From November 1 to 6, close to 150 men and women involved in publishing from more than 30 countries gathered in the hills of Limuru, Kenya for LittWorld 2009. God enabled me to attend this world conference on Christian publishing. Let me share with you our experiences during the said conference.
The cold weather in the conference center (it was 15°C on the first day of the conference) was made warmer with the fellowship of brothers and sisters from around the world eager to learn and share with each other. There were general sessions, roundtable discussion, and panel discussion complemented by devotion time, elective workshops, and professional consultation with experts. I attended the workshops on writing; combining fact, fiction, fun and fantasy in children’s books; maximizing training; teaching writing; ghost writing; and using social media. I also had the chance to have a one-on-one consultation with Robin Pippin of Upper Room Magazine. This was such a wonderful experience for me not only because I received professional advice from her regarding expanding opportunities for writing, but also because I used to write for Upper Room and this was the first time for me to meet in the flesh one of the magazine’s editors.
Participants also had the chance to relax, banter, and discuss things during coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner. We were treated to Kenyan hospitality and local staples ugali (mashed corn), fresh fruits and vegetables, lamb, fish, and chicken. Of course, Kenyan tea and coffee were overflowing. As a treat to the participants, we also had a day trip to the Great Rift Valley and Lake Naivasha where we saw some giraffes, zebras, deer, sheep, and goats roaming wildly as well as a couple of hippopotamus dipping in the lake. We also saw some birds wading in the lake like the beautiful pink flamingos and cormorants. And a mischievous monkey too!
Attending this year’s LittWorld had me thinking about God’s direction for me for writing in the next months. I was not only encouraged but I also tried to encourage my peers (I hope they were). I came out of LittWorld refreshed and recharged once again to tackle the numerous writing and training assignments God has for me. At the conference, two of the speakers said, “Every Christian book is a missionary.” Please pray that God will continue to use me to write books and to train those who write books. On November 21, I will be facilitating a writeshop for devotional writers of Scripture Union Philippines. I am also working on another Bible curriculum for a Grade 2 textbook for Glad Tidings Publishing. Thank you for your partnership in Christian publishing!
To view photos of LittWorld in Kenya, please visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=124065&id=684578540&ref=mf. For photos of Lake Naivasha, visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo.php?pid=2909458&id=684578540.
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