In New York, Naomi Judd was the keynote speaker for our September conference. She walked among the audience, inspiring the women most effectively with her heart-to-heart talk. Afterwards, she signed many copies of her book, often reaching into her bag to give a small gift. She created such a warm feeling of sisterhood and personal courage that each woman felt newly empowered. It set the tone for a wonderful conference. And just when we couldn't imagine that anything could be any better, we held our second IWFC, and it even more wonderful. The strong sense of community was felt even before the conference began!

During the event, a wonderful and unexpected situation developed. In the same room we had booked our conference, was a Rotarian conference celebrating the 50th anniversary of the UN. One of our sisters brought a guest from that conference to ours! She was a Christian who immediately felt that her meeting with WFWP was designed by God, and midway through the conference approached the chairwoman with an idea. She wanted to present the flag from her local Rotary Club to WFWP to symbolize the beginning of a special working relationship between our like-minded organizations working for peace. We easily fit this beautiful presentation into our program and, amazingly enough, the chairwoman discovered the next day that the small Colorado town where the Rotarian flag came from was the "sister city" to the small town in New Zealand where the chairwoman's husband is from! Another example of spirit world working to bring specific people together from across the continents!

Among the distinguished women who crossed the bridge that day was the keynote speaker, Dr. Lynne Cheney, and Dr. Lorraine Hale, director of Hale House. Hale House is America's first and best-known child-care agency, specializing in nurturing and caring for babies born addicted to drugs and alcohol, and now also those born infected with the HIV virus. The following day, Dr. Hale's Japanese "sister" went to visit Hale House and gave a heartfelt donation on behalf of Japanese WFWP to further its work with children and build a more substantial bridge between the two "sisters", two organizations, two nations.

That evening during the entertainment, provided by Frank Sinatra Jr.'s orchestra, spontaneous dancing erupted, with every size, color, age and nationality represented on the dance floor. Such a feeling of love pervaded, it was hard to say good-bye.

Many Americans joined their Japanese sisters the next evening on the Spirit of New York cruise ship for a Farewell Banquet. Good food, friends, music and dancing filled the night air, with the Statue of Liberty and New York skyline as a dramatic backdrop. It was unforgettable. As we returned to our homes in our respective countries, we were filled with hope for the future and the determination to make a difference with our lives.

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