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IWF inspires women to drink fully of Christ’s living water

International Women’s Fund (IWF) support is helping Mónica Parada to drink deeply of Christ’s living water through theological studies. As a result, she is inspired to help other women to discover fully who they are in Christ.

Mónica, an ordained pastor with her husband at Iglesia Anabaustia Puerta del Rebaño in Concepción, Chile, tells women there is no shortage of this living water – only a shortage of understanding that they can drink fully.

“Women in many cultures live half in the light and half in the dark,” says Mónica, a renewal recipient of IWF, sponsored by Mennonite Women USA to help provide church leadership training for Anabaptist women worldwide. “They have great potential but can’t see it. I ask them, ‘What does the river of living water from God say to you about who you are?’ I want to help other women know who they are in Christ.”

Mónica, who is completing her theological studies, is applying those studies to help women answer this identity question in many settings: Bible studies, retreats for single women and a support group for sexually abused women. She and her husband also hold retreats to help youth gain skills for building healthy families. She serves as a pastoral counselor in their congregation and offers her gifts at other local congregations.

“My studies give me different perspectives and new and creative ideas for helping women to face their challenges and to better understand their worth as Christian women,” Mónica says.

“Because of the problems in Chilean society, women often live with lots of fear and poor self-esteem. Some women fear being hurt or left by abusive husbands, while others deal with the violence of our society. For example, one woman’s child was kidnapped, and now she fears something horrible is always ready to happen.

“I build them up in God so they can cope with the realities of their lives and develop their gifts to address the realities in Christ-centered ways.”

Mónica is only one example of how North American women produce a ripple effect of spiritual development throughout many communities. Linda Shelly, Director for Latin America for Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Church USA’s mission agency, says IWF is an important way of helping women around the globe to develop their potential. Linda, in conjunction with Latin American leaders, recommends scholarship recipients to Mennonite Women USA.

MW USA has increased its giving this year by $1,000, for a total of $7,000. Linda hopes and prays IWF continues to expand to support increasing numbers of women preparing to minister.

“IWF scholarships are particularly effective because they are given by women to women,” Linda says. “That relationship gives special meaning for recipients. It’s a more personal and warm connection.

“It’s exciting to see so many Latin American women preparing themselves for making theological contributions to the wider church. Women have always been a big part of the church in Latin America. But that contribution hasn’t always been at the deeper theological levels.”

A large percentage of IWF goes to Latin American women but recipients are from other countries, as well. In 2007, IWF is sponsoring three new applicants, as well as seven renewal applicants. The new recipients are Millicent Mboya, $500, Tanzania; Emelia Adzo Amexo, $600, Ghana; and Aleira Yesenia Avila, Colombia, $500.

Renewal applicants include Mónica, $500; Sandra Campos, Costa Rica, $600; Patricia Rosero, Colombia, $500; Albania Molina, Honduras, $500; Rosario Rosales, Honduras, $600; and Viviana Machuca, Colombia, $600. Students selected by the African Women Theologians committee will again receive $1,500 from the fund.

— Laurie Oswald Robinson

Sidebar: Central American women explore women’s roles

In summer 2006, 73 Central American women gathered for a biblical theological reflection. This event, held prior to a broader regional Mennonite meeting in Costa Rica, provided a first-time forum to explore women’s roles in the church. Mennonite World Conference facilitated the event with funding from Mennonite Church Canada Witness, Rosedale Mennonite Missions, Canadian Women in Mission and Mennonite Central Committee.

Conference goals identified the social/cultural/religious context of women in Central America, reflected about biblical misinterpretations of women’s roles in the life of the church and agreed on actions to be taken in specific contexts and regions.

Sandra Campos, a five-year recipient of Mennonite Women USA’s International Women’s Fund scholarships, was one of the main promoters and organizers of the event. She says, “Truly, we attained most of our objectives; more than we expected.”

A next step for Latin American Women Theologians begins this winter with intentional Bible teaching about using women’s gifts in the church.

— Rhoda Keener

Sidebar: Linking with African sisters

The African Women Theologians (AWT) Sister-Link is at the end of its second year. This Sister-Link, organized through Mennonite Women USA, connects theologians in North America and Africa as pen pals, shares scholarship dollars and provides guidance as this new organization is structured. Mennonite World Conference provides counsel for this international Sister-Link.

Scholarship dollars are provided by Les Amies, a group of North American women connected for this purpose. This group is supplemented by MW USA’s International Women’s Fund. Four women have received scholarship assistance in the past two years: Tatiana Ndjoko and Leya Mulobo of Congo and Lucy Apiyo and Rebecca Osiro of Kenya.

Next steps for the AWT committee are to develop criteria for choosing the next round of scholarship recipients. Rebecca Osiro asks for prayer as she provides leadership for this group. Also pray for the AWT committee as it works with communication difficulties — including often unreliable Internet access across two language groups, French and English.

— Rhoda Keener