Gary traveled to the U.S. for an International Summit of Covenant World Relief Associates, October 20-22. This Covenant World Relief Summit was put together in order to gather representatives from different parts of the world—Latin America, Africa, Asia and the U.S.—where Covenant World Relief is active in Crisis Relief Response and Community Development. In each region, Crisis Relief Response and Community Development has taken on a local flavor which enables it to address the issues of the local society. Bringing all of those flavors together in order to allow everyone to see, hear, and know how Response and Development is done and can be done was eye-opening. It also laid a foundation for networking to take place between those representatives from around the world so that insights, experiences and wisdom gained through the work and ministry made possible by Covenant World Relief in the different regions can help to guide and advise different projects in their own development growth. For instance, the insight and experience of Peter Dutton, from Laos and Thailand, combining Mission and Business was very helpful for Gary as the Covenant of Colombia looks to make Mission and Business a powerful community changing dynamic in Colombia. Gary returned to Colombia with a new hope for accompanying the CWR supported Mission/Business projects in their process of impacting their communities. May this hope be able to be put into action.
