OCTOBER 2001

HEADLINES

Welcome to Heather-Dawn Small; New GCWM Associate Director

GCWM Scholarship Awarded; 540 given since 1994

Letter to the Editor

Former Scholarship Recipients Say Thanks

My Turning Point

Alone With God : Hot Off the Press

October Editorial

VIEW ORIGINAL LAYOUT OF THE NEWSLETTER USING ACROBAT.PDF

ABOUT WM NEWSLETTER

EDITORIAL | NEWS FROM THE WORLD. . . | ARCHIVES | ABOUT WM NEWSLETTER | HOME

Welcome to Heather-Dawn Small; New GCWM Associate Director "It is with particular pleasure that we welcome Heather-Dawn Small to the General Conference Women's Ministries," says Ardis Stenbakken, WM director. "I have known and worked with her from time to time for the last several years and value her love, dedication, and expertise. I think all our leaders at all levels will enjoy working with her." Born on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean, Small spent five years of her early life in Leeds, England with her family. Married to Joseph Small, they have two children, Dalonne who is 18 years, and an 11year old boy, Jerard. She holds a BA degree in English from Andrews University.

Prior to coming to the GC she held the position of Women's/Children's Ministries director for the Caribbean Union Conference. Prior to that she was the principal of her own elementary school for children with learning disabilities for seven years.

One of Small's dreams for WM is ministering to and mentoring the young women in our
church, paying more attention to our young women, ages 13 and up, ensuring that the church meets their needs spiritual and otherwise. Her special interests lie in working with women in the areas of self-esteem, skills development, and evangelism. Her hobbies are stamp collecting, reading, traveling, embroidery, and collecting anything that has the word JOY on it. Her favorite saying is "Don't let anyone steal your joy."

Stenbakken says that she has asked Small to take charge of the Women's Ministries scholarship and literacy programs, newsletter, help further develop resources, mentoring, and programs for young women. "That is a passion of hers—to see young women find their own ministries too," Stenbakken points out. She also adds that Small is a good public speaker and will no doubt soon be busy speaking in the divisions.

(back to headlines)

GCWM Scholarships Awarded : 540 given out since 1994

	Twelve applicants were awarded scholarships at the July meeting of the GCWM Scholarship Committee. Six of the twelve 12 divisions and 1 attached field submitted applications, and GCWM was pleased that the South American Division (SAD) was among them. This was Heather-Dawn Small's first scholarship meeting, and the last one for Lynnetta Hamstra, previous Scholarship Committee Chair. It was also the last official action for Hamstra. The department appreciates her hard work and dedication to the scholarship program. We're also confident Small will serve well in this capacity. SDA women interested in obtaining scholarship application packets should contact their WM division director. Also note the deadline date for the materials to be returned to that division for processing. GCWM is thankful for the financial support that has been made available from WM devotional book proceeds. Five hundred and forty deserving women throughout the world have received assistance as they have pursued their educational goals. With devotional book sales continuing, additional scholarships will further benefit women seeking higher education in Adventist schools. Scholarship Recipients selected at the July meeting included (counter-clockwise): Peggy McFarlane (IAD), Angela Nagler (EUD), Soki Love Kyusa (AID), Elna Navo (SPD), Paul Lucy Oluchi (AID), Jane Kane (SPD). Pictures not available for text copy. (back to headlines)

Letter to the Editor

Simply to say how much I enjoy and appreciate the monthly newsletters so faithfully adminis-tered to those around the world and without doubt an inspiration to many, many around the world. I have shared it along with other "tidbits" with our own ladies in the church, the community, those with whom I work, family and friends and the list goes on. Oft times a seed is sown.

Am looking forward to receiving the August newsletter to see what other exciting reading will appear.

Many thanks once again and may God be so very, very close to each one of you who minister in the Women's Ministries Department. So very sorry to learn about how ill Ardis was - how frightening so far from home—but how thrilling God's healing—I know from experience the humbling experience of healing.

With God's blessings
Alysse Frazer -End

(back to headlines)

Former Scholarship Recipients Say Thanks!

I sincerely thank you for the amount you've sent me.... I never thought my prayers would be answered so soon....I pray that this ministry will go on successfully and be a blessing.

Rathna Kumasii N.
Southern Asia Division

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ....The joy I had when I received the letter was indescribable. Actually the money allowed me to go ahead with my semester and write my exams and I am so grateful I don't even know how to express it. Thanks a lot.

Rachel Mnahona
Africa-Indian Ocean Division

God has answered my sincere prayer for a scholarship....[I]...believe that God is using Women's Ministries to help us young people achieve our mission and goals in life.... Hoping and praying that more young people will benefit from your commendable project.

Melody B. Ambat
Southern Asia Pacific Division

I am very grateful to all who have contributed to make this scholarship available....Thank you for sharing with me, through the devotional books, the inspiration you have gained from experiencing God in your life. Your ministry reaches far further than just the recipients of the scholarships.

Diantha de Beer
Southern Africa Union

I deeply appreciate the women who donated their time and skills to establish this scholarship fund through devotional books.... Thank you for helping me meet my tuition....I have been blessed and have enjoyed the opportunity to fellowship with SDA Christians and be an active witness.

Kara Saunders
North American Division

I saw God's power coming to my rescue.... May God bless and guide you as you continue to serve Him.

Mercy Rugedhla
Eastern Africa Division

Your right-timing support is encouraging me so much....Thank you... I believe God will lead my life to accomplish His ultimate goal for me as He does for your organization.

Eunyoung Seo
Northern Asia Pacific Division

(back to headlines)

My Turning Point
(A Letter from a Scholarship Applicant /Recipient)

It was a school holiday and I went home to spend three weeks with my parents.

Unfortunately, the last week before going back to school, my father some how dropped his diary book which contained my ship fare and school fees in the sea on his way to one of the nearby villages. To make it worse, that particular day it was raining so heavily that the sea was so dirty due to flooding. He tried to retrace the route he took but he couldn't find the book.

I thought that was the end of my education because of no school fees and ship fare to go back to school. That evening we had a prayer season that somehow God would provide or bring back the money that was dropped in the sea. I challenged God that night. I said, "God if you really exist please show me the money so that I can go back to school."

Something amazing happened the next morning. As soon as we had our morning worship I was somehow forced to go to the beach, so I went down and to my surprise I saw a $20.00 note floating on the water, so I went and picked it up. As I looked further I saw a $50.00 note. This surprised me because no body used to go there. Anyway, I rushed back to my mum and said, "Mum, look, I found $70.00 at the beach!" So my mum accompanied me back to the place where I picked up the money. There we started to pick up more notes, $20.00, $50.00, $10.00 and so forth. As we went further out in the water, we finally found dad's diary book. We got back all the money that fell into the sea the day before and we thank God for that.

This is really an experience that I can't forget. I know that God exists; that's why the diary book fell at a different place altogether, and He guided the book and the money back to us.

That is my turning point. I know that He wants me to continue my education and I strongly believe that He wants me to do His work. That's when I made a commitment to work for Him.

Elna Navo, Solomon Island

(back to headlines)

Alone with God : Hot off the Press

Alone with God, a daily devotional for women by women, will soon be available at your Adventist Book Centers. Published by Review and Herald , this 10th in the WM devotional book series will, like the ones preceding it, bring benefits in three ways—to the writer joyfully sharing her personal story, to the reader spiritually uplifted by it, and to the scholarship recipient granted financial assistance for study at an Adventist institution of higher learning. TheWM books have become favorite gift items during the holidays. We know that Alone with God will be well read in 2002, giving encouragement to thousands.

(back to headlines)