More on the scene reporting from the OGT convention

Highlights of OGT 25th Anniversary Convention SAT 9/16

MORNING SESSION

• Opening Devotion, led by Rev. Ray Wilke. His homily focused on this year’s convention theme:  Servants of the Servant King. He explained how our model for Christian service is Jesus Christ Himself. He talked about how Jesus washed His disciples feet at the Last Supper, the night before He was crucified. He spoke of our commission to share Christ’s mercy around the world, meeting both spiritual & material needs to thousands.
• Presentation by Pastor John & Sandra Koch, President of Help for Haiti. This organization serves as a collection & distribution center for food, clothing, water, hygiene kits, medical supplies, blankets, generators, & much more. To date this organization has received 144 containers from OGT. Major relief was provided following the hurricanes in & a devastating earthquakes.  MORE INFORMATION to follow re:  meeting every-day needs.
• Presentation by Joe Bowa from The Liberian Children Ministry, which focuses on meeting the physical, educational & spiritual needs of the children order to give them res hope for the future—hope only in Christ Jesus. 
• This organization works to build schools in rural Liberia. 
• Over 5,000 children receive a Lutheran education in 14 schools. Schools are badly needed in Liberia. Hundreds of children have received Jesus & have been baptized into God’s Kingdom.
• LCM partners with OGT, looking to the future, realizing that Liberia’s greatest hope & treasure in her children.
• Live quilt auction:  7 hand-made quilts were auctioned, raising several thousand dollars for OGT.

LUNCHEON BANQUET & AFTERNOON SESSION

• After a chicken croissant banquet meal, Dr. Dale Meyer, former Lutheran Hour speaker & current President of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis delivered the keynote address. 
• His powerful message focused on the challenges facing the Christian Church today, but also dealt with the power of our Lord Jesus & His blessings to help us strive to meet the needs of a culture that has become totally secularized. A fundamental truth that still holds true today:  Let Your Light Shine!
• Presentation by Made Bennett who works with Kids  International Ministries in the Philippines, another OGT partner.
• As Home Life Manager in Manila, she orientates & schedules volunteers & teams, helps with staff development & training, develops programs to enrich the children’s lives, communicates & updates supporters, & helps w/whatever is needed at the moment, like driving kids to church, which includes teaching & practicing letters & numbers to the little ones.
• Presentation by Ruta Kornete, Juris Kornets, &. Pastor Artis Eglitis from Latvia. Rev. Eglitis serves in 2 missionary churches in Northern Latvia. He & his wife founded NGO “Gaujasliei,” which organizes camps & delivers social support to the poor in Latvia, including donated materials & services from OGT.
• Ruta is the OGT assistant for 7 orphanages & social centers in Latvia & Lithuania, providing medicine, hygiene supplies, fruit, as well as boxes from OGT containers.
• Juris & his wife provides many voluteer services, including driving missionaries w/his van all across the Baltic States. They have opened their house for missionaries during their stay in Latvia, providing accommodations & serving “delicious” Latvian traditional meals.
• A silent quilt auction, featuring 17 additional, hand-made quilts, raising  additional funds for OGT.
• Closing devotion led by Pastor Ray Wilke.