Staying a While Longer

Originally, I was supposed to leave for Boston this afternoon, but due to the excitement here and feeling like there was more I could do (and being threatened to be kidnapped by several people haha) I changed my flight for Friday night. So I am here through the end of the conference :-)

First I wanted to fill in the story on the drumming circle. Rob was out there and filled me in, as Jeremy and I left around 1 am. The police arrived around 12.30am and were completely on the side of Mosaic. They were concerned for the safety of the young people. After Jeremy and I had left, members of the Parents Reconciling Network formed a circle around the Mosaic kids to form a barrier between them and the protesters. The PRN here are amazing! The drumming circle had been taking place on a green area across the street from the Conference Center called General Worth Park (I think). Around 2am, the police still concerned for safety, recommended the youth move to the sidewalk in front of the Conference Center. After the youth moved, a friendly clergy came out of the Conference center and held communion for those in the drumming circle. While they were sharing communion, the protesters were praying. And the sprinklers turned on. Had the youth stayed, they would have been soaked, and potentially ruined drums. Instead, the protesters were soaked and quickly fled the area.

Second, I wanted to be the voice for those of you out there, who like me, are a little fuzzy on some of what's going on here I'll try to be the 'interpreter' if you will. The 161G paragraph that Will mentioned in one of his blogs is a huge HUGE petition that's going in front of the delegates. This paragraph is for inclusion, and is probably one of the biggest pieces of legislature we have. It's a cornerstone for many of the other petitions we are working on. We're not sure when this paragraph is coming before the delegates, but please pray for it and those voting on it. The study committee that Will said the Minority report was accepted, was not. The majority report was adopted, which was not what we were hoping for, but the amendments that were made to the majority report were in our favor. Basically this study committee is going to look at the structure of the church, and the reorganizing of Conferences so one conference does not have all the power. In it's original form, the bishops would have been bound to whatever the committee found which would have been bound. In it's adopted form, the bishops take what the committee finds as guidelines, which is much more flexible. There are still many more petitions to be voted on, and I'll do my best to interpret for everyone :)
I must say, the energy here is at time overwhelming. It does my heart good to look out on the floor of the delegates, and around the 'bleachers' of the convention center and see so many All Means All buttons, and rainbow stolls. We have allies out there, working with and for us. We are doing all we can here, and your prayers back home mean the world to us. Thank you for the well wishes! I also feel like I'm catching on to what's going on here, slowly but surely and am so grateful I was able to come. I didn't feel I knew enough previous to today to post (and didn't have time yesterday), but will do better for the remainder of the conference.
God bless to all those reading and may the Holy Spirit continue to move and breathe in Forth Worth! :)