Encouraging Women in Adjumani

This week, Michelle, Esther, Jaclyn, Margaret Lumai, the Madi Baptist Association (MBA) Women’s Leader, and I visited the second church in our women’s workshop tour, which will continue until we reach all 20 churches in the MBA. Both at Openzinzi Church (last week) and Unna Baptist Church, we were joined by more than 20 women, at least 10 children, and at Unna even a small handful of men. Everyone had a role to play, whether it was translating, facilitating discussion, or teaching from the Bible, and it was the kind of day, that even though tired at the end of it all, I felt as if my soul had been fed. (Click here for pictures)

To begin, we put the question before the women, “What roles do you play?” The flip chart paper was easily filled with the various areas these women give their time, energy and love – caring for their children & husbands, welcoming visitors, working in the fields, preparing food, fetching water, etc. My respect and love grows for these women each time we sit and hear from them, and I found myself full of emotion as we went back through the list, calling out the many ways they reflect God’s character and the incredible value they bring to their families. One of the women, at the end of the day, shared that the women of the church hadn’t come together and talked like this for a very long time. It was evident in their singing, dancing, laughing and questions that they were engaged and loving it. After sharing a meal together, we continued talking together about God’s plan for the church, how it is very similar to a human body, with the various parts and their importance to the health of the whole being. “What would you do if you were nothing but an eye? How would you hear? And how can the hand say to the foot, ‘I don’t need you, you don’t belong because you’re not a hand.” A simple illustration to remind us that each person is valuable and needed, and that together these women are stronger than they are apart.

We were encouraged by the stories of faith shared those two days: an alcoholic father who came to know God and left his abusive ways; he, his two wives, and their children all came to the workshop at Unna Baptist Church and you could see the love and peace among them all – a real testimony to the work God had done within the family as well. We also heard from several women who openly shared they had fallen away from the church, who sensed that this was a day when God was calling them back to their community of faith. There were stories too of support women had received from the church during hard times, to turn to God instead of witch doctors during times of physical suffering, and to love their neighbors when wrongfully accused, instead of retaliating against them.

Even after just a day of sitting with these women, I was sad to say goodbye. There’s something about sharing stories, singing & praying, and sharing a meal together that quickly bonds you to someone. I’m already looking forward to next week when we’ll go to another church and hear from the women there.