Women on the Agenda!

Groups that work with women received an incredible affirmation of purpose in the recent issue of the New York Times Magazine. Following are excerpts from the article, "The Women's Crusade":

"IN THE 19TH CENTURY, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. In this century, it is the brutality inflicted on so many women and girls around the globe: sex trafficking, acid attacks, bride burnings and mass rape.

Yet if the injustices that women in poor countries suffer are of paramount importance, in an economic and geopolitical sense the opportunity they represent is even greater. “Women hold up half the sky,” in the words of a Chinese saying, yet that’s mostly an aspiration: in a large slice of the world, girls are uneducated and women marginalized, and it’s not an accident that those same countries are disproportionately mired in poverty and riven by fundamentalism and chaos. There’s a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That’s why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren’t the problem; they’re the solution."

Yes! This is a powerful truth - investing in the lives of women and girls is the way to go if you want to make an impact on the world! And if something else is true these days, it's that we want to be investing our resources in those things that will bring lasting impact for good!

Raven + Lily with WOGA in East Africa!

Kenya - Maasai artisans with Kirsten Dickerson, founder/director of Raven + Lily, and Judy Mbugua, WOGA Africa Director.

Raven + Lily's work began in Kenya where they met Maasai women who are supporting their families through jewelry-making. Together, they will work to enhance design and marketing and share the women's amazing stories.

Kute in Kenya! Kendra Bailey, WOGA: Colorado Springs, and Lori Fox, WOGA: LA

Kendra, who heads up communications for WOGA, captured photos and stories, while Lori, who's on Raven + Lily's design team, worked with WOGA's East African artisans.

Burundi - Lori and Kirsten strategizing with Peace Nihorimbere, WOGA's Central Africa Director

Raven + Lily will be partnering with the WOGA Sewing Cooperative in Burundi to create some wonderful things - but you have to wait until October to find out what they are! That's when their online store will be up and running (stay tuned at: www.ravenandlily.com)

Ethiopia: Emily Voorhies, WOGA Director, and Kirsten cutting yummy welcome cake in Ethiopia - Pastor Zeb Mengistu (from Beza Church - WOGA's Ethiopia partner) in background

Raven + Lily will partner with Beza's Entoto Outreach to women whose lives have been impacted by AIDS and are making jewelry as a way to earn a living and strengthen their sense of purpose.

For more exciting stories from this trip, check out the Raven + Lily website and their blog at: http://ravenandlily.wordpress.com/.

If you live in Los Angeles, stay tuned for our next WOGA: LA event which will feature Kirsten and Lori as they tell us about the blossoming partnership with our sisters in East Africa.

Opportunity to Meet with Congress Members

WOGA members in California, Colorado and Florida are taking the opportunity offered by the International Justice Mission (IJM) to meet with our congress members. New legislation has recently been introduced which will increase U.S. support to eradicate child trafficking in countries that have the will to end the crime but lack resources. “The Child Protection Compact Act of 2009” will provide $50 million over three years to select “focus countries” through the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP); focus countries will receive support in building public justice systems that investigate crimes against children and prosecute perpetrators in numbers sufficient to deter and eventually eliminate the crime. The legislation also authorizes increased assistance for care for survivors of trafficking.

IJM has a process for training those who are willing to meet with their congress members. Two WOGA: LA members will be meeting with their congress person this month.

As bills work their way through to final passage, it is very helpful to have as many congressional co-sponsors as possible. This is the goal of IJM's current campaign - to have people meet with their congress members and ask them to become co-sponsors of the bill.

There is still a long way to go for this bill, so please pray for its passage as it moves through the many stages. And pray for many co-sponsors! For more information and for ways to get involved in the campaign, go to the IJM website at: http://www.ijm.org/justicecampaigns/cpca#learn_more

WOGA: LA Summer Study on the book, Why Not Women?

This summer 18 women gathered to work through the book, Why Not Women? written by Loren Cunningham and David Hamilton. The book presents a great case for why women should use all of their gifts to the fullest extent within the church and world.

We had great discussions while looking at biblical passages that have been interpreted by some to say that women should only fill certain roles. Lots of "ah-ha's" were heard as we came to understand these passages in light of the weight of Biblical support for women in leadership. We looked at how these views on women have serious consequences in our world today and how critical it is to value, support and encourage women as they seek to pursue God's call on their lives.

Casandra, one of the study members, had this to say about her experience in the study:

"I think the amazing thing about the study for me is that for many years I read all those scriptures that seemed to indicate the Lord thought less of women than of men and felt deflated. Then I'd feel guilty for being "contrary" to His Word in any way. It was a painful loop. I strove to be obedient but I wondered how those scriptures about women being silent and apparently mindlessly submissive could mean what they seemed to mean. I wondered if I was somehow in sin for feeling conflicted and not receiving them at "face value".

"The study has been a revelation because it's presented those difficut passages in a way that confirms what I've always believed in my heart -- that God loves us all, men and women, equally, without preference. It is like a burden has been lifted from my heart! That's given me such a boost to be who He wants me to be. The study was really like a love letter from the Lord. What a gift!"

By Tiffany Kunz (of Raven and Lily - who graciously allowed us to include this update for our blog)

While Sarah, Sophia, and Kirsten were in India, Amy and I (Tiffany) had the pleasure of hosting Peace from Burundi, a strong and amazing woman of God who had dedicated her life to care for her sisters in desperate need. Peace, who is the director for Women of Global Action in Central Africa, came to visit the Raven and Lily Studio with Cheryl Lovejoy (the founder of Women of Global Action: LA). She was here to raise awareness and support for the impoverished women in her country, and Raven and Lily is seeking to start a partnership with with her women’s empowerment programs. A little background on Peace…

Peace is originally from Burundi, a small country in Africa that has been plagued with genocides for the past couple of decades. (All of the terror that was publicized in Rwanda has happened in Burundi as well.) Peace, her husband and their three children fled Burundi after the third genocide began and became citizens of Canada. She stayed in Canada until she heard the undeniable voice of God calling her back to her home country.

Through WOGA, Peace teaches impoverished women how to sew and become self sufficient to support themselves and their families. At the moment there are 100 women involved in Burundi and Rwanda, and over 350 more women that are on a wait list to join her program. Their needs are great, and we are asking God to show us how best to support Peace’s work. So many stories - women who can’t pay rent for want of $5 (which is what one room’s monthly rent is!) and who can’t eat as they don’t have the $2 necessary to pay for food that day. Peace told us that she often fasts for a week - eating only dinners - so she can give the money to the women for their meals. Really desperate stories - helping these women will help their families and literally save lives.

Our weekend with Peace started with her visit to our studio on Friday where she showed us the beautiful items made by the ladies in her program. We shared our personal stories and like-minded visions to support disadvantaged women, and Amy discussed pattern ideas and different ways that we could help out and partner with Peace's sewing cooperative. Peace was then taken to Hope Gardens, a local Los Angeles based transitional housing facility for women and children that had been living on the streets of Skid Row. These “homeless” women were so touched by the story of the women in Burundi that they asked how they could help and if they could give some money. Amazing.

On Saturday, Peace was our guest of honor for a WOGA: LA brunch at the R&L studio. It was a beautiful sunny morning that was blessed by many intelligent and wonderful, strong ladies. The event came to a close with an inspiring time of prayer and then we all had fun snatching up all of the goodies Peace brought to sell. All in all, it was a huge blessing to have met Peace and an eye opening experience to hear about life in Burundi. Please be praying for her, her family, and the women in her program…that God will protect them, provide everything they need, and show Raven + Lily how we can partner with these beautiful women.

Ethiopian Jewelry

At the Entoto Community Center, men and women are earning a living creating beautiful jewelry. 105 people are now being trained in this job creation program. Many of the residents of Entoto Mountain, outside of Addis Ababa, live with HIV/AIDS. They have no real way to meet their daily needs, no access to clean water, no adequate shelter, no quality health care and little means of sustaining themselves and their families. But they do have the will to create and to build on opportunities presented to them.

Beza International, WOGA's Ethiopia partner, began this jewelry-making program just a year ago and is currently working on finding both international and national markets for this creative and unique jewelry.

WOGA: LA's team to Ethiopia spent a day and a half at the Entoto Community Center and got to meet and spend time with these gifted men and women and their children.

If you are interested in the jewelry, some of which is made using coffee beans, contact Cheryl Lovejoy at lovejoyrc@aol.com

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

After returning from Ethiopia, the WOGA: LA team wanted to share the joy with their friends and family. What better way to do this than to hold a traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. Holding this ceremony is a way to communicate friendship and respect - both of which we feel towards all of those who supported and encouraged us in our trip.

And God did more than we imagined! We did our best to pull together all of the needed items for the ceremony. As we set up what we had brought, who should enter the room but Brandon, one of our team member's friends. Brandon, as it happens, is a barrista at Starbucks and has a passion for. . . the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony! So he came with all of the elements needed for the ceremony - beautiful pitcher, coffee cups and incense included! Not only did he set this all up for us, but he agreed to start off our meeting by sharing a few words on the meaning of the ceremony. Turns out he had just given a presentation on the ceremony to a group of Starbucks executives.

God also provided for a wonderful conclusion to our ceremony. When we attended an Ethiopian church service in preparation for our time in Ethiopia, we met a woman named Alem. She came to our gathering and asked if she could share a few words once we'd finished the meeting. She beautifully wrapped up our meeting by her personal sharing of all that we'd seen and experienced in Ethiopia.

Thank you, Brandon and Alem, for adding so much to our time together. We make our plans, but God always seems to have something even bigger in mind! And God is doing some BIG things in Ethiopia and we were so grateful to have seen and experienced His people at work in this nation.

Eight WOGA: LA Members Make it to Ethiopia!

WOGA: LA Ethiopia Team

Thank you to the friends and family who helped us get to Ethiopia! We spent an amazing 10 days in Addis with WOGA's Ethiopian partner, Beza International. If you missed our Coffee Ceremony at Ecclesia last week, come to Silverlake Community Church on Sunday, 11/9 at 12 noon to hear about the trip.

We felt like we were in the center of a whirlwind of the Holy Spirit's activity. See our trip blog for stories: www.wogaethiopia2008.blogspot.com

WOGA's Meeting on FGM.

A very big thank you to Nellie Shani and the Los Angeles chapter of WOGA goes out for a successful WOGA event on Female Genital Mutilation, (FGM.) We had a very nice turn out for the event, during which we were able to view the film "Moolade" by Ousmane Sembene, a film about FGM which is now out on DVD, and also a short demo of "Primal Cries" produced by Dee Smith and directed by Maki. Both Dee and Maki attended our meeting, in what we felt was definitely a God-connection!

Both films were an eye opening experience to many who attended, who previously had never been aware that FGM exists and is still going on in many parts of the world.

We were able to spend time in prayer with Nellie, our guest speaker, whose work throughout Africa has put her in contact with many women whose lives have been affected by FGM. We prayed together for a swift ending to this practice.

Nellie spoke of how she asked God what she could do, as one woman, to make a difference on such a huge issue. God led her to consider what was 'in her very hands,' to make a difference, and her answer was her artwork. As an artist, Nellie had not painted for 10 years and after hearing God's answer to her, she picked up her brushes and made a grouping of photos just for our WOGA: LA event in honor of ending FGM. The photo above is from this collection and they are available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to PACWA's work to end FGM in Kenya. If you are interested in purchasing this artwork, email Cheryl Lovejoy at lovejoyrc@aol.com.

One of the attendees was WOGA: LA member, Kathlee Roscoe, who shared with us that her team was working on forming an NGO that will draw together those who are working to fight trafficking, (more information about her group in the sidebar!). A first time attender, Maki - a young Ethiopian filmmaker/producer shared with us her short clip of the documentary on FGM that she is in the process of raising funds to complete.

We were so glad to have these rare opportunities to share and support the work that is currently going on to end this ritual and raise awareness. Taking action on this, we raised funds for PACWA, WOGA's partner in Africa, in their Kenyan project to train young Kenyan women to say no to FGM.

A great thank you to all who participated, attended the event and gave so generously of themselves! Our continued prayers for the end of FGM! And a special thank you to Nellie Shani for helping us to process this film and answering our questions on this issue.

Contributed by Sharone Goe