♦ Women’s Ministries Scholarship Winners ♦ “The Gospel in Diapers” ♦ Goats for Congolese Widows ♦ Adventist Ministries Convention 2012 ♦ Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year
News You Can Use
Congratulations to the North American Division recipients of the Women’s Ministries Scholarships. We had a number of very impressive applications this year, and it was a really difficult job to narrow it down but, after prayer and a lot of discussion, these are the students who have been awarded the five $1,000 scholarships to help with their study in a North American Division Adventist college or university:
Dana Connell (Divinity), a graduate student at Andrews University
Eidel Gomez (Nursing), a junior at Southwestern Adventist University
Sarah Nadarajan (Biology), a sophomore at Southwestern Adventist University
Felicia Tonga (Communication Theory), a senior at La Sierra University
Amanda Valencia (Business Administration Management), a senior at Southwestern Adventist University
These scholarships are awarded annually, so please spread the word. If you know of a young woman who will be in full-time Adventist higher education next year, in need of some financial support, send her to our website www.nadwm.org for further information.
The Tri-Cities Diaper Bank in Washington is a division of Adventist Community Services, staffed by church members, that collects diapers through community diaper drives and partners with local agencies who distribute them to infants in need. WIC and FOODSTAMPS do not allow families to purchase diapers. Daycare facilities require parents to provide disposable diapers. Without disposable diapers, a parent may not have access to childcare essential for them to make work, school and job training commitments. A lack of diapers, also forces desperate parents to choose between leaving babies in soiled diapers for extended periods or trying to wash and reuse disposable diapers.
Operating the Diaper Bank has generated new outreach opportunity for local churches to connect with community members organizations. NAD Women’s Ministries endorses this outreach and hope Women’s Ministries leaders will consider a diaper ministry in your conference and local communities. More information is available at www.tricitiesdiaperbank.org/.
Two goats worth about $50 each can help a widow in the Democratic Republic of the Congo make a better life for herself and her children. Earlier this year, the Northern California Conference Women’s Ministries Department, led by Mary Jo Lauderdale, set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to provide goats for Congolese women, as well as churches and schools for their communities. So far, many people have responded generously to The Congo Widows Mission Project.
Women in the DRC continue to suffer from the horrific tribal warfare that has plagued the area since the 1990s. Violence and HIV/AIDS have made many of them widows, while others are alone after being assaulted by enemies and then rejected by their husbands. Around 450,000 Congolese women have lost husbands due to death or abandonment.
Some of the money raised will be used to buy goats. Since these animals live off the land, they are inexpensive to maintain, and their owners can earn money selling milk products, offspring and fertilizer. This income will make a huge difference for the widows, enabling them to provide food, medicine and education for their children. Some of the funds will be used to build 13 churches and two school complexes in the country.
The project harmonizes well with Lauderdale’s vision for Adventist women in Northern California: “NCC Women’s Ministries is about knowing Jesus personally, letting Him heal our hearts, and being willing to serve our church, community and around the world.” (credit: Julie Lorenz, NCC)
Just a reminder that NAD Women’s Ministries will be at the Adventist Ministries Convention 2012, January 15-18 at Innisbrook, Florida. We will be hosting a Women’s Ministries Advisory and four seminars for union and conference Women’s Ministries directors.
And finally, a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year from Carla and Wendy here at NAD Women’s Ministries.
Keep in mind that the NAD office is closed the week of December 26 through January 2.
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