Do you know what God’s dream is for your life? Have you discovered the dream He planted in your heart from the beginning? Robin Jones Gunn quotes Jeremiah 20:9 to describe what it is like to have His dream in your heart: “… His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

When she was young, Gunn thought the dream in her heart was to be a missionary in Africa. She prepared for her goal, but after applying, she received a letter saying they had no position available for her skills. What skill is that, you ask? Testing indicated she could be a laundry supervisor in Nairobi, Kenya.

When Gunn shared her disappointment with the girls in her Sunday school class who had been praying for her missionary assignment, one young girl said, “Why don’t you tell stories?” The suggestion disturbed Gunn. You see, she often wound up in trouble as a child for “telling stories.” Her parents had to decipher what part of her explanation was true and what part was embellishment.

Gunn’s storytelling finally brought her to Nairobi, Kenya, in fall of 2009. There she had the opportunity to help launder clothes in a creek. That one-time experience made her realize it definitely was not the dream God had placed in her heart. Her friend from Nairobi told her, “You didn’t need to go to Nairobi to wash clothes; your stories went and they washed our hearts.”

Following Gunn’s inspiring message to more than 200 conference attendees, President Mary Hake opened the business meeting. With sadness, Hake shared the loss of two longtime OCW members: Lindsay Warren and past president Elsie Larson. A special summer conference scholarship fund is being set up in Elsie’s memory. Contributions can be mailed to: 1075 Willow Lake Road N., Keizer, OR 97303 and earmarked “Elsie Larson Scholarship Fund.”

More than 50 first-time attendees and new members were welcomed and given OCW tote bags. Seventeen delighted writers announced their publishing firsts.

Hake announced the Haidles are making Psalm 23 and Creation materials available at a 50 percent to 80 percent discount for use in missions and ministry. Contact them at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

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