Annual Conference ...

Tuesday – Friday, January 6^th – 9^th

The joint TEAM family enjoyed a wonderful time of rich fellowship, good food and not a little bit of fun in the week that followed; all of which was a wonderful relief, if not release, for co-workers who had been standing firm in the face of intensely difficult ministry circumstances in the days, weeks and months prior.

A troop of vervet monkeys visited us every day, the dominant male acting for all the world like a feudal baron while his wives released their new-born babies within the safety of the setting to learn the rudiments of walking on unsteady legs as they traveled across the landscape of their new natural world on tip-toes of touch, smell and taste.

Toward the end of the week, the conference broached the pressing issue of widows and orphans and the ever-looming presence of the HIV/AIDS crisis.  We had left North America with a 

clear sense of providential direction to our thinking.  The team we had interacted with in Canada and the US had seen clear possibilities emerge that revolved around TEAM’s unique strengths and degree of credibility in the ministry areas where we serve.  We arrived in Southern Africa committed to listening, observing and seeking to learn from the perspective of workers on the front line.  In short, we had embarked on a fact-finding trip.

It was toward the end of the week of conference that we received the first clear indication that the thinking and reflecting of our co-workers on the front line of the battle had been following a parallel path to ours.  With clear vision on the part of the area leaders of both Zimbabwe/Mozambique and South Africa, and genuine interest on the part of those attending, it began to become clear that the pandemic had already brought all of the key players to a point of meaningful action.

The annual conference agreed to initiate the formation of an HIV/AIDS task force as a first step in the direction of an organized intentional step toward compassionate ministry.

Mandy too, found conference to be a refreshing experience. "It was such therapy for me to be in the midst of my fellow co-workers again. I loved every minute of the opportunities I had to hear about their ministries, to catch up on their lives, and to sense their challenges both personally and in ministry. God gave me moments of one-on-one time with several ladies and it was wonderful to be able to connect at a deep level, praying and bearing each other’s burdens."