I have endured stifling heat, frigid air conditioning, long hours of discussion and planning, a broken water main and a challenging menu. It has been five days of hard work and effort…and one of the best times of my life.

I have had the great joy of  enduring all this hardship with some of the most beautiful women in this country. Women who give of their time and talents as a witness of the depth of their faith and the strength of their love of Christ. These women share a common desire to improve the lot of their suffering sisters of all faiths and ethnicity around the world.

I have the honor and privilege of calling each of these women my friend. Some of the women I only met this week, while with some the relationships are long-standing and richly woven with common experiences.

I don’t get to hug and laugh with these friends in person as often as I would like, but just knowing they are "out there" somewhere praying for me is a precious gift.

Our relationships with our Lord and our fellow Christians are the treasures we take with us to Heaven. Our annual national conference begins in a few minutes when I will have more days of opportunity to add to my riches.

Tonight I feel like a billionaire.