Ministry according to Jesus: Reaching out to those in need

In the past few months, Susan Williams, Women's Ministries Director of the Botswana Union, and her husband Kenneth, have been visiting different projects. She writes:

"Our work with the Women's Ministries Department has taken us to many towns and villages in Botswana. Visiting in areas designated as 'settlements' where the populace is small and poverty stricken, we have been shocked to see the needs of some of the people we meet.

"Remembering the motto of our Women's Ministries department inspired us to do more for the disadvantaged, orphans, and vulnerable peoples of Botswana. My family and I feel very blessed to serve the less advantaged, and serving, caring and loving these poor people has changed the focus of our lives. Jesus has truly used this experience not only to change us, but as we share our experiences with others who pass through our lives and contribute to our projects, their lives are changed too.

"The verses in Matthew 25:37-40 started to have very special meaning in directing our focus on being more compassionate, loving, and caring towards the needy.

"Through a donor in Canada and our son, we received a container load of clothing and dehydrated soup. The soup was packed in 2 kilogram (just over 2 pounds) packets contained in 200 liter drums (about 53 gallons). Each packet, when soaked overnight in water, makes 29 liters (about 27 quarts) of nutritious soup. We distributed the soup across the country and ladies started soup kitchens in their districts. Soup kitchens in some districts would feed up to 200 people at a time. Some of the ladies make the soup, add bread, and feed HIV patients at the clinics while they wait for their ARV treatment. Street children, the aged, and orphans are being fed in several different districts.

"During our trip, clothing, toys, and soup were taken to the remote areas.

"In Ghanzi (Place of Rejoicing Centre) the women started growing vegetables to share with the destitute families. In Manyana (Place of Hope Centre) the women also started growing vegetables for the orphans and needy families.

"I commend all of the Women's Ministries ladies for dedicating their time to cooking and serving the less advantaged people in their districts."

"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching people. The Savior mingled with [people] as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘follow Me'."  -Ministry of Healing, p. 143.

 

Focus on the News

Welcome to New Women's Ministries Directors

Debbie Maloba: East-Central Africa Division

Before coming to ECD, Debbie Maloba held positions as Union Women's Ministries and Children's Ministries director since 1993 in the following regions: Songa Mission, North Katanga Field, and East Congo Union Mission. She loves coaching women in the areas of education and nursing and encouraging them to be involved in evangelism. Her favorite Bible text is Jeremiah 29:11. She is the wife of Jim Kazembe and mother of three girls and two boys.

Denise Hochstrasser: Euro-Africa Division

Denise Hochstrasser, from Switzerland, spent several years at Newbold College, in England. Denise has been engaged in Women's Ministries for more than 20 years. Since 2006 she was responsible for the WM Department in Switzerland. She loves to travel with her husband, but she always likes to return home to a wonderful sight high above the Lake of Thun, back to her family and her garden. Her passion is mission among women, both members and non-members. She is married and has three adult daughters.

Cecilia de Iglesias: Inter-America Division

Cecilia de Iglesisas has worked for eight years as the director of Women's Ministries of the Atlantic Coast of Colombia and seven years as director of Women's Ministries of the South Colombian Union. She graduated in social sciences, politics, and philosophy and has 20 years experience teaching in primary, secondary schools, and universities. She holds a Masters degree in Family Therapy. She has been married 27 years to Pastor Pedro Iglesias Ortega and is the mother of two children.

Pramila Masih: Southern Asia Division

For five years Pramila Masih Pramila was Director of Shepherdess to pastors' wives in the Northern India Union. She has also been a teacher for 25 years. Pramila loves to work with women and children, and she always says, "There are going to be more women and children in heaven. So let us win more souls for the Lord here on earth." She loves to cook, read, teach, and she is very hospitable. She is the wife of Pastor Hidayat Masih and is a mother of two grown children.

Clair Sanches: Trans-European Division

Clair Sanches was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She has been a secretary and started working for the church in 1972. She studied commerce at the Schoevers Institute. She also studied child psychology. The Lord has blessed her with spiritual gifts which have allowed her to serve Him for many years. For the last 20 years she has been working at the Netherlands Union as Women's, Children's, Teen's, and Family Ministries Director. She and her husband John have two sons.

Omobonike Adeola Sessou: Western Africa Division

In January 2008, Omobonike Adeola Sessou became the interim director for the Women's and Children's Ministries departments. In June 2008 she became the Women's Ministries and Education Department Director. Since January 2010 she and her husband have worked as missionaries at Niger Mission Station. She has an MA in Leadership from Adventist University of Africa. She is married to Pastor Selom Kwasi Sessou and is an enthusiastic mother of two children. She loves making friends, mentoring, and sharing biblical themes.

 

Inspiration for You:

Simple Inspirations for the NEW YEAR

"Fear not; I am with you. I have endured your sorrows, experienced your struggles, encountered your temptations. I know your tears; I also have wept."  Desires of Ages, p. 483

"The Lord Jesus is your helper, your restorer. The Giver of all blessings will comfort and bless and strengthen you and all who suffer in doing His work." Letter 32 898. {TSA 76.1}

"Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance."
Desires of Ages, p. 329

"Human love may change, but Christ's love knows no change. When we cry to Him for help, His hand is stretched out to save." The Ministry of Healing, pp. 71, 72

"If you are looking to Jesus and drawing from Him knowledge and strength and grace, you can impart His consolation to others, because the Comforter is with you."  Counsels on Health, p. 34.2

"When our hopes of life seem to be slipping away, Jesus is ready to put his everlasting arms beneath us, and to draw us to his heart, and to comfort, encourage, and bless us."  Signs of the Times, March 17, 1890

 

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Women's Ministries Dream For the New Year

My dream for all my sisters around the world in 2011 is that as precious daughters of God we will embrace and accept our value in God's eyes; that we will accept the call of God on our lives to be His touch of love and care to families -our own, those in our churches, and in our communities; that we will speak out against any issue that affects our sisters globally; that we will mentor and love young women to Jesus, and that most of all we will spend time each day "dwelling in the secret place of the Most High" (Ps. 91:1) who is our El Shaddai, our Almighty God with whom nothing is impossible. - Heather-Dawn Small

My dream for you, my sisters and partners in ministry, is that you feel valued, loved, affirmed, appreciated, motivated, equipped, trained, and committed for God's work, that you continue to grow and rise to greater heights with God's assistance. I join the apostle Paul in praying for you "that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding: that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power" (Col. 1:9-11).  - Raquel Arrais

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A Call to Women

Commit to 777 Revival and Reformation - This past Annual Council (held in October every year at the General Conference), accepted the proposal for a "Revival and Reformation" Initiative.
One of the R & R initiatives is 777 .
That means 7th-day Adventists praying 7 days a week at 7 o'clock (am or pm) daily,
without ceasing, until Jesus comes.

For more information, visit www.revivalandreformation.org

 

Book Review:

Ellen White on Leadership: Guidance for those who influence others

Although Ellen White on Leadership: Guidance for Those who Influence Others (Pacific Press, 2008) was not written specifically for women, it certainly applies to women. Ellen White, both as a woman and as an early leader of our Church, understood the challenges of women in Christian leadership. So does Cindy Tutsch, the author of this useful volume.

Tutsch wrote this book as her doctoral dissertation at Andrews University; she did a review of the current literature on leadership and researched to see what Ellen White had to say on the same topics. Her discoveries are encouraging. As she says in her conclusion, "Ellen White makes a significant contribution to the discovery and understanding of leadership principles. It does not appear that her leadership principles will ever become outdated, even in the face of accelerating world change, because they have universal application" (page 147).

Each chapter in the book looks at ideas from current leadership writers and then shares related leadership principles from Ellen White, including quotes from her writings to illustrate those principles. Then each chapter has a "practicing what she preached" section. I think you would find these sections instructive and encouraging.

One of the chapters and quotes that I found interesting is "How Do I Actually Carry Out the Empowerment Thing?" It has sections on empowerment for people for evangelism and service, gender and age inclusive empowerment, and mentoring. Other chapters are "Ellen White's Ministry and Counsels on Leadership," "Are Ellen White and John Maxwell on the Same Page?" "Lord, I Want to Know You More," "Who's the Boss, Anyway?" (has some interesting material on the abuse of power), "Grappling with Today's Thorny Leadership Issues," and "Summing It Up: What You Can Do Where You Are."

Because this is an academic work, it is not light reading, but it is easily understood. As a leader in the Adventist Church, I think you would find it beneficial to be familiar with the concepts and principles presented.

By Ardis Stenbakken

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Prayer Corner

• New Women's Ministries directors
• Planning time for Women's Ministries
• Peace and healing for women

Calendar

• February 1: Statistical Reports due to GCWM Office
• March 5: Women's International Day of Prayer
• March 8: International Women's Day