Our First Missions Conference as Missionaries

This past weekend, May 16-19, we attended our very first missions conference as official missionaries! While we had the privileged of attending a conference in Reidsville, NC in November, we had not been officially accepted by OMS yet. We attended the conference held at an EMC church in Douglasville, GA (Reverend Jimmy Garrett, Jr., pastor) with Troy's parents, John & Paula Gentry, Sr., as the missionaries involved in the conference. Friday evening after a time of fellowship and food (those two always go together) we watched "End of the Spear" about the 5 missionaries martyred in the '50s in Ecuador and how the events following their deaths brought the gospel to the Indians of that region. Saturday, after an afternoon of fishing, we each had the opportunity to talk about our ministry opportunities. The conference marked the first occasion our display was used (masterfully made by Troy) as well as our photos/informative slide power point presentation put to "And Now My Lifesong Sings" by Casting Crowns. It was very moving (and I've seen it many, many times before)! Sunday, we all had the opportunity to attend Sunday School and then John preached the morning message. At the end of the conference, we were thrilled to discover that we had 7 people decide to take out monthly support in us! Praise the LORD!

Not only do we want to thank Rev. Jimmy and the rest of the church family for inviting us to the conference, but we want to especially thank Jimmy and Jackie Garrett, Sr. and Dan & Regina Henly for their gracious hospitality as they welcomed us into their homes. Troy and the boys stayed with Garretts and the girls and I stayed with the Henleys. We all enjoyed our charming hosts and felt like we'd been welcomed as family. Thank you for your loving care of our family.













After church on Sunday, we drove to Macon where Richard and Tara Jelley live with their daughters, Caroline, Susannah, and Katie. We'd gotten to know the Jelleys while Richard attended WBS with Troy and were sad to have such good friends move away after his graduation in 2004. We spent the latter portion of the afternoon catching up, attending church with them, and then enjoying some more fellowship over dinner and again in their home. Richard invited Troy to a men's breakfast at 7 am Monday morning, so after the men returned home from that, we headed home. The wonderful thing about the Jelleys is the hospitality they showed to us was even as Richard finalized his preparations to leave for Zambia, Africa on a missions trip today. With all that they had going on that close to his departure for 2 weeks, they welcomed our family of 6 into their home. It would have been so easy for them not to make the offer - and anyone would have understood if they hadn't. So we are thankful for such great friends - brothers and sisters, really.


P.S. Thank you Richard and Tara for this picture.