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First of all, we had a very good Missionary Reunion a few weeks ago. We all enjoyed the time of fellowship, fun and spiritual refreshment. Bob Stephenson did a great job as the speaker. Here are a few excerpts from some that attended:

Our time at the Missionary Reunion was one of the best weeks we’ve had as a family. We were all ministered to and encouraged where we individually needed it. Our children loved spending time with other MKs in both the younger kids’ sessions, and the teen sessions.  For them, it was great being with peers who understood what life was like as a MK and they could enjoy each other’s company and friendship.

We came with open hearts and ready to hear from God.  Through both the men’s and women’s sessions, group sessions, activities and time in fellowship, we received all this and more!  It was a wonderful time to catch up with friends from our college years and colleagues we met on deputation, while also having the opportunity to meet missionaries whom we have admired for many years. We are already looking forward to the next one!!

What a terrific week! The BBFI Missionary Family Reunion this year was just what we needed. From the first day we arrived, everything was so perfectly organized to take care of the missionary families and see to it that we had a wonderful time. After the orientation, Bro. Jon gave a challenging message that all of us could identify with about the dangers of losing a compassionate heart and becoming complacent, and then about the need of spending time with God, getting to know Him and “sticking with it”. It set the tone for the entire week. We heard challenging messages every day from Pastor Bob Stephenson, and some of the most touching testimonies from our own missionaries. We were brought to tears at times and laughed a whole lot. What an honor to be a part of such a group as this. It was good to “sharpen iron with iron” and also just to relax and share experiences, to get to know some of the missionaries we had never met personally and reacquaint ourselves with “old” friends. 

The Costa Rica Global Meeting in 2020 is just about a year away. I sure hope you are planning to attend or help a national leader to attend. The dates are July 6-9, 2020. You can visit the website, www.BBFICostaRica2020.com, to obtain more information and register, or feel free to contact Jill Wolf in the Mission Office at Jill@bbfimissions.com. I can tell you, if the plans being made for this event are any indication, it is going to be FANTASTIC!

I would like to announce that we have a new employee who will be starting July 8. Her name is Crysta Harris. She will be Craig Stevenson’s Administrative Assistant and, along with other responsibilities, she will be working with the candidate application process and overseeing many aspects of Candidate School preparation. We are happy to have her on our team.

Candidate School is coming up in a few weeks — July 15-19. We have 20 who will be attending this week of training. Pray for these new missionaries; some are just beginning deputation, others are finishing up their first year of deputation, a few are transitioning from Team to Career, and one couple is being reinstated. We are delighted to invest our lives and experiences into them and their ministries.

Something that has recently been developed by the Mission Office is our new Children’s Missions Curriculum. It was written by my wife, Pam, and includes input from numerous missionaries. It is a 10-week program that can be used in a variety of ways. Please promote this with our churches as the curriculum promotes the ministries of BBFI missionaries. Someone has already asked for a Spanish version of the curriculum. Please let Jill know if anyone is interested in possibly helping with the translation. You can also contact her for more information about the curriculum.

If you have not updated your family photo or your personal information on our BBFI APP, you need to do so. I meet people in our churches who say they use it often to catch up on the missionaries and pray for them. To update your information, contact Jill at Jill@bbfimissions.com. Is it starting to seem like Jill is the only one around here that does any work?!

Finally, I would like to ask you to continue praying for Joyce Piatt here in the Mission Office. She has been dealing with thyroid cancer and there was a concern it might have spread after her recent surgery/treatment. We got the good news that it has not spread, and she will not need additional radiation. However, she will still need to go through some procedures to help improve her voice and complete her treatment. Send her an encouraging note if you think about it.

We think of you and pray for you often. Thank you for being a servant of the Lord!

Your friend,

Jon Konnerup

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