What's your ABW experience? Servant of God/Dominion Life Member - by Kathleen Brewer

I would like to tell you about the lady who acquainted my sister, Carolyn, and I with the WMS/ABW, since we were little girls. Her name was Irene, she was a mother of five, a farmer’s wife, as well as a Christian who believed in the power of prayer and missions. She at one point in time was the Secretary Treasurer of her local WMS and was a Dominion Life Member.

She would bring home mission projects for us to work on. We remember rolling bandages, helping to pack boxes for overseas, and collecting change for many projects. She taught us the importance of praying for the missionaries and made of a point of making sure we had prayer cards for the different missionaries so that we could put names with faces that we prayed for.

Along with praying, if missionaries came to our church to speak, she would have them come to the house and stay so that we could become acquainted with missionaries personally and hear the many stories of how God ministered through them wherever they were working. I remember some of the stories amazed me, some scared me, and some stories made me cry that people hadn’t heard about God’s love.

Irene taught us the importance of also loving and serving God through your community. First by cooking for people in need such as people who were ill, or grieving or simply take a dish to someone who needed encouragement. Secondly, she had was a card ministry. She sent out birthday cards, anniversary cards, get well cards, sympathy cards and thinking of you cards. Thirdly, she ministered by calling people who were not able to get out or lonely people just to encourage them. We used to tease her that the phone must be glued to her ear. But the truth was she ministered to a lot of people who needed a friend.

Irene also taught us to give through offerings to support missionaries, or to those going on mission trips as we were able. Irene did not have much in her budget for extras such as stamps or cards, etc., however she taught us to always trust God for the ministry expenses as God always provides.

As you may have realized Irene was our Mother. She highly impacted our lives in regard to the WMS/ABW. We believe that in the ABW there is a place for every woman to have a ministry for God. This our story, what is yours…