"The center will be a place for joy where the orphans will be cared for with love and compassion."

His Excellency President Festus Mogae, President of the Republic of Botswana, officially opened the first Women’s Ministries (WM) care center for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in Maun, Botswana. The center, called “Place of Joy,” was built by the WM Department and is a safe place for children to be nurtured, cared for, and loved. President Mogae expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the WM department for taking the initiative in building the center.

The challenge was for everyone to get involved in doing something for the less fortunate and to find innovative ways to reach out to help alleviate the burdens placed on all by the HIV/AIDS disease.

The President also planted a tree in remembrance of all the children. Because of his concern for AIDS orphans, he started a trust called “Masiela Trust” (masiela means "orphan" in Setswana); this trust provides funding for needs of orphans and vulnerable children.

In response, Susan Williams, Botswana Union WM director thanked the trust for providing them with P645 000.00 (around $98,000 United States dollars) towards the building costs and President Mogae for initiating the trust. She also thanked the community for their contribution in helping to finish the project. A special thanks went to the district co-coordinator Mrs. Wellio and the local pastor, Pastor Senase.

Williams shared the WM vision in which the “Place of Joy” is the first—but not the last. The center will be a place where the orphans will be cared for with love and compassion. The WM Department hopes to build centers in a number of villages in Botswana. This year two more centers will be opened in Botswana built by two “Fly and Build” teams from Australia.

Pastor Machmire, President of Botswana Union, shared a spiritual message with everyone present at the opening, and expressed his utter joy at the opening of the center.

—Caroline Chola, SID WM director

 

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North American Division (NAD)

KEEPING THE FAITH Adventist TV Show for Women (NAD)

“Keeping the Faith” is a new TV series for women produced at the Adventist Media Center. It is the first TV series aimed at women audiences ever to be produced by the Church in North America.

“Keeping the Faith” has a discussion format and is hosted by three women: Connie Vandeman Jeffery, who works for Faith for Today; Gale Jones-Murphy, a gifted musician and Christian comedienne from Orlando, Florida; and Andrea Judd, a talented young mother from Moorpark, California. A fourth woman, Diana Broomfield, M.D., appears on the shows that are health-related. Dr. Broomfield, from Columbia, Maryland, is an infertility specialist and publishes a magazine about infertility. The half-hour shows air on The Hope Channel. For times, check the web site at www.hopetv.org. The show will also be marketed to other Christian television stations.

For persons living in the North American Division, the shows are also available on DVDs from AdventSource. These DVDs can be used by local church Women’s Ministries departments as programs for members and community women alike.

The topics addressed in the series include: depression, infertility, hard-to-diagnose diseases, eating disorders, grief, protecting kids and adults from Internet predators, sexual purity for teens, understanding men, happy marriage, self-image, overcoming hardships, and health care disparities.

—NADWM Intuitions
Carla Baker, NADWM director

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Zambia: Adventist Church Leader Dies of Sudden Illness (SID)

Dr. Cornelius Matandiko, President of Zambia Union passed away on April 2, 2008. It is unusual for us to print this information in our newsletter but the role that Dr. Matandiko played in supporting Women's’ Ministries is noteworthy. Women’s Ministries in Zambia has gone through many rough waters and it is because of the strong leadership of the union president, Dr. Matandiko and other union leadership, and the support of conference presidents and pastors in Zambia that Women’s Ministries is alive and well and growing stronger each day.

Cornelius M. Matandiko, 48, who had served as the Adventist Church’s executive director in the southern African nation since 2004, died after a short illness in Lusaka, a church spokesman said.

Matandiko was also chancellor of Zambia Adventist University, a television evangelist for Voice of Prophecy and a member of the National Constitutional Conference for the Republic of Zambia.

Matandiko’s funeral was held April 6 at the Lusaka Show Grounds in order to accommodate the 20,000 people in attendance.

Dr. Matandiko had a strong woman of God at his side, his wife Patience Matandiko. We ask that you remember Patience and her two daughters, Charity and Tina and the extended family in your prayers. Patience has done much for the women of Zambia; she is a mother, sister, teacher, and counselor to her sisters.

General Conference Women’s Ministries extend our support with our sisters in Zambia at this difficult time and yet we rejoice for the work of our brother, Dr. Matandiko and the legacy he has left behind.

— Source: ANN/ GC Women’s Ministries Department

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DISCOUNT BOOKS FOR WOMEN

Women in Prison Ministry Handbook

by Sunny M. Lockwood

ONLY $0.98*

Women in Prison will take you step by step through the process of beginning a prison ministry to women. A practical “how-to” guide to ministering to women living their lives behind bars. You’ll find stories of working with prisoners; checklists; cautions to be aware of; ideas; program outlines and other resources to aid your ministry.

To order, contact GCWM at (301) 680-6636 or [email protected].

*Shipping Charges Apply

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EVANGELISM

Reaching Postmodern Women

We can think of the postmodern person as tending to have a mix of traits in various combinations. (Postmodernism is the philosophy, postmodernity is the cultural landscape influenced by it.) 

The average person influenced by postmodernism may never have heard a lecture or read a book about it. Nonetheless, the traits that embody the philosophy are around us.

• The centrality of community
• The privacy of experience
• The subjectivity of truth
• The complexity of human perception
• The fragility of progress
• The unreality of absolutes
• The enormity of the spiritual
• The plurality of worldviews

A Different Kind of Person—A New Way of Reaching Her

Postmodernism is bringing a different kind of person through the doors of our churches. This person is biblically illiterate, skeptical, unconvinced that truth exists in absolute terms, and personally adrift.

This new way of thinking has created one of the greatest missionary opportunities ever. As women we have the opportunity to reach out by friendship evangelism—just being a friend and creating an environment where the person feels loved and accepted.

Women in a Postmodern Culture

Things have never been better. In the United States:

• Women buy or influence the purchase of 80 percent of consumer goods.
• Women buy 50 percent of cars, 51 percent of consumer electronics.
• Women over 55 are the fastest growing group of internet users.
• Women influence 80 percent of all family health care decisions.
• Women can make 48 percent of all stock investors.
• Women head 40 percent of households with assets over $600,000.
• Women own 9 million businesses, generating $3.6 trillion in revenues annually.

Things have never been worse:

• One of three women are victims of domestic violence.
• Heart disease is the number one killer of women.
• Twelve million women are clinically depressed.
• One of seven women live in poverty with an average net worth of $3,000.
• Women earn 74 cents per dollar earned by men.
• 48 million women are divorced, widowed, separated, or have an absent spouse.
• Single women with children account for 54 percent of all poor families.
• Eight percent of widows left financially secure will find poverty within four years.
• Four in ten experience at least one pregnancy before age 20.

Barna Research asked women, “What would create a desirable life for women?” Responses included:

• One marriage partner for life
• Good health
• Having close personal relationship with God – 75 percent said this
• Clear purpose in life
• Having close, personal friendships

—Source: Woman’s Touch Magazine, March/April 2004, page 13

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Evangelism Phrases of Friendship

Never underestimate the power of words. Speak these sentences to a friend to brighten her day:

• “You bring the best in me.”
• “I would like your opinion.”
• “How can I pray for you today?”
• “I can help you with that.”
• “I believe in you.”

—From “The Power of a Woman’s Words” by Sharon Jaynes (Harvest House)

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GC Women's Ministries Newsletter Calendar & Prayer Request

MAY 2008

Women's Challenge Issues—Poverty

Women, Human Rights, and Poverty

A life of dignity is every person’s human right. This is true no matter where he or she lives or what his or her sex, race, or ethnic origin may be. And every woman, man, youth and child has basic needs that must be met if he or she is to live in dignity. A life of poverty means that basic needs go unfulfilled and fundamental human rights are violated.

More than one billion people live in poverty around the world, and a great majority of them are women. Women’s poverty results in widespread violations of their human rights. When a woman faces a lack of access to adequate housing, food, or health care, her human rights are violated. When she lives in an unsafe and unhealthy environment or lacks access to clean water, she is not enjoying her fundamental human rights to a life of dignity and to an adequate standard of living.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM 2006) reveals that in many countries with economic transitions, women have been the most affected.

— Source: UNIFEM

Ministry ideas you can do:

• Small enterprise development
• Money management seminars
• Preparing for retirement seminars
• Professional mentoring
• Time management
• Budgeting
• Widow support groups
• Debt reduction
• Food baskets for needy families
• Meals for homeless shelters
• School supplies for needy children
• Community vegetable Garden
• Blankets in wintertime
• Prepare hygiene packs

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Prayer Corner

• Women living in poverty
• Raquel Arrais travel to EUD
• Heather-Dawn Small travel to SAD

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Calendar

• May 15—International Day of Families. More information: www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/
• May 31—Scholarship applications due to GCWM
• June 14—Women's Ministries Emphasis Day ”Show Me the Savior” Packet available for free download at www.wm.gc.adventist.org

 

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