The atmosphere was charged with excitement as over 90 women gathered for the first-ever Women Together Christmas outreach in Poltava, Ukraine on Saturday, January 5, 2019. (In Ukraine, Christmas is traditionally celebrated on January 7). Women came from several churches and many of them invited friends who had never attended a Christian women’s event before.

The singing, beautiful violin solo, and performance of the popular Christmas song “Mary Did You Know?” by Veronika Nuzhna and her daughter Emily added to the wonderful atmosphere of celebrating the birth of Christ together.

Four leaders formed a “talk show” panel, discussing God’s miracles today and sharing stories of amazing answers to prayer in their own lives and in lives of people in their community.

Events like these serve to build relationships and friendships.
More are planned for the future.

It was the perfect setting to host our first-ever International Leadership Forum! The Guelph Bible Conference Centre was bursting with brilliant fall colours—ready to welcome our international guests and those who registered from nine provinces in Canada.

The theme of the forum was Called…It’s Time for More! Plenary and workshop sessions developed the theme into four main sessions: The Leader’s Calling, The Leader’s Preparation, The Leader’s Journey, and The Leader’s Destiny.

Heidi McLaughlin, Melissa Sharpe, Judy Rushfeldt, and Margaret Gibb were the plenary speakers. Ruth Coghill, Ellen Krahn, Sherry Stahl, Carol Ann Hurtubise, and Pat Klein presented workshops on Sacred Rest, Relationships, Mentoring, Conquering Criticism and Offence, The Devotional Life of a Leader, Messages We Give Ourselves, and How God Transforms Adversity into Opportunity.

Our schedule was full and so were our hearts! The Celebration of Nations event on Friday evening was a highlight. Our guests from Nepal and the Philippines told their stories and shared what God is doing through them in their nations. Stories from women who have recently immigrated to Canada from Egypt, Jordan, and Uganda added to the wealth of information we received that evening. Julia Garratt told her story of being imprisoned in China under charges of spying, and none of us will be the same again!

The purpose of the International Leadership Forum was to equip, encourage, and empower women in leadership to believe in their God-given calling and to move past obstacles and roadblocks and go for MORE! We based our theme on Ephesians 3:20: God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

The International Leadership Forum is yet another way to build a global community of women in Christian leadership who have one purpose and one heart: to serve God passionately and to allow Him to work His purposes and plans through ordinary women called by God!

It was a perfect day for a picnic! On a beautiful day in September, the Women Together Ukraine team gathered more than 50 women from 5 different churches to celebrate friendship with a picnic-style lunch. Everyone in attendance was wow-ed!

“There was an amazing atmosphere of joy and acceptance. The variety of ages added to the joy of being together. We truly celebrated friendship and God’s outpoured love on us,” commented Veronika Nuzhna, Women Together Ukraine Coordinator.

Veronika’s message was entitled, God’s Promises are More than Any Storm. “I stressed that when God gives a promise, He will lead you through the storm and to the other side. When we have difficulties, it is very important to remind ourselves of God’s Word and His promises and to speak those promises into our lives.”

A Christmas Event for women in leadership in Poltava Ukraine is now planned for Christmas 2018.

Returning now for their 3rd time in Uganda, the Women Together Canada team was delighted to be back Mukono, Uganda and working in partnership with ROTOM ministry.

ROTOM is a unique and wonderful ministry to seniors started because of the effect that HIV/AIDS had on families several years ago. In African culture, it is the adult children who look after their parents in their senior years. With HIV/AIDS taking so many adult lives, something had to be done to help the grandmothers who were living in severe poverty with the added responsibility of raising their grandchildren. Women Together has two aspects to their partnership with ROTOM:

1. Providing leadership training for ROTOM staff and
2. Providing Home Based Care Training to at-risk village girls.

In 2018, Evelyn Franklin, an RN from Brandon, Manitoba, taught the Home Based Care Curriculum for three months to 11 village girls. Eight of the eleven girls are now employed and using their new skills to help seniors and the grandchildren they are raising.

This trip was a reunion, a joyful catching-up, and a time of affirmation for the girls who have risen to the challenge, obtained a good start in medical training, and are using what they learned to help seniors and ROTOM.

Ellen Krahn and Margaret Gibb taught 16 staff members on Biblical Leadership. Their eagerness to take notes and be engaged in the training was indicative of their desire to learn and grow as leaders.

Women Together and ROTOM are moving forward with additional plans to develop our partnership further.