MENNONITE
WOMEN USA
A POSTCARD & A PRAYER
January 2016

Prayer for Transitions
by Hannah Heinzekehr

Creative and communicative God,
we know that you are with us.
You are with us in our endings:
     When we say goodbye,
     When we leave behind what is familiar,
     When one year comes to a close,
     When projects end, when people leave, 
and when things change.
You are with us in beginnings:
     When we say hello,
     When we try something new,
     When a new year greets us, full of possibility,
     When we take on new tasks, when we greet new friends-to-be, 
 and when things change.
You are with us always:
     Even when we can't hear your voice,
     Even when what lies ahead is unclear,
     Even when we mourn the loss of what was and celebrate what could be,
     Even when we feel like we're not enough, when we feel alone,
and when things change.
We pray that we would not just know in our heads that you are with us, but that we would feel your presence with us, deep in our bones, no matter what today brings.

Amen.
 
Hannah Heinzekehr is the executive director of The Mennonite, Inc., a role she began in Oct. 2015. She lives and works in Newton, Kansas, with her husband Justin and two young children. She attends New Creation Fellowship Church.
Sister Care at Bethel College Mennonite Church January 29-30

The Sister Care seminar presented by Rhoda Keener and Carolyn Heggen is coming to Kansas this week Friday, 1/29 from 7:00-9:00pm and Saturday, 1/30 from 9:00am-4:30pm at Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton. Sister Care provides women with tools for ongoing personal healing and for responding more effectively to the needs of others. Both presenters bring a background of years of working in the mental health field and in the Mennonite Church. Carolyn Heggen is a psychotherapist specializing in trauma healing and Rhoda Keener serves as Sister Care director for Mennonite Women USA. The seminar has four units: 
  • I am God's Beloved Daughter
  • Caring for Self and Others
  • Compassionate Listening
  • Transforming Loss and Grief  
Sister Care for 
College Women

Bethel College is hosting the upcoming Sister Care for College Women on Saturday, February 6.
  
Marlene Bogard will present and cover these pertinent topics to young adult women:
  • What to do with your one precious life?
  • When to say yes and when to say no (boundaries).
  • Faith formation & personal journey.
  • Stress management.
  • Caring for others.
With sponsorship from Bethel College Femcore, Western District Women in Mission and local Mennonite churches, this seminar is sure to touch, move and inspire college women.


Got Spark? 
A Bible study designed for women like you!
  • Perfect for a devotional or study
  • Great for personal reflection or group conversation
  • 13 sessions written from an Anabaptist perspective on spirituality

Spark: Igniting Your God-Given Creativity

by April Yamasaki is sponsored by Mennonite Women USA and Mennonite Women Canada.

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Remembering 
Maria De Leon

We remember Marķa Magdalena De Leon who served on the Mennonite Women USA board from 1999 to 2006. Maria, mother, pastor, anti-racist organizer and Mennonite church leader, passed away 
December 25, 2015.

Her entire life was dedicated to caring for people, loving people and sharing God's word.
IWF Spotlight 
Fabiola Arango Libero

Currently, Fabiola continues to be involved in the work and activities of the community and her hope is to continue to educate herself so that she can serve better.
 
  
Give the gift of inspiring, ethical content by and for Anabaptist women with our winter SALE!

Now through April 1, 2016 buy two NEW subscriptions to Timbrel for just $25:
  • one for you
  • one for a friend!



Mark your calendars for August 12-13 and travel to a wonderful summer destination: Colorado! PREP (preparing, resourcing, encouraging and praising), will be hosted by Peace Mennonite Church in Aurora, CO, and will include options for learning, networking and inspiration. 

Rhoda Blough of Everence will provide resourcing on Saturday morning on Women, Money and Faith. Teresa Boshart Yoder of Everence will provide resourcing on Women and Health in the afternoon. 

 

NOTE: this year PREP is an event for ALL women, not just conference leaders! Registration materials will be available soon. 

  

History Project Update
by Marlene Bogard
  
If you were writing a 100-year history of Mennonite Women USA, what would you include? 
  • Facts and figures? 
  • Analysis of how far we have come? 
  • Anecdotes and personal stories? 
  • Recipes and patterns? 
  • Photos of 100 different Mennonite Women? 

We are in a process of discernment on what kind of shape, length and focus this written project might be. We do know this: whatever "it" will be, it will be available summer of 2017! It could be a best seller, who knows!! Keep this project in your prayers and then send your ideas for what you'd include.

2016 Sister Care seminars
  • Newton, Kansas :: January 29-30
  • College: at Bethel :: February 6
  • College at Hesston :: March 19
  • Kenya :: April
  • Tanzania :: April
  • Winnipeg, Manitoba :: May 13-14
From The Mennonite 
Watching Selma with Camila
by Fabiola Flores

Fabiola Flores was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. She has lived in the United States for 20 years and calls Newton, Kansas home. She lives with her eleven-year-old daughter, Camila. She works for Mennonite Mission Network as an assistant for Latin America and East Asia. Here she reflects on the experience of watching the movie, Selma, with here 11-year-old daughter. This is the first in a series of parenting blogs that will run every othr Wednesday at www.TheMennonite.org.

Gifts to honor and remember
 
Mennonite Women USA invites persons to share financially to support this ministry. Individuals are invited to give in honor of, or in memory of, significant people in their lives. We recognize each gift honors or remembers a relationship. 
 
Gifts given by:
Ruth Lehman in memory of Ruth Steiner.
Kathryn Slaubaugh in memory of Virginia Roth.
Kimberly Steiner in memory of Ruth Steiner.
Joyce Price in memory of Lilly Ann Neufeld.
Elsie Horner in memory of Evelyn Miller.
Marjorie Liechty in memory of Kathryn Sherer.
Eunice Brenneman in memory of Evelyn Yeackley.
Sharon Rohrer in memory of Janet Specht.
Florence Zehr in honor of Bonnie Oswald.
Mary Swartley in honor of Marian Hostetler and Eunice Gautsche.
Joni Fornelli in honor of the Lavender House Retreat Center.
Christine Kauffman in honor of Arianne Hochstetler.
Beth Martin Birky in honor of Grace Martin.
Nancy Rohrer in honor of Ruth Rohrer.
 
Give to Mennonite Women USA

Giving to MW USA online is so easy! Give today...transform tomorrow...
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Mennonite Women USA is a constituency group of Mennonite Church USA.