On Saturday, May 31, I had the privilege of hosting our first bilingual conference for Anew Ministries. We gathered in Monroe, North Carolina, bringing together 50 multi-generational, multi-cultural women. It was a labour of love and a testament to God’s faithfulness when we give our yes in faith to Him.
I planned and planned for months, securing speakers and volunteers, booking flights and lodging, and checking item after item on my endless to-do list. I felt confident that the planning was on track. However, a few weeks before the event, our caterer unexpectedly called and informed me that he would no longer be able to cater the event. What?! How was this happening?
I tried to stay calm and quickly searched Google for restaurants that cater in that area. I stumbled upon a Mexican food chain that needed only 48 hours notice. This was perfect because I didn’t want to serve another sandwich. I’m not against sandwiches, but I wanted our conference to stand out by offering something different, and a boxed lunch from another local eaterie was neither appealing to me nor within our budget. Also, by this point, our registrations hadn’t met the minimum number of attendees required for our coffee cart provider, so we lost breakfast and lunch within two weeks — with just three weeks to go before the event.
As the days flew by, the pressure continued to build. While dealing with my own personal struggles and uncertainties, I noticed the registration numbers remained low. Doubt began to set in, and I started to wonder if this event was going to fall through.
Things continued to fall apart. Given the exchange rate (from Canada, where my family and Anew are based, to our event site in the U.S.), unexpected changes, and food selection, costs were significantly higher than anticipated. Out of the blue, I lost two speakers in one week. It felt as though everything was unravelling.
Discouragement began to replace the faith I had so eagerly started with, and I began to feel so defeated.
Forty-eight hours before the event, I called to place our catering order, only to find out that May 31st was the busiest day for this restaurant and that they were no longer accepting orders at any location in North Carolina. The only restaurant within a reasonable driving distance was a sandwich shop, leaving me no choice but to order a boxed lunch that included the dreaded sandwich.
My plans were falling apart, but God’s were just beginning to take shape.
That week, a friend prayed for me to let go of my plans and learn to accept His. It was then that I surrendered this event to the Lord, on His terms, not mine. From the food and speakers to all the elements I couldn’t control, I entrusted everything to God — which wasn’t easy. But I drew strength from every word God had given me and believed that whatever the outcome of this conference, He would provide.
That’s when I stumbled upon Numbers chapter 11, where the Israelites complained about craving meat (among other things). Reading verses 31-32 blew my mind:
“Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp.”
Numbers 11:31-32 NIV
Did you notice that? “A wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea.” The Lord not only provided meat for the Israelites, but He did it in the most unexpected way – by sending it from the sea! This verse echoed in the chambers of my heart for days to come. If the Lord could provide for the Israelites, could He not do the same for us? I tucked these verses away in my heart.
The conference was a tremendous success! The Lord showed up beautifully and exceeded my expectations in every way. It was more than I could have imagined or asked for, and He was present in every detail. Though we came in over budget, He wasn’t finished yet.
The day after the event, as our team headed to lunch, I received a call from a friend I hadn’t heard from in a long time. He told me he had been feeling prompted by the Lord for a few weeks to make a donation to our ministry, but it wasn’t until that morning that he made the call. His donation covered all our financial needs — praise Jesus!
Friend, I don’t know what you’re going through today, but let me remind you that our God is a provider. He’s in the details, and He’s your strength and refuge. You can trust Him and the outcome only He could orchestrate.
May our prayer today be “Your will, not mine.”
I love how God provided abundantly for your event and as you surrendered everything to Him He did more than you hoped for or imagined. What an amazing God we serve! Thanks for sharing this beautiful testimony! A month ago I set up my first public Facebook page. I invited many friends/family to like my page. After about an hour nobody had liked or followed my page. I began to get insecure and thought what if I don’t even get one follower. I told my husband if I just get one follower it will be worth it to encourage one person. I surrendered it to the Lord, then I started to get followers. My page was created to share the Love of Jesus Christ with others. To encourage and help others know the Lord’s awesome love. May God bless you and your beautiful ministry.