Spiritually Nourished, Physically Pampered
Often neglected and unappreciated and even forgotten especially if they are missionaries serving in some secluded part of the world, full-time single women ministers (FTSWM) are the 'unsung heroines' of the body of Christ.
To appreciate and affirm them, the NECF Malaysia Women's Commission recently held a retreat for some 50 FTSWM for a time of rest, recreation and networking. Over three days and two nights at a beautiful beach resort in Port Dickson, the ladies were pampered with love, food and fun - all paid for by generous donors.
The theme for the retreat was 'Arise, Shine...Ye Daughters of Destiny' with Dr Teresa Chai as the main speaker.
Her messages inspired the ladies to continue faithfully obeying and serving the Master. Speaking on 'Correcting Misconceptions about Women and Leadership', Dr Chai affirmed the role of woman ministers and pointed to Jesus who had women ministering alongside Him.
Dr Chai, the principal of Alpha Omega International College, also reminded the participants of their identity in Christ as priests based on 1 Peter 2:9-10. As such, women should not limit themselves, for in Christ we are chosen and share equal status with our brothers.
The retreat was not just about spiritual nourishment; it also provided lessons on external beauty through the session "Looking Good". Image consultant Deborah Leong remind-ed the ladies that they represent the King of kings and should therefore take care to look their best for His glory. Deborah shared about body language and threw in a make-up demonstration as well.
To complement the spiritual with the physical, the commission slotted in fun time during the retreat which the ladies thoroughly enjoyed. They had a concert, went for a banana boat ride, detoxified in the sauna and sweat it out in the gym.
Throughout the retreat, the Holy Spirit worked gently as the participants ministered to one another through worship, prayer and fellowship which culminated in the Holy Communion on the last day. It was certainly a moving moment as they remembered His sacrifice.
The retreat ended powerfully and poignantly with the 'anointing tunnel' where the participants were anointed with oil after coming out from a human tunnel formed by the commission members. As they passed through, they were blessed and prayed for.
The ladies responded to the retreat with overwhelming gratitude and to show their appreciation, they collected an offering and presented it as their gift to the commission.
"We had three carefree days and were emotionally fed, spiritually fed, physically overfed, breezing in and out like queens to go forward to face the challenges ahead," said one rejuvenated participant.
"Thank you for being God's conduit of blessings," another grateful participant said to the anonymous sponsors. |
