any of his sermons online or check out his site http://www.worldmissioninternational.com/
He has preached the gospel for over 40 years and is from Indonesia the worlds LARGEST Muslim country (did you now that? ) He has seen the dead raised, water turn to wine, walked on water and led a million to Christ. you can see him on youtube if you google him and read his book "like a mighty wind) Heidi baker is equally awesome. She has ministered to thousands of orphans in Mozambique, and has experienced many miracles such as healings and food being multiplied. I could go on and on about her ministry. http://www.irismin.org/ Anyhoo, love all things that include missions and caring for orphans so I was THRILLED to take a day off of schooling to bring the kids to this conference! It was AWESOME! I am now so convinced that my children can sit contently during church service. We were there form 12- almost 6:00 at night and my kids were great! It was so wonderful to be there to experience all that with my children. So many people came up to us and were so blessed by seeing the children there. They would all come by to comment on how precious they were, how wonderful and well behaved they were ( yes even I was surprise) many came to lay hands on my children as they all said they felt the Lord would use the children (my family greatly) It was wonderful because if the kids got a bit loud it was ok as folks were speaking in tongues and so joyful they hardly noticed a squirmy kid or two! We brought musical instruments and let the kids worship before the Lord as David did. It was wonderful to have so many come by and speak LIFE and blessings into our spirits.

An odd thing that happened was this. Many came with positive uplifting words of encouragement to us. One lady came up and was doting on Anaiah speaking about how cute she is. I asked her if she has children and she replied that she had one grown daughter and one granddaughter and that was all the grandchildren she'd ever have. My face must have given away a bit of sorrow for her she assured me that it was a good thing and that not everyone can handle more than one. She asked how she could pray for us and I replied that our biggest prayer is regarding the Lord leading us in adoption. She looked at me with huge eyes stopping to stare at each of my children as though they had 3 heads or something and asked WHY we'd want to do that, that it was too much work. She went on to further talk about it (not favorably) until i shared my heart.

I must also mention that this big church had flags of the nations all over the ceiling. An interesting thing is that when we walked in I didn't notice it until I looked up and had already parked my stroller but we just happen to be standing in front of.. you guessed it Haiti's flag, Ethiopia, India.. I searched frantically for Liberia's hoping it was a sign, sure enough I standing RIGHT by it! ALL the nations in front of me and I happen to be standing by the ones I am praying to adopt form.. Anyhow, I pointed this out to her. I said look at these flags, the nations Haiti, India, Ethiopia, and Liberia. I told her that I pray to be the mother of NATIONS, that I pray that we'd be able to adopt form EACH of those countries and not just one child either, but couple or a few, I told her I want to be FRUITFUL! I pray to be MULTIPLIED! My kids were all excited about it. She replied that is just to hard, too much! I told her But the Lord my God will provide the strength! I almost wanted to tell her that she the quote that "the bible says that children are blessings and that debt it a curse but in our culture we reject the blessings and apply for the curse. The world tells us that motherhood is unfulfilling and "too hard" that there are better ways to spend our time. that we can better minister for Jesus if we don't have to much baggage (children) but my children ARE my ministry! God doesn't CALL the equipped, He equips the CALLED! ;-)

She walked away huge eyed and puzzled. She was very sweet about it but I felt sorry for her. When I went home I brought back some great literature to give to her daughter but I didn't see her again. When she walked away I felt I had to SHAKE OFF that spirit of discouragement, that spirit of not valuing my children as the wonderful blessings, the gifts that they are! I opened my heart to the Lord to use me anyway He sees fit, and to stretch me until I look like Him. I asked him to take my will and my life and make it to look like his masterpiece. I was SO encouraged. Funny thing, Mel got up and preached about how important it is to be where God plants us, even if all we ever will be in this life is a homemaking mother, to do it unto the Lord with eternity in mind. Can i get an AMEN!
He spoke of Billy Grahams mama and how a mother and her children can change the WORLD! He spoke about the man who led Billy Graham to the Lord. he was just a lowly shoe shiner. He said that "even if Billy Graham is the ONLY person he ever led to the Lord, HE DID GOOD!!!" He spoke about how wonderful godly mothers are, then spoke about his own mother. I prayed yet again that the Lord would give me the children that people either can't keep or don't want. I have been praying for some time that he'd SPARE the lives of those that would abort there babies or throw them away and that somehow they'd find a way to our home! Then Heidi Baker got up and said something like "people don't kill your children, that she'd take unwanted children! How funny. Be blessed.

Psalm 127" Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.