Women's Conference

Over dinner the evening before the Women's Conference brought how the women of the area they were building their home were always cooking for them each morning and they had planned chicken soup for the dedication luncheon.  Carol shared she was afraid they would not be able to come to the Women's Conference at nine.  Carol shared maybe we can help prepare the vegetables for the soup.  So the ladies arrived to their last day of their project to cut up enough vegetables to feed thirty people.  They worked for about one hour prior to heading to the church to share their love for Jesus with the ladies of the church.

We arrived early so the North American ladies could get set up and be ready to greet the ladies as they come into their church.  This will be the first for them to come to their own church to be served instead of them serving others.  This was their very special "hour and thirty minutes" just for them and them alone. Lynda open us up in prayer and Karen, Tino's wife and member of the church who leads her music in church, led us in a couple of hymns.  Carol then spoke to the ladies in Spanish to introduce herself and her church family who came along with her.  In years past Carol shared how she had always went home regretting not getting to know the ladies in the church better.  We always spend time building the house and spend time playing with the children, but we never take time to get to know each of you.  So today we are going to take care of this.  We want to enjoy being with you and sharing the gospel of Jesus together.  

Today we are going to give you a bag to store all your new treasures in.  Your first treasure is a mirror.  We want you to take your mirror and look at yourself and now look at the lady to your left.  Do you look alike?  No you do not.  We are all uniquely created by God. Psalm 139:13-14

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God in his image. When you use this mirror you are created by God and are beautiful with many special gifts from God.

Ephesians 2:10 which was also Kaylee's verse of the week. God has a plan for our lives  serving Him.  He has prepared the work for us.  What does God want you to do with your lives?  Do you need to prepare a meal for a family, check on a sick friend or family member, sew for someone or even yourself to help your family, do you need to teach Sunday School or lead the music in your church.  All of these are part of God's unique plan for your lives if we listen and obey.

1 Corinthian 12:27, "You are the body of Christ." You are created special by God.  You are His workmanship to serve as the body of Christ.

This is my favorite one.  The ladies are given a tube of lotion for their personal use.  But verse Carol ask them to smell the lotion and dab just a bit on their hand.  I would like for you think how you use your hands each day.  You collect your firewood for cooking.  You make your tortillas.  You wash your clothes on the pillas.  You do so many different things with your hands and now I want us to turn to our neighbor and massage their lotion into their arms and hands and then they in turn will do the same for you.  Proverbs 31 "godly woman".  God gives value to a godly woman.  I want you to take this home and take care of you and apply this lotion to soothe and comfort your hands.

No maybe this is my favorite one of all.  The North American ladies church family make the aprons each year to send down for the Women's Conferences.  The North American ladies lay them out across the pews of the church so they may pick out the one they would like to take home.  So they tried them on and took them off.  They looked at them all and decided they all wanted the aprons with the pockets.  They each went home with a brand new apron.  The apron represents the breastplate of righteousness. We need to be in a right relationship with God to be able to wear this breastplate of righteousness. So when you wear this apron be strong and continue living a righteousness life for Jesus.

Lynda helped our oldest member who was 78 years old and has 19 children.  She came in late and started talking to everyone as Carol had started talking about the craft.  You simply had to be there.  She was so cute.  So Lynda helped her make her craft and she was actually the first lady to complete her craft.  She came in late and finished first.  You cannot ask for anything any better than this. Thank you Lynda for taking the time and enjoying such a sweet little lady.

Everyone pitched in to help them make their card holder for each one of their bible verses.  One looked like a bouquet of flowers.  After all the hard work and when Katie and Zan finished putting together five for the ladies who still had to cook the rest of lunch we had some beautiful work of art.

As all good things have to come to an end.  The ladies had to get back to their daily chores they left behind for one and one half hours.  They gathered as Carol closed in prayer.  They existed the front door of the church but not before we got a group picture of some lovely ladies who may speak a different languare and may have a different color of skin and live in a different country but guess what?  They all serve and live for the same God who loves each one of them so much.  They all everyone of them have a burden to bear but they all have a living Savior who is Christ Jesus our Lord and for that we can all say AMEN.