It was a fashion theme this year for the fifth annual Women's Conference at the Iglesia Bautista Evangelica de Macoris (IBEM). "We were waiting for this!" That was the reply from several churches about the invitation to the conference. It has become a big deal and every year grows in size and number. Thanks to last year's church expansion project, we were able to seat more than 200 women in the auditorium. Normally during this conference we host visiting women from the United States to join in and teach workshops. This year however we had no visitors for workshops so all session leaders were nationals. Seven women from our church took on the challenge and taught the workshops; some of them had never taught before! We also invited three women, including a family therapist, from other churches to fill out the roster of speakers and make sure we offered a range of helpful subjects throughout the day. Our main speaker did travel from the States, via Thailand and Puerto Rico, to speak on the subject of Women at Risk. Becky MacDonald from WAR International shared with us her experiences as well as challenged us to look for ministry opportunities among in our own cities and even across the street. Our church is now mobilizing a board of women to begin reaching out to women at risk in San Pedro. We have been approached by another church to head up this ministry and reach out to the women in San Pedro who are at risk through domestic violence and prostitution. This is another way that IBEM is becoming a leader in outward ministry. We are praying for the Lord to give direction and wisdom as we reach out to Samaria. Another joy of the conference has been the involvement of the young women in our church. One young lady, Ana, saved at Easter, wrote four dramatic monologues of women in the Bible that modeled a transformed life. Maria Isabel, who played Mary Magdalene, said in her testimony that now that she is saved, "Christ is reconstructing my temple."

Six women from IBEM traveled to Santiago to help the Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva with their first Women's conference. This was a way we could be of encouragement and blessing to another church. We left Monday morning and held the conference Monday and Tuesday evenings. Becky MacDonald traveled with us and was the main speaker at this conference as well. I sat in the back and listened to the comments of some of the women talking about the classes they had just taken from the women from IBEM. The words "dynamic," "a blessing," "impressed," and "I learned a lot," were overheard! Since our facilities were maxed out this year we may have to go on the road every year and assist other churches in holding conferences in their own city! It is something we are praying about and are willing to be used of God in whatever aspect He chooses.

In April, Milly Rivera left us to go to Santiago and complete her medical residency in a clinic there. At the time she was engaged to Edwin, the assistant pastor in the Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva (also a dead ringer for Tiger Woods!!) As soon as Milly arrived in Santiago she became a help in the ministry. She is leading a ladies Bible study and is discipling several teen girls. She is also on the praise team. This past Saturday, September 27, we celebrated the wedding of Edwin and Milly at IBEM. It was a beautiful service which honored God and represented the work of two good churches. It was a reminder of the perfection of God's plan and His timing in the lives of two of his servants. While we humanly hate to lose Milly, we are excited for her new life and her ministry work at Vida Nueva. John and Kelly Webb, great friends of ours who are the missionaries at Vida Nueva , owe us at least two people in return!