The last few years have been remarkable for Kentucky WMU in regard to our connections around the world. Through various partnerships, we have been at work to encourage women and missions education in several countries.
Korea – Through our 2006-2010 partnership, we sent representatives to Korea in 2006, 2008, and 2010. We hosted a KBWMU seminary student and assisted in her schooling and hospitality while she studied at Southern Seminary. We hosted visitors to our summer camps in 2007, 2008, and 2010. We hosted the KBWMU choir in 2007 at our Annual Meeting and for a choir tour across Kentucky. We have prayed for Korea WMU as well as North Korea. We make a donation to an endowment fund at the WMU Foundation which benefits the work of Korea WMU and also contributed to the House of Love, a retirement home for pastors and missionaries built by KBWMU.
Tanzania – As the result of a KBC team visit to Tanzania in 2008 in which I participated, Kentucky WMU encouraged the Tanzanian Baptist Women’s Union to re-organize and start meeting again. We provided financial assistance in 2008 and 2009 for their annual meeting. In 2010, TBWU invited the East Africa Baptist Women’s Union to hold a regional meeting in Dar Es Salaam and invited Kentucky WMU to attend. Linda Cooper and I went in December 2010 and participated in this meeting which included women from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. The East Africa group had been praying about reconnecting with women in Tanzania and the invitation from the TBWU was an answer to prayer. Kentucky WMU provided financial assistance to help the women hold this meeting. The growth of the TBWMU led to their desire to participate in training for all Africa. Kentucky WMU assisted two leaders from Tanzania in making a trip to Nigeria, November 16-20, 2011 for this conference. They have returned with a list of WMU materials from Nigeria that they wish to translate and use in Tanzania. Kentucky WMU will assist with this project.
Indonesia – After my trip to Indonesia in August 2010 to lead Bible studies for the Indonesia Baptist Women’s Union meeting, we learned that one of our Kentucky missionaries has been working on a new set of Children in Action type material for use in Indonesian Baptist churches. We received a request to assist with printing costs and to help some of their leaders attend the Asian Baptist Women’s Union Young Women’s Conference. We agreed to assist with the travel costs if those attending could also receive training as Children in Action leaders while they were in Bali for the conference. This was arranged and $2,000 was provided. We will soon provide additional funds for printing the new Children in Action materials. You can read about the Young Women’s Conference and see pictures from the meeting. It was exciting to us in Kentucky that Indonesia Baptist Women’ s Union hosted the Young Women’s Confernce and that the current president of the Asian Baptist Women’s Union is Sook Jae Lee, executive director for Korea Baptist WMU, with whom we have been in partnership.
Uganda – One of the participants in the 2010 East Africa Baptist Women’s Union meeting wrote to us recently asking for assistance in their work. At this point, she was just writing to ask about WMU work, what we focus on, and how we organize. Because WMU principles of praying, giving, learning, and going for missions can be applied anywhere in the world, we gladly sent basic information which they can apply in their setting.
Malawi – Althought we were first contacted in 2008 about connecting with the Malawi Baptist Women’s Union, the time was not right until just a few months ago when the KBC Partnership Office began to promote Go Africa for 2012. Scott Pittman asked Kentucky WMU to consider sending a team. After a number of emails with missionaries and national leaders, we have decided to send a team July 4-16 to teach minister’s wives during their summer institute at the seminary. Cost for this trip is approximately $3,000 per person. Due to the need to make travel arrangements and team assignments, applications and deposits are due by Feb. 15, 2012. For more information, go to www.kywmu.org/malawi.
In addition to these connections, I have missionary friends in Senegal with whom I stay in touch. They have been able to send two students to Oneida Baptist Institute and I have the opportunity to assist in arrangements for them during breaks. We have Kentucky missionaries in other parts of the world who write to us regularly and for whom we pray.
God is blessing the generosity of Kentucky WMU as we assist in other places. Please keep these relationships in your prayers, praying that God will bless and direct the missions work of our Baptist sisters.
