Mennonite Women USA: A Postcard & A Prayer

Mennonite Women USA

A POSTCARD & A PRAYER
July 2013

Noteworthy News

Prayer

Sister Care News

Memorial Gifts

News from The Mennonite

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Dear Friends,

The mission of Mennonite Women USA is to empower women and women's groups as we nurture our life in Christ through:

studying the Bible (Courageous Women of the Bible by Linda Gehman Peachey, released in June 2013),
using our gifts (see article in The Mennonite about Women in Leadership),
hearing each other (Sister Care),
and engaging in mission and service (International Women's Fund).

These are some of the ways we fulfill our mission. Learn more in this issue of A Postcard and a Prayer.

For more up-to-date news of Mennonite women around the world, see our newly designed website and Facebook page.

Mennonite Women USA staff

Stay Connected

Prayer for Mindfulness
by Louise Matthews

God, Creator of all,

present in us and among us,

We are mindful of our need for You:

Your guidance when we need direction,

Your comfort and peace in situations of broken relationships, loss and grief,

Your tender care when we feel vulnerable,

Your strength in times of weakness,

Your courage when we lack confidence,

Your patience and understanding when we doubt.

Your peace in the midst of life challenges and transitions.

We are mindful that others are also in need of You.

Make us aware of opportunities to serve,

opportunities to offer and receive hospitality,

opportunities to provide and receive sister-care as we interact with those around us.

Give us the heart of Jesus to be his hands and feet.

Help us to recognize and acknowledge Jesus in those who serve us.

Thank you for Your love

that binds our hearts and lives together

as a global community of women around the world. Amen.

Louise Matthews, member of First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio, is the director of The Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center of Bluffton University.

NATIONAL HAPPENINGS
Mennonite Women at Phoenix

Mennonite Women USA had a very visible presence at Phoenix 2013, our bi-ennial MC USA Convention. The traditional dinner was elegant and inspiring; activity at the booth was energized; women and men stopped at the booth to converse, gather information, and connect. Follow the various links to read more about the inspiration, and challenges we experienced at Convention.

Quilt Winner:

Mennonite Women USA announces Lauralee Kauffman (pictured above with quilter, Marie Harnish), Iowa City, IA winner of the T-shirt quilt raffle. More than $1,000 worth of tickets were purchased by 81 people who either visited the MW USA booth during Convention or purchased tickets in advance.

Dinner:

Women from across the church gathered for fellowship, connection and worship. Co-directors Rhoda Keener and Ruth Lapp Guengerich greeted nearly 200 women at the catered buffet line with hugs, joy and thanks for each.

INTERNATIONAL HAPPENINGS
Sister Care: Colombia

What: Sister Care seminars validate women's gifts of caring and equip them to respond more effectively and confidently to the needs of others in their lives.

Where: Bogota, Colombia

When: August 6-12, 2013

Prayer for Sister Care Presenters: Ruth Lapp Guengerich prayed over Sister Care presenters, Elizabeth Soto Albrecht, Carolyn Heggen and Rhoda Keener during the Lydia and Miriam Tea at Convention. Elizabeth and Carolyn will co-present in Colombia next month.

PREP 2013

Preparing, Resourcing, Encouraging, and Praising - a time to network and share resources and ideas with other conference women's ministry leaders, reflect on God's calling in your life, and worship and pray with women from around the U.S. Nadine

When: August 23-24

Where: Whitestone Mennonite Church in Hesston, Kansas

Who: Nadine Friesen, Hillsboro, Kansas (right) will guide our devotional time on "Celebrating your Spiritual DnA."

Input from MW USA co-director Ruth Lapp Guengerich and executive assistant Berni Kaufman will focus on MW USA's mission to empower women and women's groups. As we learn to know each other, we will each share our personal call or mission to serve women, and what we need in order to help us achieve or fulfill our call.

Some of the topics we will explore together include:

How are we adapting to change and diversity in our congregations and conferences?
What are the challenges to women's ministries?
How are we enjoying and taking advantage of the diversity among us?
What can we do to meet the diverse needs of women?
How can MW USA assist you in your leadership with local and conference groups?


Timbrel Teaser In the summer issue of Timbrel, Dr. Zenobia Sowell shares how she has ministered to Ghanaian villagers with a dental mission for over 15 years. Learn about her dual roles as dentist and pastor. Subscribe to Timbrel!	IWF Spotlight Ofelia Garcia Hernandez, Mexico, is dedicated to the ministry of the church. She and Olga Piedrasanta were Sister Care co-facilitators in Chihuahua, May 2013. Complete IWF list	Kitchen Table About two years ago I was the recipient of a prayer shawl hand knitted by a sister in my congregation, Pam Risser... As I lifted the shawl...I felt a warm and spiritual presence. Read full article.

From Southeast Mennonite Women
Oasis Experience in Kenya

Sunday afternoon June 15, forty Kenyan women gathered in the DOVE Christian Fellowship church tent in Nairobi, Kenya to have an Oasis Experience titled, "Unwrapping God's Gift of Love" with Southeast Mennonite Women Minister, Doris Diener.

Following the worship service, the women had lunch in an open building on the hill before reassembling in the sanctuary to be encouraged by God's proclamation of His love for them.

Read the full article here.

From
The Mennonite

Questions to women leadership:

Laura Glass-Hess

By Laura Glass-Hess

Laura Glass-Hess is in her second term as a board member of Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference (PSMC). She is a member of the leadership team at Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale, Ariz. She previously served as a youth sponsor at her church as well.

Read the full article here.

Memorial gifts

Mennonite Women USA invites persons to share financially to support this ministry. Individuals are invited to give in honor of, or in remembrance of, significant people in their lives. We recognize that each gift honors or remembers a relationship.

Gifts given by:

Mary Ann Shisler in memory of Rhoda Hostetter.

Erma Horning in memory of Elizabeth Harnish Graybill.

Elizabeth Musselman in memory of Alma Mast.

Esther Heatwole in memory of
Esther Riemenschneider and Pauline Oswald.

Lillian Stoltzfus in memory of Mary B Stoltzfus.

Anne Yoder in memory of Roxie Shank Yoder.

Pearl Hartman in memory of Anna Mary Hoover.

Marilyn Krehbiel in memory of Lois Heib Graber.

Gifts given by:

Sara Wiegner in honor of Ofelia Cruz.

Jim and Ann Hershberger in honor of Helen Graber.