Editor's Note: See PDF for Pictures
Euro-Africa Division
Hanoi Klenk, from the German Swiss Conference, reports that 12 ministers' wives met together in a home. There a young minister's wife, a student of medicine, processed with them questions on genetics. In the afternoon they baked the dough they brought with them and made 40 bags of cookies; these were given to Reach International to sell and the proceeds helped children in need.
Inter-American Division
Ruth McKinney, the Shepherdess Coordinator for the West Indies Union organization has held several pinning ceremonies around the Union.
South American. Division
Maria Felisa de Rando, Shepherdess Coordinator For the Austral Union, reports that they held a ten-day ministerial council in February and 220 pastors' wives attended (only three from the whole union were missing). The topics included: preventive medicine, stress and the pastor's wife, alternative medicine and the Adventist Church, the health of children, computer classes, and personal interviews.
Mrs. Rando has also been involved in personal evangelism. She held a series of meetings in Montechristo, Cordoba, Argentina. Every night, for eight weeks, she publicly shared the gospel. Of the 118 persons who attended, 34 were baptized. Today there is a church in Montechristo with 38 members beca use of this dedicated woman.
South Pacific Division
Not long after Jill Eliseo began working in the Torres Straight, she learned that over 400 babies were delivered each year at the hospital on Thursday Island. Mothers from every island in the Torres Straight and the top end of Cape York would come to Thursday Island for delivery. Jill realized that this would be a wonderful opportunity for witnessing. Using the "Welcome Baby" program, Jill and Cecilia Enoch visited the maternity ward twice a week to give a gift of clothing and Welcome Baby Card.
This opened the way for these island people to have their first contact with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Cecelia continues the program on Thursday Island alone now, as J ill and her pastor-husband, Ken, have moved on to Lord Howe Island. Jill has now begun the Welcome Baby program on Lord Howe. Nine beautiful babies have been born in the last 18 months. Jill says the "Welcome Baby" program is a very easy and most rewarding form of outreach.
Southern Asia-Pacific Division Pastors' wives on the Island of Guam met for their annual Christmas party.
Southern Asia Division Hebzibah Kore, Shepherdess Coordinator for the South India Union, reports:
* Bharathi Thompson, a pastor's wife from the Karnataka Section, is now pastoring her own church. She also conducts Branch Sabbath Schools.
*A Shepherdess meeting was held in Bangalore on November 12 with 30 pastors' wives attending. Secret friends exchanged names and then all participated in a seminar where they learned the secrets of making good communion bread.
* A one-day Shepherdess meeting was held in Kottarakara with 35 in attendance.
* Six shepherdesses dedicated themselves for team ministry with their husbands when they were ordained to the gospel ministry.
* The North Tamil Confeence held a two-day Shepherdess meeting and 45 attended.
* Jean Sundaram, Shepherdess Coordinator for the South Tamil Conference, brought two precious souls to Jesus in baptism.
* The South Tamil Conference held a Shepherdess meeting for the Ma dural circle and 20 women attended (photo below).
* Catherine Stephen Witnesses for Christ—Catherine Stephen is one of our shepherdesses working as a teacher in the KGF School. She and her husband, Stephen, who is pastor of the Oorgaumpet Church, are doing a great work in that area for God.
Catherine is very interested in doing God's work. She began by visiting the people in her neighborhood and telling them about God. Every Sabbath afternoon, she prayed with them. She also visited the sick people. As a result of this, Catherine started a Branch Sabbath School in this area called Telugu Line and about 70 children attend. Every Sabbath afternoon the children eagerly wait for her to arrive to start the Branch Sabbath School. The children are from Tamil and Telugu families.
Martha, a lady also interested in conducting Branch Sabbath Schools, assists Catherine. They reached out to the Telugu children too. This story does not end here. Today, she has four Branch Sabbath Schools in Oorgaumpet.
One day a couple, Mr. and. Mrs. Prabhu from Fitters Block area happened to see these people conducting the Branch Sabbath School in the Telugu Line area. They invited Catherine to start a Branch Sabbath School in their house. Twenty children from Fitters Block area attend the Branch Sabbath School.
Catherine conducts two more Branch Sabbath Schools in Pethapaly and North Tank Block. Most of the children attending the Branch Sabbath Schools are Hindus. As a result of the Branch Sabbath Schools, an effort meeting was conducted there in October 1996. At the end of the meetings, nine souls were baptized.
* On Sabbath, November 30, 1996, M. L. Narayana, Chaplain of Gifford Memorial Hospital, was ordained to the gospel ministry. Frances Campbell, Shepherdess Coordinator for the Southern Asia Division, welcomed his wife, Deborah, and presented her with Close to Home, the 1997 women's devotionalbook.