Pray for Kenya!

Kibera Slum outside of Nairobi

WOGA (known as PACWA in Africa) works closely with those suffering in the slums of Kenya. They work with both AIDS widows and AIDS orphans in Kibera, Africa's second largest slum. A million people make their homes here and it is one of the areas where rioting is the worst as a result of the current political crisis facing Kenya.

Below is a request for prayer from Judy Mbugua, Director of PACWA:

"We really need to pray. The country is being divided in the middle. I am reminded of the story in 1 Kings 4:16-28. Just like the lady in this story was ready to give up her son, so that he could live; our earnest prayer is that we may have the real leader arise, give up power and personal ambition before we as a country are divided in the middle. Only God will cause such a thing to happen. We really need divine intervention!

Please pray specifically for the church, the divisions in the church and for the truth to come out in a way that would not disrupt peace and for tribal animosity to die in the name of Jesus!

Because of the numbers of the displaced people, we need supplies to be able to help them."

If you would like to send support that will be used to help those who are displaced in Kenya, contact Global Action at: www.global_act.org.

WOGA Houston Up & Running

Bea Balbuena and Missy Barron - WOGA Houston Organizers

WOGA Houston had a great first gathering last night. 18 women gathered to learn about WOGA, to pray for the situation in Kenya and to consider their future involvement in this blossoming chapter.

They met in a local restaurant which opened its doors to them for the evening. Even the waiters got involved as one of them, watching the preparations, offered to drive home to get a black cloth for them to use as a backdrop for a video they were showing. One woman shared about a local ministry she was starting up and connections among the women began to develop as they stayed after the meeting to get to know each other better.

A leader from one of the local churches was present and invited Bea and Missy to share more about WOGA and the March visit of Peace Nihorimbere (WOGA Leader for Rwanda and Burundi) at their upcoming women's retreat. Very encouraging!

We rejoice with you on a great beginning, WOGA Houston!

First WOGA Chapter Meetings of 2008 in Houston and Canada

Pray for our sisters in Houston, Florida and Canada as they hold their first meetings for 2008. Cathy Schmidt is leading the first Pinellas (Florida) meeting on January 10, Missy Barron and Bea Balbuena will lead the first meeting ever for WOGA: Houston on January 21 and Barbara Prefontaine will lead WOGA Canada's first meeting of 2008 on January 16th (they are a new chapter - began in the final months of 2007). Pray for them!

WOGA Members Going Global!

WOGA: LA member, Laurie Ishii, heads to Thailand and Cambodia this Sunday. For more details, see sidebar.

Connecting Women Across Los Angeles

Lori Fox, Rhonda Waller-Bautista and Kathlee Roscoe at the first Thread Foundation Event in 9/07

"In July I stumbled upon a flier about WOGA and decided to attend the meeting. I was so excited to have found people with a similar heart and passion as myself. One such person was Rhonda Waller-Bautista. I am currently a student at FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) so Cheryl was quick to point me in Rhonda's (fashionable) direction. I am so thankful for this! Since that time I have connected with Rhonda and have had the privilege of working with her for the Thread Foundation. She is such an inspiration to me and filled with love and vision. Thank you WOGA for introducing us!" (Written by Lori Fox)

WOGA: LA joins Trafficking Outreach

Last week three members of WOGA: LA joined the regular LA Trafficking Outreach group. One of the members, Kelli, shares her experience below:

It was an hour of my life that I spent walking into the problem instead of driving around it. We didn't know exactly what we were doing, but were challenged and needed to ask for God's help and guidance. All we knew was that something corrupt is happening in our city, to our sisters and to God's children, and it must stop. We talked to small business owners in massage parlors, grocery stores and restaurants. We discerned what to ask and how. Human Sex Trafficking is vaguely defined and understood in Los Angeles; a city that is home to people from more than 140 countries, who speak at least 92 different languages. Trafficking is well-hidden and no one can cure a disease that doesn't have a name. Outreach members hit the streets of several ethnic enclaves seeking to define the silent injustice of human sex trafficking and, in the process, becoming the solution. I left that evening feeling that in all the unknowns, we did exactly what God asked us to do, and I experienced a sense of purity in purpose that I haven't felt in more than 4 years living in Los Angeles.

These outreaches take place weekly - email us if you want to come.

Thread Foundation Off and Running!

Thread Foundation Co-Founders, Misty and Rhonda

This past weekend, the Thread Foundation held a designer sample sale in support of putting a stop to modern day slavery.

The Thread Foundation grew from the dreams of two women formerly employed in the world of fashion-design. Misty Ulan and Rhonda Waller-Bautista (WOGA: LA member!) worked down the hall from each other. They would talk regularly about how great it would be to create something completely new together. (www.threadfoundation.com)

That dream is now reality. The Thread Foundation held its third event last weekend and will hold two more before the year ends. They have designer clothing (at greatly reduced rates), they have customers, they have cash registers ringing up sales. And they also have something that other sample sales do not: they are donating a portion of their profits to the Polaris Project (www.polarisproject.org). Polaris has been active in the fight against human trafficking since 2002 when two students from Brown University began to question what they could do to make a difference in the fight against slavery.

If you want to spend an inspiring hour or two - head down to the Garment District for the Thread Foundation's upcoming sample sale on December 7&8. Better yet, if you'd like to volunteer with them, they can use your help. Interested? Contact Rhonda at: rhonda@threadfoundation.com.

Wall Declaration as you enter Sample Sale

WOGA Brazil Conference Draws Almost 300 Women

Women at Recent WOGA Brazil Conference

Women from all over Brazil gathered for three days in Brasilia to consider the theme, "Praying for Genuine Revival". Workshop topics included: Inner Healing, Rejection and Self-Esteem in Christ, Intimacy with God during Day to Day Life and Social Action as a Reflection of Revival. This conference is held every two years for women from WOGA Brazil's network.

Nancy, whose husband had died suddenly of a heart attack just two months previous, found the conference to be a real encouragement. She felt her hope restored as she was able to connect with other recently widowed women who were being used by God in powerful ways.

Another emerging leader in attendance shared with Emily Voorhies, who attended from Women of Global Action's Colorado office, that she was amazed to discover that God wants to work through her even though she considers herself young and inexperienced.

As the women met over these three days and nights, other women had been assigned to pray for them 24/7. We look forward to great things from WOGA Brazil as these women return to their cities with a renewed sense of what is possible as God works through women.

WOGA: LA Workshop on Trafficking Prevention

Women at Workshop

"It's great to get information and be impacted by the hugeness of trafficking, yet be empowered at the same time to do something about it. Both of these things happened for me," said Julie Reid-Marks, Fuller student, after attending WOGA: LA's workshop on Trafficking Prevention.

The workshop was led by Bekah Cooke, formerly of the Salvation Army's Rescue Project and Charity Marquis, Director of NightLight USA (see www.nightlightbangkok.com).

They shared stories from their current work in LA and taught us how to:

*talk to business owners about trafficking,
*offer resources for where trafficking situations do exist,
*talk to potential and actual victims about their situation.

We also watched Ellen Bruno's documentary, Sacrifice, in which young Burmese girls trafficked into Thailand share their stories.

NightLight's beautiful jewelry was for sale at the event. This jewelry is made by women rescued from the bars in Bangkok's red light districts.


Now that we have been trained, we are welcome to participate in Bekah and Charity's weekly prevention outreaches. If you wish to join them but couldn't attend this workshop, email us and we'll let you know when and where their next training is. What a great way to make an impact on trafficking!