Women's Leadership Weekend!!

Women’s leadership weekend…

Wow! What a wonderful weekend. The worship times alone were like being transported into the African part of heaven…. Their harmonies and dancing and voices singing to the Lord brought tears to my eyes. Was this really happening? Was I really a part of this? The women came together for a weekend of team building and equipping. They came away refreshed with spiritual water pots on their heads..

Only 12 women in all who came from different parts of Africa to share what God is doing in their churches and beyond. They were all either pastors wives or pastors so they are in roles where they have great influence in their denomination or geographical area.

One woman, Mama Dii, is probably in her late 60’s and she is seeing great things in her church. She and her husband have a ministry in a remote village called Babarte. She also visits 6 other churches where she teaches on forgiveness and rejection – the teaching she received from the women’s conference in November. She travels on foot and it takes her 3 hours to get there and then she shares and then has to travel back to her village. Everywhere she goes women are getting free from the pain of rejection, letting go of bitterness and forgiving. They are getting free. They wives go home changed people. Then the men come and ask her to pray for them for the same thing. She is ministering to women, men and youth…

Each of the women shared about what God has been doing thru them and each one had something amazing to share.

Upendo, spoke of the hurt that women felt in her area where some husbands have other relationships with women outside of their marriage or even take other wives. They then bring the children from those unions into the home for their wife to care for. These women are so hurt by this and couldn’t believe it when Upendo shared that all children are a gift from God… even ones from unholy unions. After Upendo spoke, many women were released from pain and rejection and were able to forgive and accept and receive the children in their homes.

And so it continued…..

Tulusafika, shared how her son who had been away from the church for more than 3 years had come back and then wanted to marry his defacto wife. The church debated whether or not they should allow him to have a celebration since he had been in a backslidden state for so long. They decided it was not the right thing to do and he should just go ahead get married quietly and be happy with his wife without the celebration. Tulusafika prayed about it with her prayer group and the story of the prodigal son came to mind. This is a wonderful story which shows God’s open arms toward those that return to the fold and his incredible joy and celebration over those that were lost but now are found…this spured her on to plan a wedding for her son. She found lots of folks who were willing to help her and they had a wonderful wedding in the church for her son and his wife. He shared what a difference God had made in his life and how he had suffered a lot of mental anguish when he was away from God. He was so overjoyed to be back in church celebrating his wonderful marriage and receiving God’s love.

This story demonstrates the law that many African churches are under and how they live by rules rather than the generous heart of God.


Lois shared a brief simple bible study on Salvation in the afternoon and I was surprised that the women felt it was so important for them to take back to their churches. We learned that many of the folk in their church did not read the bible for themselves and although they spent hours in weeping before the Lord and in praise and worship that there was no actual teaching for people on simple foundational truths.

After this Lois asked me to share on the importance of the Word of God and also where to find things in the Bible and how to teach new believers and children how to find things in their bible.

I started with some stories of people who heard erroneous things from God, supposedly, and how, because of their lack of knowledge of the Word, they could not weigh and discern their error.

The women were riveted and even though it was very simple teaching they all pleaded for copies of my notes. I explained that it was not in Swahili and that I would get it translated and share it with them at our next gathering in 2 mths. They responded by saying we will take English notes. … Please give us these notes. I don’t think I have ever had anyone ask for my notes after sharing before???

At the end of the weekend, after communion the ladies gathered around me to pray for me. They were so sweet and so passionate. They were thanking God for me and one of them translated… we are asking God why has it taken Him so long to bring you to Africa? And He said to them… I have been preparing her…. I cried.

Thank you so much for praying for me….. I am so grateful. I want you to meet these women. I am enclosing a photo of some of the women, others had already left but these dear ones were those that prayed for me.