General Conference Women's Ministries Newsletter : December 1999 |
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"I am sorry, mama. I'll be a good boy. Mama is sad. Mama, please smile." These are a few common statements my three-year-old grandson says whenever he makes a mistake and is corrected or disciplined. Does his mother forgive him? Of course she does. How many times does she forgive? Innumerable times. Does he make the same mistake again? Sure. Does his mother count it against him? Not at all. How similar this is in my own Christian experience! How many times I have made my heavenly Father sad. How many times I have done things willfully which I know I shouldn't do. Yet when I regret the mistakes and tell him "I am sorry, Father. Please forgive me," He forgives me in that very instant and dumps my sins into the depths of the sea. He not only forgives my sins but also forgets them completely. They are no more counted against me. Further, He covers me with His righteousness and adopts me as His daughter. To top it all, out of His abundant love, He sent His only son, Jesus, to be an atoning sacrifice. That is why I am completely cleansed of all my sins that made a provision for me to gain eternal life. I thank God for Jesus Christ and His forgiveness through Him. As the whole Christendom celebrates Christmas, I cannot help but think of His sacrifice and what it means to me as a sinner. Conversion What should I do in return to His unconditional, matchless love? I should love others like I love myself, by feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners, the sick, the downtrodden, comforting the sorrowing, and so on sacrificing my time, talent, money, and my all. I should also tell them about God's wonderful and immeasurable love towards me, His forgiveness of sins and salvation from eternal ruin. Isn't that the purpose of Women's Ministries ministering to the needs physical, spiritual, mental and emotional needs of the women whereby we can reflect Christ's character and help woman come closer to God? Jesus said that when we meet the needs of the least of His brothers and sisters we meet His needs. If we do so, when He comes in His glory He will separate us to His right and say, "Come, you who are blessed of my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" Matthew 25:34 (NIV). Oh! What a joy that will be to live with Him forever! As we enter the new year may we commit our lives to serve the needy. I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Trans-European Division: More than 200 women from all over Holland met last month in the church in Huis ter Heide, Netherlands. "They took up every seat," reports Birthe Kendel, division director. There were seminars on health topics, conversational prayer, planning Bible study, and the ministry of caring. During lunch the women sold items to raise money to help with projects such as literacy classes in Pakistan. The first WM retreat in Holland to take place next year was announced; "Within twenty minutes the retreat was booked full," Kendel reports. WM, under the direction of Clair Sanches, is new in Holland, but off to a good start. |
News from the world of . . .
Euro-Asia Division: Ludmila Krushenitskaya, ESD WM Director reports on activities all through the division: * The women in Kishinev are helping the 80 children in a boarding school. A company donated about $400 with which the women bought school supplies and bedding. * Balta had a population of 7000 with five Adventists. Ludmila Kashtalyan, the Ukraine South Conference director held evangelistic meetings. Twenty were baptized; most were young people. * In Herson, Ukraine Union, the WM women gathered $300 and a truck full of clothes for victims of a natural calamity. * Larisa Lobanova is a busy woman! In the West-Siberia Conference village of Marusino she held evangelistic meetings. There is now a church, and she wants it to grow. Women's Ministries is holding a variety of programs for the village. In Novosibirsk Lobanova and the church youth are holding evangelistic work among medical students. * The city of Irkutsk has asked the WM director Tamara Prolinskaya, East-Russian Union, to hold classes on restoring the family for those suffering with drug addicted children. * In the West Conference city of Kovel, Klavdia Yuzik preaches on the radio, writes for the newspaper and reaches out to the drug addicts and alcoholics. She has caught the attention of the city leaders; they have listened to her lectures and accepted spiritual literature as a gift. In turn, they have given her a tape recorder so now she can share even more spiritual songs and sermons. * In Chervonograd, the WM coordinator Miroslava Gorbachevskaya organized a mission library. Three have been baptized as a result of this work. * In the North-Caucasus Conference city of Hodyzhensk, 25 ladies planned a meeting for the elderly women; 70 came. The WM sisters sang and shared the good news of Christ's love. The local TV station made a video of the program and then the women were asked to go to the TV station to sing for a broadcast three days later. South Pacific Division: More than 20 women met for the first Greater Sydney Conference Women’s Ministries prayer supporters' retreat in July. "Women's Ministries in Sydney is growing because it is based on prayer," says director Joy Butler. The women are also praying for a spiritual revival with parents and teachers of the eight schools in Sydney. One teacher asked, "Why didn't you do this a long time ago?"Obviously, it is making a difference! continue on left column. . .
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