By: Lisa Pak
Welcome to WOGA 2007! Tonight Emily Voorhies, along with several other distinguished guests, officially opened this year’s conference. However, even before the ceremony began, Love Hall was packed with women from 82 nations, from all walks of life—some young ladies, some mothers with children, some grandmothers—but all coming for afar to join together under the banner of WOGA 2007…and there were even a few fathers and brothers in the crowd as well!
Love Hall, a beautiful sanctuary in it own right, was even more radiant as a rainbow of colours of each woman’s traditional costume filled the pews. It was truly a mosaic worthy of God’s kingdom!
With modern performances by Korean Christian artists and an introduction to Korean culture, it was evening peppered with excitement, energy and emotion. The highlight of the program—for me at least—was the parade of the flags. As the name of each nation was called and a fellow sister, holding the flag of her mothers, walked onto the stage…as the stage filled with these flags from all over the world, I understood—I saw—that vision that John of Patmos saw. I saw the multitudes of nations coming together to worship God. My Israeli and Palestinians sisters stood together. Iranians, Turks, Armenians, Chinese, Japanese, Pakistani, Georgian…Uganda, East Timor, Oman, Cambodia, Russia…Uzbekistan, Ghana, Congo, Vietnam, Malaysia. I could go on but I’ve only got so much space!! As I stood on the balcony, the nations echoing in my ears, I thought to myself, “This is as close to heaven as I’ve even been!” What a sight! What a beautiful, marvelous, wonderful sight.
I believe in my heart of hearts that tonight—tonight, God was pleased.
It’s said that the beginning often sets the tone for the rest of what is to come. If tonight is just a foretaste, ladies—or rather sisters—expect great things because this is going to be great~!
