Alicante, Spain October 10-13, 2018

Registration for Pure Joy International’s fall conference in Alicante, Spain, will open this coming Monday, July 16, 2018. We had to change our location from Valencia to Alicante because we could not find the accommodations we needed in Valencia. Too many columns in the conference rooms. (smile) If you or someone you know is a missionary woman serving cross-culturally in this part of the world, please get this information out.

As always, we will honor the principle of first come, first serve. We will begin a waiting list at number 51. This conference is provided at no cost to the missionary women that attend except for cost to get to and from the conference location. Once you register more information will be provided. Our theme for this conference is “Set your mind on things above.” Colossians 3:2

Our team will be booking flights next week. And many are already praying for God’s movement on the hearts of those that will attend. Our Web site, that has been under construction, will boot back up Monday for Registration. To register go to purejoyinternational.org

This week I want to give us all a little encouragement about not putting others on a pedestal. As we travel around the world to minister to our missionary women and their families it doesn’t take long to see this is a difficult thing for them. Let me show you just some of the things this does to a person:

• It positions them to feel as though they cannot be honest about their struggles.
• It positions them to feel trapped with expectations of how they should or shouldn’t behave.
• It positions them for a false sense of worth and value.
• It positions them for failure because they are not God.
• It positions them for exhaustion because they can never relax. They always feel the need to be performing, to be on.  
• It positions them for what is called the “missionary smile”. The meaning behind that smile many times is we are really struggling and may be close to falling apart but you will never know it until it has already happened.

This summer and fall some of your missionaries/families will be coming home for stateside time. (Some are already here.) They’ll visit with family and speak at our churches, missions conferences, raise money to go back on the field, etc. During that time remember to watch for the missionary smile. Decide before you see them to let them down from the pedestal. Listen to their stories, hear their hearts and enjoy all that God is doing through their locations overseas but remember, like you and I, they need OXYGEN, too! Encourage them that it is ok to be real.

Love you all so much! Please start praying for the Spain trip. We have 47 missionary women that still need to be sponsored by October. So, please give as He leads.

His,
Vickie