Dinner for 50 at Network Tacoma--Calling All Hands!!

Ladies, we have a marvelous opportunity to demonstrate our love for the families of Network Tacoma!

Each month these families come together for training and learning, at the Network Tacoma office. They bring their children. And the staff at Network Tacoma feeds them ALL dinner.

Our chapter has volunteered to bring and serve this dinner on:

Monday, November 8th.

The dinner takes place from 6-7pm, with prep and cleanup time before and after. We are asking for donations of "Costco-style" lasagna, french bread, and salad. We will need a few volunteers the night of the event. If you cannot volunteer, but can donate lasagna or bread, you can bring your donations to Network Tacoma on Friday or Monday--but no later than several hours ahead (since frozen lasagna takes awhile to cook!) If you are unable to donate food but can donate your time, that would be wonderful as well!

Let's show these families we care! Times are tough for everyone, but especially for formerly homeless families now trying to make ends meet in a transitional housing setting.

Email wovsouthpugetsound@gmail.com to volunteer and/or donate, and Holly will reply with additional details. Thank you and God bless.

Partnership Meeting this Sunday: 10 Things You Can Do!

We are praying for a large turnout for our Partnership / Information gathering this Sunday! Will you be there? We want to get to know you better!

Here is just part of what we will share:

• I became a partner...now what?? Ten things you can do TODAY, THIS WEEK, THIS MONTH....
• Summary of our new international project:  supporting recovery efforts for human trafficking victims in Cambodia.
• Information for women considering partnership with Women of Vision and asking: is this the place for me?

Partnership Gathering

Sunday, October 24th, 6-8pm

Puyallup Nazarene Church Coffee Shop

1026 7th Ave SW, Puyallup

RSVP's not required but are helpful: wovsouthpugetsound@gmail.com

Partners: Service Opportunity with Network Tacoma This Saturday

Network Tacoma serves families in transitional housing. We have an opportunity to fellowship and serve these families, and enjoy craft activities with the children. If you would like to participate, please bring one of the following items - enough for 10-12 people:

• Bagels
• Juice
• Coffee
• Fruit

Location: Network Tacoma Office

5435 S. M Street

Tacoma, WA

Saturday, October 23rd

10 - 11:30am

Please arrive a few minutes early to set up.

Questions? Email wovsouthpugetsound@gmail.com

Thank you!

October Devotional: Change Your Power Source

Change Your Power Source

After a slammed day at work, there I was sitting on my laptop at home trying to catch up on my email and Face book and check my bank accounts before I went to bed. Suddenly quite subtly in the lower right hand corner of my screen in a rectangular box appeared the words “Change your power source”. I was stunned for a few seconds and then I started laughing out loud! Isn’t God amazing? A precise, exact and definite reminder that flashed like neon in my soul! YES! That is exactly what I needed to do. Here I was yet again, doing my life, my day, my evening my way. I was stressed, exhausted and discouraged. Why? For the most part, I was relying on myself and words from “man” to guide and direct me in the hurried and the harried of my life.

Our sweet, tender and kind Lord just popped into my spirit in a way that He knew would capture my attention. By the way, my computer usually gives me a percentage of power remaining in that little rectangular box. I haven’t seen those words before or since. They really got me thinking. So, let me ask three classic journalistic questions: Who is our power source? Where is our power source? What is our power source?

Who is our power source? Is it God or self? When self is our power source, there is no peace and absolutely no grace. There is stress and strife. We feel trapped and without hope. This happens in degrees as it begins small and grows and can end in despair and hopelessness. By contrast, when God is our power source there is freedom and we find peace and grace; there is hope and boldness and courage. When we take His yoke upon us it is light. There is no strain, no stress. God goes before us. The way is straight. Let’s let God be our power source today remembering that “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (I Cor. 10:26)

Where is our power source? Are we “in” the world or “of” the world? Jesus said that we are to be in the world, but not of the world in. John 8:23 But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” Jesus came into the world but he never was of the world. He as our example remained the perfect Son of God by not being tainted by the world. So what does it look like to be of the world? The way of the world, the trends of the day are what we adhere to rather than God’s way. Matthew 6:33 asks us “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self (Luke 9:25) or his soul?” (Matt. 16:26) We are reminded in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto us. We are to follow Jesus in His example to be in the world and not of it.
What is our power source? Is it the truth from God’s Word or is it information from man’s words? Do we listen to what people say through their philosophies and beliefs that are contrary to the Word? Do we know the Word of God enough to keep us from being deceived? Do we hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him? His Word is a light to our feet and a lamp to our path (Ps.119:1015). Whose report will we believe about our health and our finances and our hope? We will not find the truth in New York’s Best Sellers or on a TV weekly “sit com”. We won’t find the truth in the Wall Street Journal or Time magazine. What are we putting into our minds to undergird us so we don’t fall? God’s Word is to be what we read and hide deep in our hearts so that in real time our motivations and actions line up with what His Word says.

As we go about our day this week, let’s think about our power source. Who is our power source? Is it God or self? Where is out power source? Are we “in” the world but not “of” the world? What is our power source? Is it God’s Word or man’s words? I am so grateful that God loves me so much that He is willing to communicate with me where I am even if it’s on my computer! Let’s ask Him to show us how to keep Him as our power source this week and always.

Africa Vision Trip for Women of Vision - Leaves Tuesday

One of our chapter leaders, Lynn A., will depart on Tuesday for a Vision Trip to Mali, Africa. Eight women will spend 10 days together - all of them Women of Vision chapter members - from around the country. This trip is being led by Angela Mason, Senior Advisor for Women of Vision.

The focus of the trip is to view water projects, and to visit villages in various stages of the transformational development process.

Highlights of the trip will include:

• Visits with sponsored children, one of whom is Lynn's child - 12 year old Safi (see photo)
• Meeting with several groups of women, some of whom are shea butter or soap makers
• Visiting several water boreholes, with at least one doing live drilling
• Hearing / seeing the challenges of children with trachoma, malaria and parasites, including a visit to a school for blind children

Please pray as follows:

• Safety in flight. Each member of the team travels independently to France, some leaving on October 19th, and others on October 20th. They fly from France to Mali on October 22nd, and back to Paris on October 29th - and each make their way back to the U.S. on separate flights over the following days.
• Safety on ground travel. The team routes and debriefs in Paris, where terror threats have been high in recent weeks. The team will not use the underground transportation systems. Also, ground travel in Africa can be quite treacherous so pray for their drivers.
• Pray for the hearts of the women on this trip, that they will be broken but not crushed.
• Pray that this team can give and receive joy with the dear women, children, and staff in Mali with whom they come in contact, and, that sensitivity and understanding in this Muslim culture will occur.

Partnership Meeting This Month - Sunday Oct. 24th

We have kicked off our new fiscal year with new goals and a fresh infusion of energy! We are excited to share these plans with our partners.

This will be a time of fellowship for all partners, and for women interested in becoming partners, in the Women of Vision South Puget Sound Chapter. Please invite any friends / colleagues who have an interest in learning more about partnership and about becoming involved with Women of Vision.

We will announce a shift in our international project from microfinance in Cambodia, to supporting a recovery center for victing of sex trafficking. You won't want to miss this!

Partnership Gathering

Sunday, October 24th, 6-8pm

Puyallup Nazarene Church Coffee Shop

1026 7th Ave SW, Puyallup

RSVP's not required but are helpful: wovsouthpugetsound@gmail.com

We need to take a new photo with all of our partners! See you there?!

Urgent Prayer for Cindy Brielh, WOV Director

This morning, Cindy Brielh's mother went home unexpectedly to be with the Lord.

We ask that all join us in prayer and a few moments in silence.

Team Mongolia Arrives Safely

Team Mongolia

We have received our first email from Team Mongolia. and are delighted to report that they arrived in Seoul, Korea safely, were warmly greeted by both the World Vision Korea Staff and the lovely weather.

Sandy writes" Last night we were in the second row for a televised program from a large stadium featuring many famous performing stars, donating their time and talent to put on a wonderful show.  There was old film footage shown with World Vision founder Bob Pierce in his early days here in Korea.  It is very special for us to be here with Bob's daughter Marilee and her family and enjoy how touching this is for them."

See the full email here and remember to continue praying for Team Mongolia.  Join us at our prayer blog for updates and prayers.

"Sex Sells Lies" - Educational Gathering, Nov. 9th

Tiffany Bluhm, of Charisma and Esteem Ministries, will be our first educational gathering speaker of the new program year.

Did you know that Tacoma is third in the nation for prostitution? Tiffany will share with us how serious the problem is locally, and, offer hope for redemptive change.

Tiffany was abandoned as a baby in India, by her mother. Adopted and loved by a family the U.S., Tiffany nonetheless struggled with feelings of abandonment and loneliness. Tiffany will share her own story as well as stories of local women who have turned their lives around. Tiffany was a favorite speaker at our human trafficking conference last June, so we are delighted to hear from her again.

We will also share information about the new human trafficking recovery project in Cambodia, which our chapter is honored to support in the coming year.

This event is free and open to all women, so bring a friend!

November 9, 2010 - 7 to 8pm

Life Center, Tacoma - 1717 Union Ave

(Click on image to enlarge and print)

WoV Group Departs for Mongolia Today!

Our own Patty D. - sponsorship chair for the WoV SPS chapter - departs today with a Women of Vision group, to visit World Vision / Women of Vision projects in Mongolia.

Please keep Patty and the team in prayer!

Learn more about their trip here.

God speed, Patty!!

Fall Heart of the Matter Study Groups Announced

Have you been wanting to take part in
The Heart of the Matter study? 

      

Several of our Chapter members will lead the Women of Vision "Heart of the Matter" study group series this fall.

This is a wonderful opportunity to delve into God's Word, and to look specifically at what the Bible says to us about poverty and justice. It also offers an opportunity to share how we can use what we learn in our community and beyond. A special and important part of the study is the chance to get to know other women who share a love of Christ and His compassion for the hurting of our world. And if you are not yet a partner with Women of Vision, this study can help you determine if WoV is a volunteer group you wish to join. Please consider participating in this study this fall with one of these groups of ladies. All are welcome.

Preview the study here:
Module 1: "Hope in a World of Hurt" (4 sessions)
Module 2: "Communities Transformed with Change that Lasts" (6 sessions)
Study guides will be available on the first night of each study group (the cost is $10.00), or you can download and print at the above links for free, or order your own DVD of the study here.
Please bring your Bible to the study.

Email the group host to sign up, and to get directions:
1. HOTM Part 1, Federal Way - Four sessions beginning October 11th - email ktm60@comcast.net
2. HOTM Part 2, Federal Way/Browns Point- Six sessions beginning October 28th - email wovsouthpugetsound@gmail.com
3. HOTM Part 1, Gig Harbor - Four sessions beginning November 4th - email pnwannie@yahoo.com