Did I mention I was diving in “head first” today?

Wow! Five hours of Table Group Leader training about did me in.

The numbers are rapidly mounting, as more people arrive for the official start of the conference on Sunday. For someone who thrives on one-on-one conversations and being a writer who spends countless days in total isolation with my computer and occasional deer out my window, it puts me on overload to be in such a huge crowd of people.

Happily, there are plenty of opportunities for those individual conversations that keep me going, and I have had some lovely ones today.

A young man from the Congo absolutely lit up the room with personality and energy. The world could use more people like him! I finally got to tell Lisa Espinele Chinn about what is happening to the Synergy video she is in. She made an amazing and creative presentation to Table Leaders called “When Cultures Meet” based on Three Cups of Tea. Super speaker!

A woman from India spoke candidly of the struggles of being a woman leader in her country and also of her concerns of domestic abuse in Christian families. An Iranian pastor told me stories of the strength of the gospel against the combined weight of Islam and persecution. A male college professor was intently interested in what women are experiencing globally, what Christian women experience within the Body of Christ, and responded with a heartfelt, “Will you forgive us?”

Vonette Bright is here and as engaged and unstoppable as ever.

More of Katya (R), of course, a true kindred spirit. It made my day to spot Judy Douglass (L) and catch up with her. And I’m always glad to see Stan Gundry, Zondervan Editor-in-Chief, my advocate, mentor, and friend who helped launch my career as a writer, and whose brother, Robert Gundry, was my hands-down favorite college professor who definitely fueled my hunger to dig deeper into Scripture.

Tomorrow is another full day and the official opening of the Conference. The convention hall is massive with a sea of tables, and lots of practicing going on. I’m looking forward to meeting the five people at my table for the week’s discussions.

Please keep Lausanne in your prayers!