Shepherdess International News

Shepherdess International News

News from around the world field.

By the Journal Team. 

Inter-Amerian Division

Their Excellencies the Most Honourable Dr. Patrick Allen and Mrs. Patricia Allen are now at home in the “King’s House” after Dr. Allen was sworn in as the sixth Governor General of Jamaica on February 26, 2009. Mrs. Allen, a Shepherdess, supports Dr. Allen in his new position and is looking for ways to make a positive impact in her new role, possibly focusing on the plight of underprivileged children.

North Amerian Division

Indiana Conference:

 

Many Indiana Conference ministry partners joined their pastor-husbands and other Indiana Conference ministry leaders in January 2009 on a Reformation Tour in Germany, hosted by Marti and Don Schneider. At one of the tour stops, the ministry partners and a few other ladies on the tour gathered outside the Brehna Church where Katharina von Bora (Martin Luther’s wife) attended church as a child. Earlier, Katharina von Bora was portrayed by Marti Schneider in full costume as she and Don Schneider (also in full costume) dramatically shared highlights of the Luther’s home, marriage, and ministry together. 

Katharina’s determination and courage were an inspiration to those seeing and hearing Marti’s insights into her life. The experience together in Germany on the Reformation tour was very meaningful to all the ministry partners who attended.

Southwestern Union:

From February 20-22, 2009, the Southwestern Union hosted a pastors’ wives retreat in Dal­las, Texas. Kathy McKey coor­dinated the event with the help of Betty Trevino. Many activi­ties were planned to make the weekend special. There was good fellowship, uplifting mu­sic, and encouraging messages.

Southern Asia-Pacific Division

Wives Enjoy Shepherdess Retreat in the Philippines:

Wives of seminary students, pastors, and teachers from AIIAS (Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies), along with pastoral wives from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD), eagerly anticipated their retreat, which was held from February 6-9, 2009, at the lovely division headquarters. The retreat area was beautifully decorated and featured a large poster showing the hands of God open and ready to shape a vessel.

“God’s Chosen Vessel” was the theme for the retreat, with all activities centering around this theme, helping participants to remember that “our lives are often likened to clay, and God is the Potter. He molds, shapes, and forms us into the vessel He wants us to be.”

During the Friday-evening program, organized by Mrs. Helen Gulfan, SSD Shepherd­ess Coordinator, each partici­pant was given soft dough to mold into various types of ves­sels. According to one of the participants, at the end of the evening “the Holy Spirit came and filled the whole place” (see Acts 2:1). “We all felt in our hearts the presence of God, seen in the faces and heard in the commentaries of the par­ticipants.”

Prayer sessions, ministry in song, activities, games, presentations, and group work quickly filled the two-day Shepherdess retreat. The weekend concluded with a call to commitment by Pastor Albert Gulfan, SSD president.

“We were fed spiritually, socially, and physically during this retreat,” said Dr. Myrtle Penniecook, a participant from AIIAS. “We could hear God talking to us and felt His presence in our midst.”

Southern Asia Division

Reported by Mrs. P. V. Khandagale from North Maharashtra Section:

Mrs. Neeta Soloman Borge was born into a Hindu family. However, she joined a Seventh-day Adventist women’s group and has for the past 20 years been part of that group, proclaiming the love of God through her witnessing to the women in the village of Rahuri. Her witnessing strengthens many in her neighborhood. Neeta is a hard-working person and takes care of her family by raising chickens and caring for a goat that was donated through Shepherdess International. 

She believes in multiplying chickens and goats. From her one donated goat, she now has six goats, and from five chickens she now has 23. She takes good care of the livestock and through its sale has gained a good profit, enabling her to support her family and the church through tithes and offerings. Neeta is grateful to the goat donors and for the help she has received from them. Her tireless witnessing has resulted in soul-winning. Please pray for Neeta and her women’s groups.

Bangalore and Chennai Union Shepherdess meetings: In January 2009 Mrs. Hepzibah Kore, SUD Shepherdess Coordinator, planned meetings for the
Shepherdess leaders in Bangalore and Chennai. The featured speaker was Sharon Cress.