Touching a Single Mother's Heart
North American Division Women's Ministries Single Mom's Camp
Single moms and their children enjoy a camp-retreat at the Indiana
Conference youth camp each year. A joint ministry of the Youth and
Women’s Ministries (WM) departments, the camp is fun for the children
who enjoy the attention they get from the youth staff as well as the
camp activities, and a stress-free vacation for their mothers, who have
their own activities while their children are cared for.
The Program
The moms receive information in home economies as well as tools to improve their relationships with their Savior, their children, and with others.
The families receive gifts from the staff. In 2007, in addition to baskets of toiletries and food from WM, several churches bought cookware (pots/pans) sets for each mom. The WM Committee provided large buckets full of kitchen utensils, potholders, dishcloths, dish soap, bakeware and salad spinners. The children received gift bags containing age-appropriate items.
In addition, one day of camp is devoted to pampering the moms. It starts with lunch at a restaurant followed by free haircuts from a local beauty shop and then “spa time” at camp with manicures, pedicures, massages, and facials provided by the camp staff.
Changing Lives
Lives have been changed as a result of this camp. One woman admitted that the previous year she had been drinking alcohol the entire time. The next year, however, she proudly displayed to a WM volunteer her medallion for being sober for nine months. Within two years her parenting skills improved, and she gave up drugs and prostitution. Her grandmother had been an Adventist, and even though the grandmother is deceased, her prayers are still being answered!
Other women have gone back to school and improved their job skills as well as their family finances. When they receive instruction, hope, encouragement, and self-worth, the women blossom.
Julie Loucks, a WM volunteer at the camp, related, “One county mental health center has sent women for two years. After the first year, one of the counselors called me regarding sending women to the next camp. He said that his client came back changed; then he declared, ‘You people are miracle workers—you are angels.’ His client had shared with me during the retreat—through tears—that she thought God had forgotten her. She felt His presence and wanted to return to church. She is not one of our church members, but praise the Lord, she wants to reconnect with Him!”
As the mothers’ needs are met, they become better mothers and healthier mothers, which transforms their children as well. Since the camp is a “safe” place, they learn to trust the Church as well as God. In such an environment, spiritual, and emotional growth can take place.
Source: Julie Loucks, NAD WM "Intuitions"
Focus On The News
Southern Asia Division (SUD)
Sharing Hope Through Prayer
The Women’s Ministries (WM) Department of South Tamil Conference conducted a seminar at Madurai East Church in December. Forty-five women attended the seminar training. Victoria Jeeva, the WM director, reports that many topics were presented such as “Ministry of Women in Old Testament Times” and “Prayer Ministry.”
New Brochure
The South Kerala Section has printed a new brochure describing WM activities for the Indian Medical, Educational and Welfare Services (IMEWS).
Under the WM Department, many developmental programs are making a difference: self-employment training for the
poor women to make soap; tailoring training for poor women; goat rearing project; and free distribution of rice to the victims of Chickengunea—a viral fever which is fatal and has killed many in the state. All these programs under the Thiruvananthapuram WM are a source of great relief for many families.
— SUD Women's Ministries
Inter-American Division (IAD)
Hope for Humanity Conference Raises Illiteracy Awareness
A group of church officers, leaders, and lay people representing 15 countries from IAD met January 9 to 14 to learn and see first hand the blessing of conducting literacy programs for their communities. They were hosted by Hope for Humanity in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Stories were told by coordinators, supervisors, promoters, and facilitators from countries where this program has started with the help of ADRA and led by Women’s Ministries (WM). Nicaragua had just graduated 1,020 students. Costa Rica is starting a program with 1,000 students. North Mexico is starting literacy next month in Tijuana. El Salvador has 60 different sites. These programs are being made possible by the partnership of the local conference, local government, and Hope for Humanity.
Illiteracy is one of the six challenge issues for WM. Engaging in this program focuses on many issues:
- An approach to illiteracy
- Meets the needs of women in poverty
- Alleviates women’s work load by giving them an opportunity to stop and have some time for themselves to share and learn
- Helps stop the abuse of people taken advantage of because of their ignorance by teaching them basic math skills needed when selling their own products and purchasing basic materials
- Leads people out of darkness by empowering them to find hope and salvation as they are able to read the Bible.
The participants listened, saw, experimented, learned, and celebrated accomplishments with the Ramon H. Maury Award given by Hope for Humanity to recipients that have accomplished much in this program. But above all, people left with more love for action in their hearts for those in need.
— M. Dinorah Rivera, IAD WM Assistant Director
Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID)
20,000 Evangelism Goal
The Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division is planning Harvester, a plan to conduct 20,000 evangelistic campaigns by women this year. This is a mega evangelism project; they plan to achieve this by requesting women in every congregation to conduct at least one campaign and baptize at least 25 souls.
The leadership feels this is achievable because they have over 20,000 congregations. The only challenge may be the fact that women are not allowed to preach in certain areas. However, Caroline Chola, SID Women's Ministries director is optimistic; “We believe Harvester will open ways for our sisters. If we cannot preach, we will still touch hearts for Jesus! This is our hope. Please pray for us.”
— SID Women’s Ministries
Keeper's Page: Inspiration for You
Mentoring Young Women
“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” —Amy Carmichael
A lot is heard in the business world about the need for mentors. We sometimes hear about it in church too, but probably not as often as we should. As Christian women, one of our roles should be to act as mentors for younger women and women who are new to our faith. We find this in Titus 2:3-5. But what exactly does “mentoring” involve, and how do we go about doing it?
What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a relational experience in which one person empowers, encourages, teaches, and shares experiences and resources with another person.
Why Do We Need Mentoring?
Today’s society is “high tech.” Most of us rely on dozens of technological gadgets to help us to communicate with others and to streamline our lives. We use our telephones, our voice mail, our e-mail, our websites, our cell phones, our pagers, our personal organizers. In the middle of all this efficiency, it’s sometimes hard to find time to sit down across a kitchen table with a friend to share and show we care. Surrounded by all this “high tech,” what we really need is a “high touch” society in which people take time to care for and relate to one another.
Jesus, the Mentor
Jesus’ relationship with His disciples here on earth is our best model for mentoring relationships. Out of all his followers, Jesus chose twelve—the disciples—to benefit from an intensive mentoring relationship. Throughout the months and years He spent with them, Jesus:
- showed them by example how to live morally, how to care for others, how to speak out against injustice, and how to have a vital prayer connection to God. Matthew. 8:2
- taught them directly, both as part of the crowd and on private “retreats.” Matthew 5:7
- involved them in His work of teaching, healing, and miracle working. Matthew 10
- evaluated their performance, rejoicing when they did well, admonishing when they made mistakes, correcting when they got off course. Luke 10:1-24
A Mentor Should Be . . .
- Supportive
- Patient
- Respected
- People oriented
- Good motivator
- Secure in her position
- An achiever
- Able to give high visibility
- One who shows regard for another’s well-being
Christian mentors don’t need to be perfect or have all the answers. They need a commitment to their own spiritual growth and that of others, a willingness to give of their time and influence, and a genuine concern for others.
Mentoring: Getting Started
- Find someone to mentor—identify women younger in years, younger in the faith, or women who want to grow in leadership or experience.
- Look for someone with leadership potential whom you can nurture.
- Learn about mentoring—from books, or from people who’ve been successful in mentoring relationships.
- Set up a contract outlining when you will meet with your mentoree and what your goals will be.
- Build your relationship on Biblical wisdom. Nurture and support your mentoree’s spiritual growth.
- Invest your time in the person you’re mentoring—making sure you’ve been realistic about your priorities and other commitments.
- Find out what this person needs in order to grow and what you can do to help.
- Expose your mentoree to others who have been successful in reaching their goals and ambitions.
- Occasionally evaluate your mentoring style to see if you are effective.
- Pray.
Information from Women’s Ministries brochure, “Mentoring Young Women.”
Women's Ministries Resource Brochure
MENTORING YOUNG WOMEN is designed to help Christian mentors make a commitment to their own spiritual growth and that of others, a willingness to give of their time and influence, and a genuine concern for others. Order your copy today at AdventSource: www.adventsource.org
GC Women's Ministries Newsletter Calendar & Prayer Request
MARCH 2008
Women's Challenge Issues—Threats to Health
Women’s Mental Health: The Facts
Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sexual violence, domestic violence, and escalating rates of substance use affect women to a greater extent than men across different countries and different settings. Pressures created by their multiple roles, gender discrimination, and associated factors of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, overwork, domestic violence and sexual abuse, combine to account for women’s poor mental health. Here are some statistics:
- disorders account for close to 41.9% of the disability from neuropsychiatric disorders among women compared to 29.3% among men.
- Leading mental health problems of the elderly are depression, organic brain syndromes, and dementias. A majority are women.
- An estimated 80% of 50 million people affected by violent conflicts, civil wars, disasters, and displacement are women and children.
- Lifetime prevalence rate of violence against women ranges from 16% to 50%.
- least one in five women suffers rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.
Research shows that there are 3 main factors which are highly protective against the development of mental problems, especially depression. These are:
- having sufficient autonomy to exercise some control in response to severe events.
- access to some material resources that allow the possibility of making choices in the face of severe events.
- psychological support from family, friends, or health providers is powerfully protective.
As we follow Jesus’ example we become co-laborers with God, participating in His restoration plan to heal and enrich lives.
Source: World Health Organization, 2007 – www.who.int
Prayer Corner
- Heather-Dawn Small and Raquel Arrais travel to Holland and Israel
- For all the women who struggle with health problems Women's Ministries International Day of Prayer.
Calendar
- March 8—International Working Women's Day
- April 7—World Health Day. World Health Day this year focuses to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. More information: www.who.int
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