Workshop In Beaverton

What an amazing time I had at the Simply the Story workshop in Beaverton, Oregon. We had 8 people who came which made it fun. All of us were able to give and receive lots of training and practice. Normally these workshops are attended by 20 or more(sometimes hundreds) people. We were called a one of a kind, very unique workshop. Well, what else could we expect. Each one of us there was unique in our own way. One of the women that attended was blind. What great insights she brought to the discussions. God sure showed his sense of humor. This wonderful woman was in my small group and the first story we were assigned to learn was Blind Bartemaeus. We didn't skip a beat. We just went with learning the story and preparing for leading a discussion. Later she told us that she appreciated us not changing the story because she was blind. One of our large group observations was that he didn't have to be able to see to believe in Jesus. This woman shouted, "Hallelujah" at the top of her voice. Another woman has a ministry in Togo helping to bring tools for those who minister there to use in evangelism. She shared how she could use this method there in West Africa. Another woman is going to the mission field in Guatemala. Two others take ministry teams to Iraq and Lebanon. One couple from Seattle(they are Korean) go to China every summer for two months to minister to Koreans living there. Finally, another woman works in the church she attends in a big children's ministry. Everyone shared the various ways they can use this in their individual situations. We had so much time to just share about our lives over meals that we all felt that we had established new friendships. One of the most interesting stories came from the couple from Seattle. The husband really wanted to attend the workshop but he didn't want to come alone. So, his wife agreed to sign up and come along. She told us later that she thought she was going to just come and observe but all of a sudden there she was telling stories in small groups, sharing in the large group, and leading discussion groups. I was able to watch these 8 people blossom as each day went by. They grew in confidence and in their storytelling abilities. I saw the Bible stories they told come to life as they made them their own. I was witness to the outpouring of God's blessings as these amazing men and women opened their hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I discovered through all of this that my niche is working with small groups teaching them the basics and then having time to tell the stories as often as possible to their families, friends, neighbors, and to anyone willing to listen. I found that I enjoy facilitating the discussions and sitting there listening intently to all of the discovered treasures in God's Word and having all of us together digging into the stories. Those at the workshop told me that my gift was telling the stories from my heart. They said they could tell that each story I shared had touched me personally. They also said I had the gift of truly listening and being able to remember the things that were shared and going back to those who had shared and asking them if they would be willing to share more. I look forward to using what I learned when I go to Tanzania. My desire is that the stories God chose to put in His Scriptures will be told orally with passion around the world and I feel so blessed to be a small part of His plan. Please pray as I learn more about sharing Simply the Story.