Andrew & Esther - Through Our Eyes Archive
Our Thoughts

June 25, 2007
A City of Lights - The Paris of Central Europe
Considering we met at the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in Malaysia, the worldwide movement for World Evangelization has become very meaningful to both of us these past months. We felt honored to have even been invited to serve at the Lausanne leadership conference held in Budapest this past week. Initially, I was to be one of the French interpreters whilst Andrew worked hard at online registration and launching the new website. “Initially” since we found out that the only French headset was being used by an American straight off the street who had wanted to listen to French! Disappointing but this ended up being a marvelous blessing as I was able to quiet my soul as the pressure was removed.

The caliber of the men and women of God present caused us to create a list of people we wanted to meet with. And the fact I was jobless freed me up even more so Andrew and I could meet with a number of leaders over a drink or a meal. We left in high spirits encouraged and inspired by so many: Leighton Ford, Elke Werner, Lon Allison and many others.

What a significant week for both of us. We expected to receive a lot from the plenary sessions and enjoy the worship. Instead, the highlights were personal encounters with mature yet humble global leaders who echoed what God spoke to us all week and even encouraged us as an intercultural couple.

SurprisedAs the conference drew to a close, the senior leaders of 1974 were honored in a tribute aboard a Danube cruise. We listened to the orchestra and watched the diplomas being distributed when we weren’t in conversation. Then, all of the sudden, Doug Birdsall, executive chair of the movement, felt right to celebrate our engagement by inviting us to join him on the platform! The orchestra struck up an impromptu version of “The Wedding March” as we came forward, shocked. There he made a joke about seeing us meet Phill Butler over breakfast, author of the book “Well Connected” and a global expert in partnership. Doug then handed us a beautiful white book featuring a multilingual compilation of recipes from various Lausanners.

SurprisedThough we felt utterly unworthy to be up there, we were overcome with the love we felt from the Lausanne family. In that same spirit, a precious brother we were eating with asked if he could pray over us. To top it all off, an a cappella group from Biola university dedicated “Can you Feel the Love tonight” to us in the bus on our way back to the hotel. Even though we’ll be married in September, we almost felt we received a marriage blessing right there and then. And what an honor in the presence of so many spiritual leaders.

It made sense to stay on for the weekend to enjoy some of the sights of Budapest, coined as the “Paris of central Europe”. Journaling and processing we realized how much the Father had been lavishing His love upon us the whole week. And so we return to the fast pace of work and wedding preparations - excited at the ways in which the conversations, encounters and words have started to and will continue to make sense in His time.