Women’s
Ministries Care Center for AIDS Orphans
"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. |
|
President
Mogae plants a tree in remembrance of all the children |
 |
|
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
left
to right: Mrs. Wellio, President Mogae and Mrs.
Susan Williams
|
(back
to headlines)
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
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. |
|
Dr.
Matandiko with Heather-Dawn Small in November 2006 |
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
(back to headlines)
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 womensministries@gc.adventist.org.
*Shipping Charges Apply |
| Keeper’s
Page : Inspiration for You |
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 worst:
- 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?” This
was what those questioned responded:
- 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
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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to headlines)
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