Hearts are stirring all around the world regarding women’s discipleship. Here’s a glimpse at what God has been doing.

Excerpts from Massachussets, America | Jenny Perry

This morning Exodus 35:25,26 was read with brand new significance as we considered and prayed for women in missions all over the world: "All the women who had ability and were wise-hearted spun with their hands and brought what they had spun... And all the women who had ability and whose hearts stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair." Each one operating in a particular call with a particular gift or ability as a member in particular, to benefit the whole (here, of Israel, as the tabernacle was being built and adorned). Then, in Exodus 35:29, "the Israelites brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all men and women whose hearts made them willing and moved them to bring anything for any of the work." Because it is "a faith that works by love" (Gal.5:6), we will not be willing to "live by faith" unless we are moved and stirred up by the Love of God. Oh, that we as women would bring to Him, who is Love, our God-given ability to receive and respond and eagerly and greedily receive His Love and keep ourselves in it (Jude 21), responding to it by faith. Then, with hearts stirred up in Wisdom, we reach out to other women, letting the Holy Spirit shed abroad His Love from our hearts to stir them up likewise to simply operate in the abilities and gifts that God has graced them with for the Body's sake, as members in particular (I Cor.12:27). This is Women's Ministry, void of all self-effort: receiving, responding to, and resting in His love, letting the Holy Spirit stir up our hearts in Wisdom, anoint our abilities, and shed abroad the same to others that they too would be moved by Him to respond likewise. Result? God is glorified, the Body is edified, and because it is all by Him, through Him, and to Him, hearts are drawn to Him (John 12:32), souls are saved, and God's Eternal Purpose on earth is fulfilled.

Excerpts from Seoul, South Korea | Jadzia Swietek

I moved to Seoul, South Korea in late July of 2009. Looking back, I am amazed at how God has used me and led me as it was not as I had expected... When I first arrived, God gave me a burden for the university students and one month later we started a new outreach to the Seoul National University of Technology (SNUT), near our church. We go to this campus regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays and sometimes on Wednesdays. Many students from SNUT have visited our Friday Bible Study and weekly church services. Often, their friends and relatives also visit our church... Two months ago, I was listening to a message by Pastor Stevens, our founding pastor, called “Just Keep Sowing”. The message brought confirmation to my heart regarding the necessity of door knocking evangelism in the church neighborhood... Four weeks ago, we started this ministry on a regular basis and the first fruit came soon after. Her name is Young Mee and she is 21 years old. She lives with her parents and her brother who are both unbelievers. We met Young Mee on a Saturday and the following Sunday she came to church... I still have the students from Seoul Women's University on my heart (only two metro stations from our church) and visited the University a few times in the Fall, but I didn’t sense God’s leading to start outreach in that time so I am still waiting on God... Also, in the last women's prayer meeting, God gave us a vision to have a women's spring retreat. Our group is not big, but women that are coming to these prayer meetings started inviting other women from church to join us. I think they are starting to experience Body Life. One of them, Young Jang, told me she wants to have this abundant life that Jesus spoke about (she is the first one who has stepped out in faith to go soul-winning with us). I also had an amazing conversation with her teen age daughter two weeks ago who received Christ! I pray that God will challenge these ladies and make them disciples of Jesus Christ. I am ready to be His tool. Thank you for the support and for your prayers. God Bless You Abundantly!

Excerpts from Lusaka, Zambia | Sophia Petrides

God has been doing great things and has been moving in a very intimate way. Two years ago, I felt that God was leading me to start a ministry with young female teenagers and so, not really knowing how to begin, I opened up my house and invited young, single women from all four of our churches in Lusaka. I had ten, young, single, female teenagers show up at my house and from that day, I started a single women’s bible study, reaching out to teenagers.

It has been almost two years since that day and on my return to Zambia this year, I felt strongly in my heart that God was leading me in a new direction where more women of different ages would be reached. I personally had two of the leaders wives on my mind that I had been praying for all summer long from our two sister churches (where most of the teenagers were from). So, after speaking with the leaders and really bringing it to God in prayer, the Bible Study would no longer be at my house but instead, I would go to their compounds.

Even though I knew this shift was necessary, not only for the growth of the teenagers but also for our women, logistically, for about four weeks, we all needed to adjust and figure out timing and locations which changed several times. It has been absolutely amazing spending time with these two women and really discipling them along with some of the teenagers that seem to have such a hunger for the Word (as they could be doing many other things on the weekend but choose to listen to words that will hopefully teach them how to have a walk with God and a personal vision regarding the calling on their lives) and due to the fact that I am in their compounds, I also have the opportunity to see some of the mothers of the teenagers that join us once a week and listen with open ears.

The response is a steady encouragement, but more importantly, God's sweet, “still small voice”, when there seemingly is no outward encouragement or evidence, gives confirmation that what we have received a Word and a promise from Him. We go forward in obedience to Him concentrating on faith without outward evidence, plodding in a forward direction. God knows the secrets of the heart and the deep workings that occur in each life and where this will go in the future. May God Bless you richly.

Excerpts from Nansana, Uganda | Ida Bakuraira

In July last year (2009, I was privileged to be a part of a one month women’s discipleship class taught here in Uganda. Much was said about the need for me as a woman to make the call and will of God THE priority in my life over everything else. I had heard that before, but had NEVER had the opportunity to REALLY understand and be convicted about what this meant to me particularly as a woman going about my day-to-day details of life. God placed upon my heart an even greater and more urgent desire to reach out for all that He had made me for and not to be satisfied with anything less.

In October, we were enabled, by the grace of God, to visit five of our sister churches and share with the ladies there what we had received during our discipleship class in July. I marvelled at the hunger these ladies who had never heard such a message (especially from the lips of a fellow woman!!). They had settled for what they saw as “all life had to offer.” Reality stares me in the face again... God speaks quietly inside my heart... the message we have is meant to be passed on as part of God’s plan.

More recently, I was part of the team that went out again with La Tascha to visit the ladies in seven other sister churches. Everywhere we went, the response was amazing. Truly the fields are white! You cannot deny that God is speaking to different ones as they listen to the messages! It is shown in the questions they ask, the look on their faces – it’s a message almost too good to be true. As I look at them and continue listening, I realize why I am so connected to them – they are wearing my shoes; their story is actually how mine started and so are their questions.

Greatly encouraged by all the messages I have been receiving from the Women’s classes with La Tascha and the experiences described above, every Tuesday evening, I have a women’s Bible study at my house where we talk about these truths, listen to them again, believe them and wait for God to fulfill them in our lives. An average of 15 ladies comes out each week and I thank God for each of their precious lives. Please pray for this time and also other times in the week that I meet with some of them to share the possibilities of what God could do in our lives as we get to know Him and learn to discern His voice every moment. In addition, many of the ladies we met from our trips to the sister churches, would like to come to our annual convention and Bible College graduation in April this year and to the annual one month Women’s class in July taught by La Tascha. I am in touch with them by phone so please pray for the times we speak to each other, that God would give a word of encouragement and that their time here in July would bring a great and fruitful change to their lives.

I am thankful to God for His plan manifested ‘in the fullness of time’ for me and am also grateful for the support of our church leadership, my husband and son, and for Grace Women that enabled me to record these priceless truths and share them with others, to have study materials that help take me forward walking with God, but mostly for their loving and warm example that makes me want to reach out in full response to my Creator, Friend and King!