Ten years ago this month nearly 500 women from 100 countries came together in Thailand for what I affectionately call affirmative action training for women in the ministry of CRU Women comprise more than 50% of the world’s population and we need to be a huge part of the resolve to reaching the world for Christ.
Judy Douglass, the wife of the President of CRU, or Campus Crusade as it was called then, worked with teams of people for over a year to give teaching, training and vision for these women. She calls herself a “Spiritual Arsonist” I LOVE it! At the time I was in the thick of that year of preparation.
I was in charge of intercession for the conference. I recruited two prayer teams. One group of 12 intercessors reported to me loosely. They worked in pairs and prayed individually with as many of the of the attendees as they could during the week of the training. In some cases they helped the women find increased spiritual freedom and in others to find their vision and callings. Their impact was profound and lasting. The team I closely directed was 12 intercessors who focused on the “nuts and bolts” of the conference. I sent out prayer requests almost weekly beginning a year ahead. We intercessors came from all over. Some of us were able to meet to pray together months before hand. We prayed for visas, travel, finances, training as it was in the design phase, the program, speaker choices and availability. We prayed for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven over EVERY aspect: before, during and after.
I wish I could find it now, but there is a photo of me on opening night. I am at the back of the conference room, crouched low with my head in my hands, crying with joy and relief as the worship band of all women lead the nearly 500 women to the throne of grace. I had worked so hard! I was delightfully exhausted seeing this “baby” birthed!
After the GWLF women carried what they had learned to their countries and continents. Many of the speakers traveled all over the world to help bring the training to more people and to ignite more spiritual fires. I also traveled with Wilma Tan to Cameroon and later to Gabon to ignite more women into the global harvest.
Keep praying that these spiritual fires keep burning, igniting more “spiritual arsonists” and keep spreading, 10 more years, 20 more years….until the Lord returns! To God be all the glory!
