PWOC International Blog

God is amazing!   He is moving and we are moving with His Spirit!

My prayer as I started out as a West Region President was that new PWOCs will “pop up” everywhere in the West.   It is still my desire and prayer.   Last September, a new PWOC started in CA and just tonight, a sister at Camp Pendleton emailed me asking why there was no PWOC there!   Isn’t that amazing????  What is more amazing is that our awesome God is being made known!

Isaiah 64:2 says “As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make Your name known to Your enemies and cause the nations to quake before You!”  When God comes down, He doesn’t just come down quietly.  He comes down to make His NAME known to the enemies!  The nations can’t help but tremble at His presence!

Let us continue to run this race together.  Let us continue to call on the Name, the Name that is above all names, Jesus!   Let’s make His Name known, make Him famous!  We are workers together for Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Sara <><

West Region President

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Wow! Our Fall Semester 2011 at Ft Bragg PWOC was fabulous. The new Young Ladies Bible Study grew to 20 young ladies between the ages of 12-16. Our Spiritual Life leader, Bree McDougall, chose ‘The Purple Book’ for not only our Young Ladies Study but also for one of the adult PWOC Bible studies. ‘The Purple Book’, by Rice Broocks and Steve Murrell, provides a foundation of Biblical truth and challenges the reader to walk out her Christian faith. The exciting discussions that followed each chapter challenged each young lady to look at her life and walk with Christ in such a way to establish a foundation that no storm in life will prevail against and to fill a heart that’s shaped and guided by the knowledge of God’s Word. ‘The Purple Book’ is a twelve-part Bible study designed to help new believers and longtime followers of Jesus stand firm and grow strong in the Christian life.

Some of the moms of the young ladies in this class chose the ‘The Purple Book’ as their adult study. This enabled the mom to have intimate conversations at home with her daughter as both of them were tackling the discussion questions. Each week the young ladies joined the PWOC ladies in Praise & Worship. During a special PWOC Tuesday the Young Ladies Bible Study was highlighted.  Besides some of the girls joining the Praise & Worship Team, others girls helped with Hospitality, Greeters, and Program set-up and clean-up. This exposure to the various PWOC ministries opened doors for the Young Ladies Bible Study to get involved every week with the PWOC ministries according to the gifts and talents of each of the girls. As their Bible study leader, I walked the girls through the various PWOC ministries so they would have a good understanding of the ministry and see how their unique gifts and talents could be used for God’s glory at PWOC.  The various ministry leaders have truly appreciated the extra hands. This Young Ladies Bible Study is enabling Ft Bragg PWOC to train-up a younger generation in the aims of PWOC:

• To LEAD Women to accept Christ as personal Savior and Lord.
• To TEACH women the history, beliefs, and programs of the church, all built on a solid foundation of worship and Bible study
• To DEVELOP in women the skills of prayer, evangelism, stewardship, and social service, against a background of spiritual development.
• To INVOLVE women in the work of the Chapel, in keeping with their abilities and interests

Why wait for daughters of military families to be out of the house and married to the military to begin involving them in our local PWOC? What a great opportunity PWOC has to train-up our young ladies to be Godly young women who are impacting the military community and living out and promoting the aims of PWOC. Our daytime and nighttime PWOC meetings can be used as a training ground for the next generation of spiritual leaders.

Peace & Blessings:

Sandy Murphy

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Aloha from Oahu, Hawaii and Jody Garcia. I am proud to be a part of Pacific Region PWOC.

With four installations close at hand and Guam just a phone call away, I am blessed to serve in such a unique area of PWOC. I get excited when I sit and think about what God is going to do in our region. Our focus is to unite all of the installations in harmony and one accord. I ask that you bathe us in prayer as we have our first meeting with the installations to discuss unity within our region and how we as the regional board vision that. HE is going to do great things here in Hawaii and Guam!

Just a few words about me, I was born and raised in San Diego, California a long time ago. Lived there most of my young years, then traveled up to Los Angeles, California where I lived the next 28 years. I was a single mom for quite awhile but there is nothing I would change about those years because I am who I am thanks be to God and my four children who loved me so unconditionally.

I got remarried in 2002 after being a single mom for 12 years. I married a military man; he was my high school sweetheart.  My husband, Chaplain Wayne Garcia, is in the Army, currently working at Tripler Army Medical Center. I never figured me to be a Chaplain’s wife, but our God has a wonderful sense of humor, HE knew just want Wayne needed. Okay, I needed Wayne too.

Between Wayne and I, we have 7 children. They range from 36 years of age to 26 years of age. Our children live in various places across the United States as well as Paris, France and Santiago, Chile. We have six incredibly, beautiful grandchildren.

In the last nine years I have lived at three different duty stations. I have to say I am most happy here in Oahu. I love the beaches. I love the sunshine. And I get to work on my tan every day if I want to – just don’t tell my dermatologist. God knew just want I needed. Yes, you got it, beaches, sunshine and a tan! I am already thankful for the godly women from PWOC HE has brought into my life. I am blessed that God knew just the kind of friendships I needed to make these next three years adventurous, rewarding and spirit-filled.

In next month’s blog, I will share with you about our regional meeting that is being held on the 19^th of Jan. Please stay tuned for some exciting things happening in the Pacific Region – I know I am.

As for me and my house – beaches, sunshine and a tan, but mostly importantly – we will service the Lord in love and in truth!

Jody Garcia

Pacific Regional PWOC President

Mark 12:28-34

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Ladies,

My husband and our two youngest Gherkins drove from Misawa, Japan to Yokota AB in Tokyo yesterday.

Yes, there was a snow storm in the north. As we continued to drive south we were blessed with a visual of how very vast and varied is our Asia Region. By the time we reached the outskirts of Tokyo (a phrase our 6 yo now loves) we were noting NO snow to be seen anywhere, crops still in the ground and farmers out working. The traffic increased, incredibly tall buildings began appearing….yep….Tokyo is different from Misawa.

Seoul is different from Tokyo. Okinawa is different from Area 1. Camp Humphreys is different from Yokosuka.   Different, yet not better. Varied, yet serving the same Lord. Different methods, the same passion for King Jesus’ kingdom to be established.  We’re united in our passion to:

•  Lead women to Christ
• Teach women a solid foundation of worship and Bible study
• Develop in women spiritual disciplines
• Involve women in the work of the kingdom

Your regional team is praying for you as you seek to follow the heart of our King in your location….be that warm, cold, Japan, Korea, rural or urban. Women need the good news you posses. We’re praying for God to meet every need on each installation. May the Lord of the Harvest send out laborers into the field. (Lk 10:2) Please feel free to share your prayer needs with us….either in the comment section or by emailing AsiaPresident@pwoc.org or AsiaPrayer@pwoc.org (in the process of setting up).

We continue to also pray for laborers to serve on Asia’s regional team. If you are prompted to consider serving as an Admin Coordinator, Assistant Conference Coordinator, Training Coordinator, Leadership Selection Chair or Financial Liaison, you can read job descriptions in the Women’s Ministry Manual,  and download a Request for Consideration form,  or simply email De’Etta at AsiaPresident@pwoc.org with your questions and thoughts. In addition we may need tech help on various projects and would love to start a “tech go to list”.

Today – I continue to rejoice (wildly, ecstatically – check out the TnT on FB for Lk 10:21) in the magnificent variety that makes up PWOC Asia Region.

Joyfully following the heart of our King,

De’Etta (PWOCI Asia Region, President)

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Many of you who attended the PWOC International Conference in Dallas received the Engaging Your Strengths booklet.  Have you had a chance to go on line and discover your strengths through the EYS assessment?

In November at our Northeast Region conference, break-out classes on the Engaging Your Strengths material provided a more in depth look at specific strengths and how to apply them to our personal and PWOC ministries.  Attendees embraced the training and wanted more!  Becky Puchy of American Bible Society and ReNata Bauder of Fort Belvoir recently hit the road to offer EYS instruction to the PWOC ladies of Dover.  Over 30 attendees soaked in the concept of living at their optimal levels by engaging their strengths–not focusing on weaknesses.  As a body we work more effectively when we’re all working to strengths; when all our parts are working in unison to accomplish the Lord’s purpose for our lives and His Kingdom.

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…from December

Europe Region News

Worship and Study, the annual regional conference for Europe, was hosted for the first time at the charming Army Recreation Center Edelweiss, located at the foot of the German Alps in Garmisch, home of Bavarian skiing and snow fun. Over 400 women attended the 3 day conference in November coming from as far north as England and  from Italy and Spain in the south. For many women, this was their first Worship and Study experience.  Our keynote speakers came from different corners of the world but all shared a common bond as current PWOC participants.  PWOC-International president Beth Mills, Victoria Robinson and local powerhouse Nyika Taylor brought messages of hope anchored in the theme “Your Kingdom Come.”

For many years, Worship and Study has been hosted at the Sauerland-Stern Hotel in Willengen, Germany.  Regrettably, 2011 saw a variety of security issues early in the year and our chaplain advisors recommended we select a venue that could ensure clear security measures for guests of the hotel.  Similar to a military installation, all visitors and guests had to show military ID cards to gain access to the grounds.  The Europe Region Board, under the leadership of Leslie Pedro-VP Conference Coordinator, worked closely with Edelweiss Hotel staff to plan a conference that would meet the needs of hundreds of women.  This was the largest conference the facility has ever hosted and though there were some challenges they didn’t deter the festive atmosphere as women streamed into the hotel lobby eager to begin their conference experience.  For the next 3 days, a variety of workshops led by PWOC women and Chaplains as well as vibrant worship at the general sessions combined to offer a stellar experience.

Planning for our next conference in November 2012 has already begun. In order to better assess the real benefits afforded by each location, the conference survey featured a section addressing this concern.  With participants’ input, we are looking forward to next year and providing a life-changing worship and study experience.

Submitted by Kristen Rietkerk

Europe Region President

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God graces me with an annual word –a memorial stone – enticing me to follow His unique leading. I have learned to prayerfully evaluate my life in light of the work God is doing. I wonder if you might care to join me in a few moments of prayerful evaluation as we consider Galatians 6:7-10.

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to theSpirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. ¹⁰So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (NASB)

I’m not a farm gal; God has set me down in the midst of rice patties, wheat fields and cabbage patches these last couple of years. I’m observant.

Farming is a lot of work. Hard ground must be plowed up and prepared to receive seed. Planted fields must be cultivated. Are you willing to allow Abba free reign to break up hard areas in your life? Will you cooperate with Him in nourishing the plantings in your life? Some seasons’ planting seem to painfully require reserves beyond our strength.

Farmers are not easily fooled about what they’ve planted in each field. What is planted will eventually be harvested. Farmers have a distinct plan for each field in which seed is scattered. Do you? Will your seeds produce ruin and decay? Or are you following  His lead in your daily plantings? If so, you WILL reap a life characterized by the eternal.

There are times when fields seem dormant. In the spring green onion shoots are sure to sprout here – I saw the planting. There is no evidence of that harvest this snowy December. At the right time there will be a harvest!

Don’t lose heart! Rest in Him who IS our secret dwelling place and He will bring times of refreshing. Are you planting things of the spirit in your home, marriage, PWOC, work place? Are you waiting for a harvest which hasn’t materialized yet. It WILL – in the  proper, due, opportune time! I eagerly anticipate the reports of harvest in Asia Region.

Alicia Brit Chole shares, “What grows from painful planting is God’s business. But sowing in faith is ours and our faithfulness is never sown in vain.”

We aim to simply follow His lead in sowing to the Spirit.

De’Etta Goecker, Asia Region President

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Hello Ladies and Chaplains!

I am so excited about what God is going to do within the Alaska Region over these next couple of years! I want to continue with the heart-felt goal of last season’s board; that we develop authentic relationships with God and each other. We know that everything boils down to LOVE, because God’s Word says, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself.” and I pray that we grow in our love-walks this season. I have found that loving another involves the mind and will more so than emotions. I have to deliberately choose to love and show love to others at all times. To rearrange the way I think
about a person when my thoughts turn away from lovely towards ungodly (resentful, angry, or unkind) and deliberately dwell on pleasant and uplifting things about that person to be able to continue in love. I believe that God’s heart for this Region speaks from Colossians 2:2-3, “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” I look forward to joining our hearts in a love that springs from Christ as we continue our walk with Him!

Blessings to each and every one of you!

Love,
Treva Slaughter, Alaska Region PWOC, President

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