Shout out to Women Ministries

Every fall, many of the conferences of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) fill up their Bible camps and conference retreat centers with loads of women who are looking for a weekend away with their girlfriends and with God.  Any time that I happen to be home for the last weekend in September, I always try to book myself some time to be at Covenant Point Bible Camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and this September was no different.  This year, I had the added delight of being able to be the missionary speaker both at Covenant Point and Mission Springs in northern California.  And now that the retreat season is over, I've decided that I need to book myself into a quiet place for actual retreat, since being the missionary speaker at a women's retreat doesn't exactly allow for much personal time or retreat!

Gift pack at the speaker's cabin at Mission Springs, CA

Mission Springs Chapel where we met for amazing worship

In honor of my veiled friends, always traveling with my refugee suitcase (bottom right)

Swapping missionary nurse experiences from Africa

God's abundant harvest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

I've learned about living our lives on purpose, and learning to be content....both timely teachings as I journey through this time of transition and seeking God as Jehovah Provider for all of our needs.  I've prayed with women who needed a word of encouragement, or someone just to hold their hand and allow them to share their grief over the loss of a husband.  I've challenged the women of the U.P. Michigan and northern California to turn off the media and turn our hearts open to God, who can then use us for His kingdom building purposes.  I've learned that women in the ECC are passionate about caring for missionaries and refugees, especially as they poured out so much love on me (and Steve, by extension) through their offerings which will be put aside for our new ministry in Sweden.  I've heard teaching about coming to the table (the communion table) and staying at the table even when life and ministry are difficult and our human tendency is to run away from conflict and just give up.  Those were the best words yet spoken into my life in recent weeks.  Don't give up.  Stay at the table.  It can be resolved at the table, and only at the table, and only if we approach the table with a spirit of true humility and an understanding of forgiveness.  And then we went to the table, at both retreats.  What a privilege to participate in community around the table.  

This past May, 2016, before we left Antwerp Belgium, I had the joy of planning an overnight retreat for 6 new followers of Jesus, all who had come from countries where little is truly known about Jesus.  We used my Special Interest Missionary (SIM) funds, which are available to long term missionaries through Women Ministries of the ECC, to fund the event...to pay for the train tickets for my refugee friends to get up to Antwerp, to pay for their food and lodging at the Catholic retreat center, and to pay for some of the supplies we needed for the weekend (check out a previous blog post from June 2016 about it, especially the artwork that came out of the weekend).  Another great memory built around women, coming together, laughing, crying, praying, praising God through worship and study.  Another group of women walking away from a weekend encouraged in their journey with Jesus.

So thankful for Covenant Women, Women Ministries of the ECC, women of the church ~ however you want to call it!  As I look forward to being in Sweden next fall, perhaps there will be a women's retreat there, where we can organize some time together to be with girlfriends and with God.  And maybe there will be some new girlfriends at the table, new followers of Jesus who have traveled a long way to get to Sweden to meet a true follower of Jesus who knows how important it is to have time with God ~ and girlfriends!

Seals in Santa Cruz provided a whole lot of entertainment for this city slicker from Chicago ~

Doing the duck at Covenant Point ~ there is a story behind this photo, for sure!

Her name is Nasra

We had the privilege of accessing the US health care system recently (we went to the doctor for annual physicals, for the first time in the US in more than 12 years).  I should also note that we were really spoiled by our fluent English speaking doctors in Belgium, who were easily available without having to make or wait for an appointment, and our office visits never cost more than $35.00.  Being in a new home, in a new city, I admit that I was a bit nervous about this first trip to the doctor.  So imagine my surprise when I walked into the clinic and the receptionist who greeted me was wearing her name badge which read "Nasra".

We went through the formalities that you have to do before you get past the door, filling our your name and birthdate and address and phone number (always a good exercise for me right now since I'm learning new area codes and zip codes every other week, it seems!!), and I went in for my visit.  And here comes God's next surprise for me for this morning: my doctor is from Pakistan and is simply delightful...in addition to being very thorough.  We talked family history, when I've had all my last routine procedures (most of which include needles and the like), and it was all over in about 30 minutes. 

On my way out, after being treated to a poke at the lab, I stopped by at Nasra's front desk again.  And that's when I watched the most delightful interchange take place with Nasra, fully veiled in black, and the African American post woman dressed in shorts and a baseball cap.  She greeted Nasra with "asalaam aleykum" and Nasra's quick response was "aleykum salaam".  Wow, God, they even speak Arabic and peace in this clinic.  In a moment, I was transported back to the Central African Republic and the Fulani people, who every time they entered my home or back yard would also yell in eager greeting those same words. Same Arabic.  Same greeting of "peace be with you",  "and also with you".  Shalom. Peace.  Even in the doctor's office.

As it then became my turn to catch Nasra's attention, I called her by her name, Nasra.  And funny enough, I even pronounced it correctly (not always a guarantee, mind you, even for this somewhat seasoned student of languages!).  Her eyes lit up immediately with recognition and this short statement of recognition, "wow, you even knew how to pronounce my name correctly. Not everyone does".  What a great lead in for me to begin a conversation about the work that God has called us to do among refugees and bringing the truth about Jesus to our world.

On my way home, feeling so thankful for access to medical care, I thanked God for Nasra and the journey that she is on to know more about God.  I wanted to do my part, thru prayer, and lay the foundation for the next time I go back to the clinic and can greet Nasra.  Maybe it will be my turn to say "peace be with you".

Her name is Nasra.

She's on a journey.

May she find Jesus even as she seeks peace.