 |
Some
foreign guests who were invited also took part in the meeting: the
president of the European Baptist Women's Union - Livija Lame from
Latvia, sisters from Belarus, Moldova, Russia, USA and Ewa Gutkowska,
who is making this report.
|
|
|
|
The
setting of this conference was prepared with great care. When the
leaders were introduced at the same time the map of Ukraine was put
together from pieces of districts which those sisters were
representing. The sisters who were conducting the conference were
dressed in national clothes and the song chanted at the beginning
“Prayer for Ukraine” moved everyone to the depths of their hearts,
bringing the joy of freedom and a heightening feeling of gratitude for
the great deeds that the Lord performed in this country through women.
|
|
|
|
The
Baptist Union in Ukraine is the biggest in Europe and it includes about
135000 members with women constituting 75%. The women make a
considerable contribution in the mission work of the churches and in
winning others for Christ.
The President of the Ukrainian Union, Vyacheslav Nesteruk,
participating in the opening of the conference, thanked the sisters for
their previous and current eagerness in service and devotion in prayer,
and at the same time he gave some advice for further years. He
encouraged them to continue prayer for pastors, leaders, for new calls
and for their own husbands so that they could get more involved in
church work. He encouraged them also to engage in mission and
evangelization not only in Ukraine but also in other countries in
Europe.
|
|
|
|
Sister
Nadia Komendant, the President of the women's service until 2006 and
whose participation together with sister Aleksandra Kowalenko in
organizing the work in particular districts is unquestionable and
immense, shared with us the previous history of women's work for the
Lord the memories which go back in the past into the end of the
nineteenth century. Many of the women paid a high price for their
engagement in Christian work and suffered arrests, tortures, prison and
even loss of life during the communist regime. In the end sister Nadia
stressed that all those stories about how God used women we not only
should remember, but we must remember.
The
President of the women's service since 2006 - Svetlana Swischova in her
multi-media presentation, highlighted the leaders and their work over
the in past 20 year period. In her report she laid out the main
directions of women's service: service of prayer, service of learning
God's Word, service of carrying help, service of evangelization - the
numerous examples of which were presented by sisters engaged in these
services.
|
|
|
|
The
President of the European Women's Union – Livija Lame in her
presentation emphasized the meaning and value of love in the work for
the Lord, which in the multitude of daily duties and work may be lost.
She quoted facts and gave examples about this that because of love for
Jesus, Christian martyrs died. The message of Livija was additionally
developed in the preaching, which was shared on the last day by one of
the pastors, on the basis of the text from John's Gospel 13:34-35,
indicating love as the recognizable sign of Christians.
|
|
|
|
I
am grateful to God that I could participate in this particular meeting
of the Ukrainian sisters and to pass on to them greetings and good
wishes from the Polish women. God once again showed me what great deeds
He did through those sisters from Ukraine who are faithful in prayers
and dedicated in service. This report is a short account of this event
and there is no place for descriptions of sometimes dramatic stories of
women's lives, which teach me, personally, humbleness before God's
greatness and faithfulness and in themselves bring a freedom of
gratitude. And that atmosphere of gratitude and joy expressed in
various ways including poetry and songs sung by the men's choir “Syjon”
and the women's choir from Charkov infected everybody and united us
causing, through this meeting, glory was given to the Highest God.
Ewa Gutkowska
|
|
