
John Foster sat at the head of the polished conference table in Anthony's law office, surrounded by manila folders containing four weeks' worth of intensive preparation. The sermons he had written—six in total, each designed to be delivered over two hours during the six-day events planned across nine countries—represented the most important work of his life. Each message had come to him during hours of prayer and study, the words flowing with a clarity he recognized as divine inspiration.
The gift of tongues that Christ had bestowed upon him had proved invaluable during the translation process. John had personally rendered each two-hour sermon into Portuguese for Brazil, French for Paris, Spanish for Madrid, German for Berlin, Greek for Athens, and Italian for Rome. The Russian translations for Moscow had required more effort, but the supernatural linguistic ability had guided him through even the most complex theological concepts. Only the English versions for Dallas and London remained in their original form.
Anthony called the meeting to order with the formality that had become his trademark since establishing John Foster Ministries LLC. "Gentlemen, we've made remarkable progress in one month. Let's begin with venue reports."
Jackson Simeon opened a leather portfolio thick with contracts and logistics documents. His production company had managed large-scale events across three continents, but nothing quite like what John Foster Ministries required. "All locations are confirmed and contracted," Jackson reported, his voice carrying the confidence of someone accustomed to complex international logistics.
"Dallas will be at Robber Baron Stadium, capacity eighty thousand. We've secured the venue for six consecutive days, Tuesday through Sunday. São Paulo will be at the Morumbi Stadium, which seats sixty-seven thousand. London's event will take place at Wembley Stadium—ninety thousand capacity. Paris will be at the Stade de France with eighty-one thousand seats."
Jackson continued through the list. "Madrid will use the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, capacity eighty-one thousand. Berlin will be at the Olympiastadion with seventy-four thousand seats. Athens will take place at the Olympic Stadium, sixty-nine thousand capacity. Rome will be at the Stadio Olimpico with seventy-three thousand seats. Warsaw will use the National Stadium with fifty-eight thousand seats. And Moscow will conclude at Luzhniki Stadium, our largest venue."
John nodded approvingly. Each venue had been selected not just for capacity, but for symbolic significance—stadiums where nations had celebrated their greatest triumphs, now to be sanctified for divine purposes.
"Local liaisons are established in each city," Jackson continued. "These are Christian businessmen and church leaders who understand both the spiritual significance of the events and the practical requirements for managing crowds of this magnitude. Each liaison has been thoroughly vetted according to our confession requirements."
Father Giuseppe leaned forward. "What about security concerns? Some of these locations may present significant challenges."
"Each venue will have professional security coordinated with local law enforcement. We're treating these as major international events, because that's exactly what they are," Jackson replied. "The liaisons have been working with their respective governments to ensure proper permits and crowd control measures."
Anthony turned to Dimitri Romanov, whose technical preparations had been equally crucial. "What's our status on the digital infrastructure?"
Dmitri's eyes lit up with the enthusiasm of someone discussing his area of expertise. "The primary server farm outside Moscow is fully operational. We've assembled a team of twelve highly skilled IT professionals, with Pavel Volkov as lead engineer. Pavel previously ran the entire IT operations for VK when it was Russia's dominant social media platform."
John knew that VK had been Russia's equivalent to Facebook before political pressures and Western sanctions had complicated its operations. Having someone of Pavel's caliber managing their technical infrastructure was a significant advantage.
"The redundant server farm in Siberia is also online," Dimitri continued. "We can handle massive concurrent traffic loads, and our geographic distribution makes us essentially immune to any single point of failure. The website is operational, though we're keeping content minimal until we're ready for the full launch."
Dimitri paused, then smiled with satisfaction. "I've also managed to recover significant documentation about your death and resurrection. Detective William Short provided complete copies of the Dallas PD case files, including witness statements, crime scene photographs, and the video footage of your police interview. Dr. Mai Nguyen supplied all medical examiner documents, including your autopsy reports and the hospital surveillance footage of you leaving the morgue."
John felt a chill remembering those dark hours between death and resurrection, but he understood the importance of preserving evidence that worldly powers had tried to erase.
"Additionally," Dimitri continued, "I've located extensive video documentation from the day of your hanging. Multiple witnesses recorded the events on smartphones, and while mainstream media has been scrubbed clean, several private social media groups have maintained comprehensive archives. These groups have been discussing your ministry extensively, speculating about when public events will begin."
Father Mark Appleton looked up from his notes. "What kind of groups are we talking about?"
"Orthodox communities, traditional Catholic forums, Evangelical networks, even some mainstream Protestant groups. People who recognized the significance of what happened despite the media blackout. I've made contact with several group administrators. They're eager to help spread word about the upcoming events."
John nodded approvingly. The faithful remnant was already assembling, just as Christ had promised.
Anthony shuffled through financial documents with the systematic precision that had made him an effective corporate attorney. "We have extraordinary news regarding funding. Two donors who wish to remain completely anonymous have provided a combined total of fifty-five million dollars."
The figure was staggering. Combined with John's original ten million dollar investment, John Foster Ministries now had resources to fund not just the planned events, but potential expansions beyond their current scope.
"The donors made their contributions through a complex series of trusts and shell corporations that ensure their identities remain protected," Anthony continued. "They specifically requested no acknowledgment or recognition. Their only stipulation was that the funds be used exclusively for advancing the ministry's mission."
Father Giuseppe crossed himself. "God provides for His servants in ways that exceed our understanding."
"Indeed," John replied. "But with these resources comes greater responsibility. We're not just organizing events—we're launching a movement that could reach millions of souls worldwide."
Jackson consulted his timeline. "With this level of funding, we can ensure each event meets the highest possible standards. Professional audio and video production, simultaneous translation services, comprehensive security, and full hospitality for the ministry team and VIP attendees."
Dimitri pulled up website analytics on his laptop. "We're already seeing significant traffic from the private Christian networks I mentioned. Many people are creating accounts, joining mailing lists, following our social media feeds. The anticipation is building organically."
John opened his sermon folders, feeling the weight of divine commission settling upon him once again. "The messages are ready. Six two-hour sermons, translated into seven languages, each one delivered through prayer and divine inspiration over these past four weeks. They address the spiritual challenges facing Christians in this age—the temptation to compromise truth for comfort, the pressure to abandon traditional values, the need to stand firm against cultural decay."
Father Mark studied John's translations with obvious admiration. "Your linguistic abilities continue to amaze me. These aren't mere translations—they're adaptations that preserve the theological content while respecting the cultural contexts of each nation."
"The gift comes from Christ," John reminded him. "I'm merely the vessel."
Anthony reviewed his legal checklist. "International corporate structures are nearly complete. We have properly registered entities in all nine countries, each one designed to provide maximum legal protection while maintaining operational flexibility."
As the meeting drew toward its conclusion, John felt a profound sense of anticipation building. The infrastructure was in place, the resources were available, and the divine calling remained as clear as the day he had stood before Christ's tribunal in heaven.
"Gentlemen," John said, rising from his chair, "we stand on the threshold of something unprecedented. In three months, we'll begin delivering God's messages to a world that desperately needs to hear them. Each of you has been called to this work for specific reasons, and I'm grateful for your faithfulness."
He looked around the table at faces that had become familiar over the past month—Anthony's legal precision, Father Giuseppe's pastoral wisdom, Father Mark's theological insights, Dimitri's technical expertise, and Jackson's logistical mastery.
"The world will try to stop us," John continued. "They've already proven their willingness to erase evidence, suppress information, and use every tool at their disposal to silence God's voice. But we serve a higher authority, and He has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church."
As the meeting concluded with Father Giuseppe's closing prayer, John felt the same divine presence that had commissioned him on the celestial mountain. The trials ahead would test their faith, their resolve, and their commitment to the mission. But with proper preparation and divine protection, they would carry Christ's message to the ends of the earth.
The assembly was complete. Now the real work would begin.