Oklahoma 2008 Weekend

I have finally finished this, though it has been interfered with greatly. The conference was interfered with as well - many technical sound difficulties. I don't know why my little blog project would be of interest to Satan, but...here goes...

I got to Tulsa at noon and went shopping and to eat. Oklahoma's humble compared to Minnesota. The radio stations on the car, set already, had a Christian radio station set. I thought, "the bible belt." It's not as prosperous, which is probably a blessing. After going out to eat, I headed for the conference - Voice of the Martyrs at Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 40 miles North of Tulsa.

The first night there were two speakers who stood out - a man and his wife from Iran, who are involved in ministry in Iran. The wife couldn't speak English. She is a former Muslim and was dressed in Muslim garb only to hide her identity, in case anyone in the conference had infiltrated only for the wrong purposes. Her husband, a Westerner, was also covered up except for his eyes. The wife told her story, of her conversion to Christianity. They preach the gospel in Iran and help persecuted Christians there. The husband said it is very stressful there because of the persecution, but that God is doing great things and people are turning to Christ there.

Then there was "Maria" from Columbia. In Columbia, the women take over their husbands' ministries if they are pastors, because no one expects anything of the women, and they can carry on without being suspect. Maria was helping displaced people who had been persecuted and had 130 people staying in her home at that time. She said she always feared for her life. There are many gangs fighting for power in Cuba, and evangelical Christians are persecuted even though the national religion is Catholic.

At the end of the evening meeting we were invited to a question and answer session, for whichever country we chose. I chose Columbia, to listen to more of Maria and her stories of helping persecuted believers.



I couldn't take pictures of the conference - tight security, and I couldn't take all intensity, so I headed for downtown Bartlesville Saturday morning looking for a diner and I found it - the hub of the town - Weeze's, short for Louise, the owner. Like KD said, Seniors know good food.





I sat next to Bob (above) who is in a gun club. Bob knows the word. he says he doesn't believe in tongues, but I forgive him - ha! he says the word says they must be interpreted. Good for him! Amazing how you can walk into an American diner and find a Christian.




Louise and her husband.


Downtown Bartlesville


The worship was buttoned up, but they had a nice harp and guitar


Bonnie and Ralph were a couple I met right at the beginning. We went to the Columbia session together.


Peggy is a volunteer who helped me get my dorm room.


Kids of attendees did a performance


Go-Cart Knight in Shining Armor. They used golf carts to transport people from the parking lots to the various spots on campus.




Penny from the Bronx. My friend back home who put up the money for me to make this trip, told me I was brave for going alone. I told her, "it's not like I'm in the Bronx." I just said this and the next day I found out the lady in the dorm right next to mine, a volunteer for Voice of The Martyrs, lives in the Bronx.

Friday morning, after I went to Weeze's, I returned to the conference. There were many more exciting and interesting speakers. Mr. Kim from North Korea is most memorable. he was angry as he talked about how the government is building a monument to Kim Jong Il for $600,000,000.00 and building nuclear arms, yet the people are starving. his anger turned to tears. He was the only speaker who cried. He told of his conversion to Christ and how he realized that God was greater than Kim Jong Il. This is hard to comprehend - worshipping a guy who looks like a Chinese Elvis, but apparently very real.

Michael Wurmbrand spoke, son of Richhard Wurmbrand, the founder of Voice of the Martyrs. He is a funny man.

A man spoke who is head of a ministry in Iraq. He said that he is in favor of going into Iraq, now that he is an American (he's from Iraq originally) but he doesn't believe that there can be democracy in the Middle East because of Islam. He said in dealing with Islam, in spreading the gospel, one must first come against the spirit of Islam. His words wore: "you must fight and overcome the spirit of Islam!"

Saturday night, for the question and answer session, I chose Israel. A man from israel had spoken Saturday morning while I was at Weeze's, and I went down the list of countries, all interesting, and realized I always leave the Jews til last. They are supposed to be first but I always put them to the last.

The man representing Israel was young and attractive, and young girls had lined up the front asking him personal questions about himself. I was annoyed. I asked him, "what is the spiritual state of Jews in Israel today?"

He said that of the 7 million people in Israel, only about 4.5 million of them are Jews and most of them are atheists. He said a large number are homosexuals for some reason. He said the situation is depressing. He said he thinks Satan has a particular interest in Jerusalem because it's where Jesus left and it's where He will return, and it is the greatest symbol of Satan's victory or defeat. If he can defest the Jews in Israel, he feels victorious.

I had such a strong burden for the Jews there, as they were supposed to receive the Messiah first, and it seems they are last. What a great mission field! Only problem is, he said that you aren't allowed to be in Israel as a missionary. You have to be there as something else. Here is a video on his ministry.

On Sunday morning Gracia Burnham spoke, a missionary who went on a honeymoon with her husband in the Phillippines, and they were captured by terrorists. Her husband was killed. Her story is recounted in the book "In The Presence Of My Enemies." Her testimony was inspiring.

The conference was so life changing. I stopped thinking about myself and my problems. i was brought into a larger sphere of the whole world and the church in the whole world and the incredible challenges out there, beyond myself. I recaptured the joy of the Lord.