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Portraits Magazine
WMU annual meeting is standing room only
By Fayly Cothern
After extra chairs were brought into the fellowship hall of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Tucson, Nov. 13, participants in the Annual Meeting and Mission Celebration of Woman's Missionary Union heard reports and celebrated what God has done through women's groups in 2009-2010.
Terrie Sullivan, executive director, welcomed the group and led in prayer. Gwen Austin, president, acknowledged many pastors and wives, directors of evangelism/missions and their wives, missionaries and WMU directors in local churches.
Lorraine Allender, WMU children's specialist, reported 10 decisions for Christ were made during the summer camp.
Linda Baker, Lorraine Allender and Linda Hopson provided information about upcoming associational meetings. They also announced two mission camps will be held next summer, one in Prescott, the other in the Tucson area.
Reports of monthly mission action events included creative ways of reaching out to those with particular needs, including breast cancer victims.
The theme interpretation, "Called to Love," was given by Donna Guillott, WMU vice-president. Music included pre-session music and postlude by Marilyn Schum, singing by the assembled group, plus special music by Barb Tingle and Suzanne Johnson.
One of the highlights of every WMU meeting is hearing from missionaries. They always invigorate Women on Mission whose goal is to study about mission work, pray for the missionaries, give so they may remain on the field, and be about mission action in their own communities and state.
This year they heard from Jim and Rebecca Graham, International Mission Board career missionaries to Taiwan, who told of the thousands of people who live on that small island, but how Christianity is spreading among small groups throughout the nation.
North American Mission Board missionaries Clint and Carol Smith serve as Mission Service Corps coordinators in Arizona. Carol said they work with 28 volunteers in the state.
Jenny Garcia and her husband, Chuck, are IMB missionaries. Jenny led the prayer calendar period as the assembly prayed for the missionaries whose birthdays were that day. She shared specific prayer needs for new missionaries who face culture shock, along with their concern for developing relationships with the people they serve. She also told of concerns retirees experience, along with their need for prayer.
Ministries in the state featured Jerry Gollihue, who with his wife, Tama,serves the Caring Ministries begun by Ross Hanna. Gollihue said that 300,000 pounds of food a month are distributed to needy people in the southern part of the state and stated that it wouldn't happen without WMU.
Ben Barfield serves as church planter strategist in Catalina Association. His wife, Jill, is his prayer partner in that important mission.
Following a brief business session which included election of officers, John Elder gave encouraging words in a creative installation service. He then led in prayer for the officers who hold vital positions for the new year.
Melissa Allender, preschool specialist, enjoyed the fun of drawing the name of the recipient of the door prize, a gift from the WMU WorldCrafts catalog. Missionaries teach women on mission fields how to make items which can provide some income for their families. National WMU provides a way to sell them through the catalogs.
As people moved from the meeting, we heard words of rejoicing over what God has done during the past year. Others spoke with excitement and anticipation as they spoke of coming events. It is apparent that God is empowering today's women as they follow the Lord's direction to GO and TELL!