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We Are Pleased That You Are Pleased |
As part
of her graduate school work in communications, Viola Hughes,
who serves as the only female United Nations liaison for the
Church, sent a survey to all the names on our mailing list.
She has shared with us the results, but not your returns. So
we don't know who you are, but we are grateful that most of
you are pleased with our newsletter and find it helpful to your
ministries.
Some of
you would like colored pictures. So would we! But we just cannot
afford it. In fact, at the present, we have had to eliminate
almost all pictures because of poor reproduction. As soon as
this paper supply is depleted, we hope to get paper that will
better reproduce pictures and we can use them again.
Some asked
that we not use colored ink. We never have so believe you may
be thinking of another publication.
One reader
suggested that the newsletter should go to the local WM directors.
We think so too, but it is up to the local conferences to send
it to them. Please encourage your conference director to do
this—she will need a budget to be able to do so.
One asked
for a newsletter in Spanish. You are welcome to translate this!
By policy, translation is to be done by the division, not the
GC.
Some of
you wondered why there was not more for the ordinary woman.
There are publications for that, such as Women of Spirit;
this newsletter is specifically for Women's Ministries leaders,
stressing leadership and ministry.
Some want
more written by women in the world field. Good—those of
you out there, write and we will use the material as space allows.
Some complained
about the seals. We are working on that problem within Post
Office regulations. At least we now use clear seals—did
you notice?
We thank
you for being faithful readers. God bless you as you seek ways
to minister.
Dear Editor,
I read your
editorial, Ardis, about your "More than Three Wishes" (January
2001) and I thought you might be interested that here in BC
(British Columbia) we almost have made it for one of your wishes.
I now have a nice office in the conference office with my own
computer and phone and a place where women can come and talk
to me in private. I have had a secretary (shared with one of
the other departments of course) ever since I took over this
position in 1995. I am on all the committees that all the other
departmental heads are on and treated in every way as one of
them except no salary. That's OK for me, but I am worried about
who will take over when I step down, as without a salary I see
it difficult to get a younger woman to do it. I agree it should
be a paid position.
Next weekend
and the following one the conference departmental directors
are putting on "Ministries Conventions" in the northern towns
of our conference and I will be going with them and doing WM
training as part of the conference effort to support the local
church officers and help them in their work. We have a 13 hour
drive to Chetwynd in the northeast next weekend and the following
weekend we will fly up to Hazelton in the NW as that is even
further to drive. This is a huge conference.
Ruth
Lennox, WM Leader
British Columbia Conference, NAD
I just read
through your latest newsletter, and enjoyed it. I want to thank
you for mentioning www.pacificpress.com in your web resources
column. I'd like to suggest that the next time you run a list
like this that you might also want to include www.adventistbookcenter.com.
This e-commerce website is funded by Pacific Press and the Review
and Herald, and uses the ABC's and overseas publishing houses
as depots for handling the orders. You can purchase most of
the products of the two publishing houses on this site. (Bible
Studies for Busy Women is on this site). And, it handles orders
from anywhere in the world.
Susan
Harvey
Vice-President, Marketing and Sales,
Pacific Press Publishing Association
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News from the world of . . .
Eastern Africa Division: During December the women
in North Botswana Field prepared and served dinner to 180-200
destitute people in the villages of Shakawe and Maun. This is
an annual event sponsored by Women's Ministries; the WM director
of that field is Mrs. I Wellio.
The village
chiefs, who were invited, warmly thanked the women for their
ministry which included giving each person 3-4 pieces of clothing
and a program of a short sermon, drama and special songs. Barclays
Bank and Spar Supermarket helped underwrite the dinner. Throughout
the year the WM has helped these people with shelter and warm
soup during cold weather.
Euro-Africa
Division: Women across Mozambique are participating
in a training program organized by Carolina Lubambo, WM director
for the Union. The Program has concentrated on homiletics, how
to conduct Bible studies, and evangelism training. Some 500
women have completed the 3-week course. Lubambo reports that
several hundred people have already been baptized as a direct
result of the work of these women.
Euro-Asia
Division: Sayuri Ruiz reports from Almaty, Kazakstan,
that they have an active Women's Ministries.They just held a
special dinner and sale to raise money for a women's retreat
and have now raised enough so that every woman who wants to
may attend.
North
American Division: Ann Pendleton, Southern Union Women's
Ministries Director reports the Southeastern Conference just
finished 40 observances of the Women's International Day of
Prayer. There have been 14 baptisms connected with this. Nicole
Brise is the conference WM director.
More than
60 local church WM leaders attended a one day training held
by the Allegheny East Conference under the direction of Minnie
McNeil. The theme for the day was ministering to the various
stages of a woman's life; attendees were challenged to come
up with ways to minister to the various situations that occur
in women's lives.
South
American Division: Ivanilde Macedo and Marli Ferreira
saw a need and developed a program to meet it—developing
a literacy program in the Brasilia Central Adventist church,
Brazil. The classes are held three nights a week for men and
women of all ages. Maria is 56 and thought it was too late for
her to learn, but through this program she can read and write.
"I am very happy and feel like I have accomplished something."
When the
graduation ceremony was held for the program which started two
years ago, a Bible was given as a gift and incentive to continue
reading.
The program
has received wide and positive press coverage, helping to increase
the number of students. Edeias, 44, heard about the course on
his car radio. "Having the opportunity to read and write was
all that I wanted" he says.
Evelyn Nagel,
WM director for SAD says that there are many literacy programs
around Brazil.
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