On "Assignment"

Here we are again, working at the beautiful Child Evangelism Fellowship campus. It is nice to be back here among old friends while making new ones. The CEF Headquarters is always a bustling place. Just the operation of the Mailbox Club keeps many volunteers busy. Corrie and I usually work in the finishing department, with the production of flash-cards, binding them into books; or assembling kits for “5 Day Clubs,” or “After School Clubs” where the Gospel message is presented to children. During our stay at here in Warrenton, Missouri, we again noticed te colorful center of the campus; the International Plaza. CEF is present all over the world and the world is divided in 8 CEF regions. Although each region has a regional director, each of the countries in these region is individually represented. The plaza sprouts nine flagpoles; one for each region and the 9th one for unreached nations. There are about 59 nations in the world where CEF is not present. Each of the 8 flagpoles flies a flag from a nation in the specific region, the names of the individual nations are listed on the base of the poles. I used to recognize more flags than I do now, and it is always a nice challenge to me to guess the country represented by a specific flag. The flags are changed weekly during a scheduled ceremony attended by staff and volunteers. During the dedication service of the plaza last year, a specific national flag was run up the associated regional flagpole after a brief history and other information regarding that flag and what it represents. The first flag up was from Brazil, representing the Latin American region; the first international endeavor of CEF, back in the 1940s. Next Europe was represented by Albania, the country in which all religion, – including Christianity, had been stamped out. After the fall of communism, things definitely changed! For the unreached nations the international board selected Egypt to initially be represented; after all Jesus went there first. Every day now, as we walk to work and back to our room in the lodge, we are continually warmed in our hearts by the grace of God, who allows His word to be spread to all the children of the world.