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We are praising God for our safe arrival, good health, and all suitcases being present and accounted for!  Thank you for your prayers and please continue…

Upon our arrival, we were immediately greeted by brothers, and a few sisters, from North Africa, including Egypt.  They are experiencing a lull in the mayhem of recent years since the Arab Spring.  Their constitution was recently presented and they are waiting for the approval of their national referendum.  They, and we, all live in uncertain times…but for Jesus!  That is precisely why we are here: Jesus!

Join us in praising Him for all that He is doing in the Arab world and for the privilege and JOY of being a small part of His glorious work.  Pray for the women who are arriving for our Women in the Window International health training today and tomorrow.  And pray for the Middle East women leaders who will arrive later this week, some of whom are still seeking visas and safe passage.  Please pray with us:

• First day of rest, refreshment and preparation for the weeklong busy conference schedule, filled with moments of worship, training, and late nights followed by early mornings!
• Anointing upon our designated schedule and God appointed conversations and fellowship.
• Strengthening and deepening our existing partnerships with sisters and brothers in the Arab world, and forming new partnerships that are mutually beneficial and Kingdom building.
• Travel mercies and good health for all the women who are yet traveling here, including Marcia, our teammate and fellow trainer.
• Solidifying the training details for both North Africa and Middle East women’s health workshops.

Again, we are quite grateful for the opportunity to be here and for safe, uneventful, seamless travel — with just one exception.  Ila’s vacation started by being asked to render aid to a passenger in distress on her transatlantic flight!  She spent a good portion of the flight on the floor of the first class galley assisting a woman passenger.  It seems you can take Ila out of the hospital, but you can’t take the hospital out of Ila. ;-)  We are praying for no more Good Samaritan “sightings!”  Just joking (kind of), but most of all we are just grateful to be His and on His team bringing health, hope, healing, and JOY through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

With Love and Joy,
Kim and Ila

We are happy to be home yet sad to leave India.  God orchestrated these past two weeks so beautifully.

National Women’s Conference: January 4-7
The National Women’s Conference in Kolkata was an exceptional opportunity for us to meet with a wide range of women leaders, learn about their respective ministries, and share the work of Women in the Window International.  The women who attended are passionate to fight for the hurting, unwanted, poor, and destitute.  It became very clear by the end of the conference that these women have a vision to be a force for strengthening families and transforming culture so that in their communities and the nation, the status of women is elevated.  It was also encouraging to have a few couples attend, and one of their desires is to have a conference for both women and men.

Additionally, we brought 100 WiW pamphlets to the conference and all were eagerly taken. Our experience at the conference helped to confirm the need for WiW’s ministry as some of the indigenous women leaders were not aware of the plight of their own women for reasons beyond their control.  Clearly, partnership is God’s idea and part of the Great Commission, too. We willingly embrace our place in His service as partners alongside these excellent Indian women leaders!

“Image of Hope” Retreat: January 9-11
Leaving the dusty city of Kolkata and traveling to the Promised Land Retreat Center was a welcome change. It was wonderful to be reunited with sisters from our partner ministry, Oasis India.  The “Image of Hope” Retreat provided an excellent balance of teaching, fun activities, and time for interaction and dialogue. The women were thankful to finally meet Oasis teams from other cities and have opportunities to share and discuss. They were blessed by the time away from the pressures they face and enjoyed opportunities to learn from each other.  Our time growing together in Christ impacted us all. God used Peggy in a mighty way to touch each and every person. It was so good to hear testimonies of the long-term benefits experienced as a result of previous “Image of Hope” training and see the fruit of last year’s retreat.  It fuels us to continue praying for our sisters and we look forward to what God has in store to serve with them as part of the “Image of Hope” training team.

We praise God that we stayed safe and healthy throughout our journey, and are thankful for your prayer support for us and the strong, vibrant women of India.  Please pray with us that we will continue to hear and obey God’s voice as we join His collaborative movement to empower and equip women in the 10/40 Window with His Grace and for His Glory alone!

In Him,
Michelle, Diane & Peggy

P.S. Click here to see the photo album from our trip to India!

Do you remember what Jesus said during His first official sermon in Nazareth?  His words were profound and powerful, and are relevant even today: 

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD.” – Luke 4:18-19 

This Good News, this beautiful Gospel, has not changed from that day until this.  And while theologically the year of the LORD took place as He took His rightful place as our Savior – the Savior of all the world – each year since is a year of His good favor as a result of His loving kindness and tender mercies, patiently waiting for all to be saved by His grace.  That continues in 2014.  And we press on!

I am excited to inform you of the upcoming opportunities before me, and our ministry team of Women in the Window International, in one of the most strategic places on earth: the Arab world.  We have been invited to join with women and men from North Africa and the Middle East on a discreet island nation from January 18^th to January 29^th.  We will join all the meetings there to learn and strategize with the larger “Church,” but our primary focus on this trip is to gather the women leaders with whom we partner to develop a robust strategy of holistic development and ongoing ministry to empower through prayer and equip for service!  Our health training leaders, Ila Swick and Marcia Nayak, along with two new volunteers, will provide an overview of Women’s Cycle of Life.

Each day we will come together to worship the Lord Jesus and to strategize how to reach the 99% Muslim population of this region with His Good News. Each morning our meetings will begin with a time of worship in English, French, and Arabic, uniting us as we draw near to God and He draws near to us.  The enthusiasm for Christ displayed during worship is always palpable and contagious!  Following our worship, we will hear reports from each North African nation and the Diaspora (dispersed North Africans) among European nations such as France, England, and Spain, and the Sub-Saharan African regions where the Muslim population is growing annually.

In addition, we will gather to discuss the current status of women’s ministry in North Africa.  Breakthroughs and setbacks will be discussed along with ministry tools that might be effective.  The Arab Spring has not been kind to women and most of them are far worse than before it started.  Sharia Law is frequently instituted by the Muslim brotherhood whenever and wherever possible.  Yet women are finding Christ through their dreams, visions, and in some cases, churches, whether they meet in homes or actual church buildings.  This varies widely in the Arab world.  But women are ALWAYS the key to reaching other women, who in turn train the next generation, and often pray for their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons, until they, too, find the Good News of Christ for themselves.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!  We consider you an essential part of this team and we simply couldn’t make these trips without the wings of your prayers!

In His Love and Service,
Kim

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Ila Swick, Women in the Window International Health Coordinator, and Marcia Nayak, Women’s Cycle of Life Leader, as they provide an overview of the health training to the women leaders from North Africa (Thursday, January 23^rd) and the Middle East (Sunday, January 26^th).
• Praise God and pray for new prospective volunteers who are traveling to learn more about how they can help Women in the Window!
• Pray that as Kim meets with leaders they will prayerfully and strategically develop action plans for many nations and the region for 2014 and beyond.  Pray that they will be anointed by the Holy Spirit so that they can catch His vision for women in the Arab world, and for the resources to fulfill His vision.
• As always, please pray for seamless, uneventful travel for both our team and our luggage, and for good health and sweet spirits throughout the trip until we return on January 29^th.

West Palm Beach, FL – January 14, 2014 – Please join Women in the Window International for our inaugural Evening in the Courtyard.  Kim Kerr, Executive Director, extends a personal invitation: “Please come and celebrate with us the dramatic ways in which women, their families, and communities are served through collaborative global efforts to overcome poverty, oppression, and despair with freedom and Grace.” Paulina from Ghana, who has benefited from micro-enterprise training, will be the guest speaker on February 20^th at 7 p.m. at the Center for Philanthropy at 700 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach.

Come enjoy an interactive global experience as you take in the sights, sounds, and tastes of every region where Women in the Window International works.  In addition to hearing how Paulina’s life has been transformed, guests will have the opportunity to give directly to the field through a silent auction of one-of-a-kind global items.  In addition, our Women in the Window International Servant Leadership team will bring fresh reports and photos from recent trips to South Sudan, Kenya, India, North Africa, and the Middle East.  Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with a worthy global cause!

Women in the Window International is part of a collaborative movement to see women in developing nations and dire situations, where oppression and injustices prevail, become beautifully equipped and wholly empowered by Grace. Together with their international partners in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, they are equipping and empowering women through spiritual formation, micro-enterprise training, leadership development, healthcare skills, and advocacy training.

To be a part of this event or to learn more about Women in the Window International, please contact Jessica Derosier at JessicaD@womeninthewindow-intl.org or 561-249-5377.  For more information about our organization, please peruse our website or visit us on Facebook.

We are having a wonderful time here in Bangalore at the “Image of Hope” retreat and praise God for all He is doing!  It has been one year since our last “Image of Hope” conference for anti-trafficking workers.  As we mentioned in our last post, their ministry is grueling, and the burnout rate in their line of work is high.  It is absolutely essential that they have times to get away and refresh themselves in the Lord.  The women have expressed how that first conference impacted them throughout the whole year.  Many took the concepts they learned and shared them in different contexts.  They have been looking forward with anticipation to our time together this year.

Our time together has truly been rewarding — and fun, as you can see from the photo!  Today Diane opened with a heartwarming devotion and Peggy delivered a powerful message on Moses.  The women were inspired and renewed.  Some of the women have really opened up and shared from their hearts with us.  We plan to end the night with dancing to the Lord and having some fun, and we will celebrate tomorrow with interpreting verses through dance, skits, and songs.  As the retreat concludes, please pray that the women will experience renewal and an even deeper relationship with the Lord.

We love you and are thankful for your prayers!

Love,
Michelle, Diane, and Peggy

Prayer Requests

• As the retreat concludes, please pray that the women will experience renewal and an even deeper relationship with the Lord.  Pray that He will truly transform hearts and lives!
• As these women return to the frontlines of rescuing and restoring  individuals from sex trafficking, pray that God will give them endurance to continue on in this life-saving work.
• Please pray for safe travels and good health for our team.  We will depart India on January 13th.

Greetings from Kolkata, India!  We find it amazing that the first place a team from Women in the Window International traveled to is Kolkata, otherwise known as “the City of Joy.”

We just finished our service with EFI’s National Women’s Conference with 250 women leaders in attendance. The conference was excellent with great speakers who tackled challenging issues like persecution, human trafficking, gender crimes, and domestic violence with honesty and openness.

We had opportunities to learn from and network with many remarkable women who are doing ministry throughout India. We were very encouraged to hear these women talk about the different ministries God has given to them.  It was both encouraging and insightful to hear their stories. We will all prayerfully consider opportunities to work together in the future.

There were women there from when we were in Hyderabad in 2012 and we also saw a few women from Orissa last year. It was very exciting to hear they are still using the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) principles they learned from previous trainings.   Everyone left the conference blessed, encouraged, and motivated to bring change to their nation through Christ.

Tomorrow, we will visit other vital ministries for women located here in Kolkata before heading to Bangalore to begin the “Image of Hope” retreat.  We are truly blessed, and God has kept us healthy, happy, and well.  Thank you for all of your prayers!

Love,
Michelle, Diane, and Peggy

Prayer Requests

• Praise God for the encouragement He provided through the conference!  Pray that the Christians in India will be strong in speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.  Indian customs are very hard to break, even for Christians.
• Pray that God will strengthen the women who will attend the “Image of Hope” retreat.  They rescue and restore girls and women from the sex trafficking industry, a grueling ministry that requires constant refreshment and endurance from the Lord.
• Pray that God will continue to prompt us to live radical lives for Him and His Kingdom.

I love the way David prays.  He is full on, out loud, and straight up in every conversation with our LORD God. Never mind that he is talking with the Creator of the Universe.  You don’t find David holding back or backing up.  He is honest and engaged, and receives the same response from our loving God!  David’s version of JOY is unfettered worship as he sheds the façade of religiosity and embodies authentic praise.

And clearly we see that God loves that type of a relationship and receives His worthy portion of praise! God loves deep conversation and loving humble worship from an honest and open heart.  David’s prayer life bubbles over with praise and leads others to do the same:

“They shall pour forth (original language = bubble over!) the fame of Your great and abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of Your rightness and justice.” — Psalm 145:7, The Amplified Bible

I sense the Lord calling me to seek the Joy of His salvation in 2014. Joy not tied to my circumstances, but rather Joy that is tied to my God!  And like David, I long to be authentic in praise, open and honest with fear, and humble with an honest heart – all of which becomes a beautiful sacrifice of love, and yes, unfettered, bubbling over Joy to my God, the Lord God omnipotent who reigns and is coming again!

How about you?  What do you sense God calling you to in 2014? For the women we serve in the 10/40 Window of the world, Joy often seems elusive.  Their circumstances are clearly not ones that would indicate happy times and easy lifestyles.  But most often I find that their Joy far surpasses mine.  Why? Because their Joy is tied to their God and not to their circumstances.  They have continually found God faithful in places of great sorrow, difficulty, and perplexity.  And their God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is always, always, always faithful!  So let’s join in their Joy song together in 2014:

“I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp, an instrument of ten strings, will I offer praises to You.” — Psalm 144:9, The Amplified Bible

We invite you to visit our Facebook page to learn more!  Most of all, we invite you to pray with us for the women of the 10/40 Window and to join us in serving Him and them with JOY!

Joyfully yours,
Kim

Please pray with us for the following deep needs of the women we serve and partner with:

• North African and Middle Eastern women will gather for a Health training vision seminar later this month so that they can be refreshed and retooled for even greater service in their context. Pray that they will receive their visas which are often denied by their Islamic governments!
• Women who work with and rescue the trafficked women and girls of India are lining up for the training written by our women’s leader, Dr. Peggy Banks.  Pray for our team, Michelle, Diane, and Peggy, as they travel across India to bring the “Image of Hope” training to these willing workers.  Pray for times of refreshment to come from the Lord (Romans 15:32)!
• Women in the Window International staff, Servant Leaders, and Board of Directors will have keen insight and abundant wisdom as we develop a strategy of networking with like-minded ministry partners.  Our focus is on training women with reproducible and sustainable methods so that women are equipped and empowered to multiply the Good News!

Praise God that Michelle and Diane arrived safely in Kolkata, India!  Due to a flight delay, Peggy is still en route and due to arrive in India on the 4^th.  Please pray that the remainder of Peggy’s trip will go smoothly and that our team will joyfully reconnect in Kolkata.

Michelle and Diane have visited the William Carey Baptist Church, Mother Teresa’s House, and other notable sites in Kolkata.  Tomorrow, our team will begin their work at the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s National Women’s Conference for 250 women leaders.

The conference theme is “Godly Woman: An Agent of Transformation.”  Peggy will present an overview of the “Image of Hope” seminar she wrote, and Michelle and Diane will present an overview of Women in the Window International.  The conference participants will also complete an advocacy survey, written by our team, to guide and enhance our future advocacy efforts in India.  The conference will end on January 7^th.  Our team will then travel to Bangalore to lead an “Image of Hope” retreat for anti-trafficking workers serving with Oasis India.

We praise God for this opportunity to serve alongside EFI at the National Women’s Conference!  Please continue in prayer for Michelle, Diane, and Peggy — and that each of the 250 women who attend the conference will be strengthened, encouraged, and empowered in their journeys of faith!

In His Love,
Kim

First of all, I hope that you and your family had a very merry and Christ-filled Christmas!  Your prayer support is a blessing to me, our team here at WIW, and especially the women leaders we serve in the 10/40 Window!

Tomorrow our advocacy team including Michelle McCormick, Diane Serrano, and Dr. Peggy Banks will depart for India.  Women in the Window International will partner with the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI Women) to launch their efforts in equipping and empowering women leaders to build the Kingdom of God and to co-sponsor their upcoming National Women’s Conference.

The conference theme is “Godly Woman: An Agent of Transformation” based on Psalm 68:11, which says, “The Lord gave the command and many women carried the news.” We are expecting about 250 prominent and potential women leaders from various church denominations and ministry organizations representing different regions of India. This conference experience will surely bless each woman leader personally and enhance their vision to make their ministries even more fruitful. We are honored to co-sponsor this event!

Peggy will present an overview of the “Image of Hope” seminar she originally wrote for her doctoral dissertation, and Michelle and Diane will present Women in the Window International. An advocacy survey written by our team will also be available for participants. Our hope is to gain valuable insight from survey results to guide and enhance our future advocacy efforts.

Additionally, our team will travel to Bangalore to lead an “Image of Hope” seminar for women leaders serving with Oasis India.  Peggy will facilitate this seminar sponsored by her home church, Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, and Michelle and Diane will assist. The “Image of Hope” seminar will include spiritual disciplines and team-building for these women who tirelessly advocate for women and girls rescued from the streets and brothels. Our goal is to strengthen and equip these women leaders with renewed hope as they press on with their anti-trafficking programs.

Thank you for your prayer support for our India team!  We will keep you fully informed of their progress here and will also post updates and photos on our Facebook page.  Blessings to you and yours in the New Year!

In Christ’s service,
Kim

Parting Reflections & Prayer Requests

• As Michelle, Diane, and Peggy prepare to depart, they are thinking about the women who will attend the conferences, especially the known hardships they face.
• Please pray for smooth travel for the attendees, that their hearts will be awakened to the beauty and power of the Gospel, and that their faith will be strengthened through their participation.
• Please pray that our team will depart with joy and excitement for what God will do in their midst in the coming days, and that they will arrive safely in India.
• Finally, please pray that God will give their loved ones an assurance that He will bless their efforts in India, and a peace that He will bring them safely home again on January 14th.

Women in the Window International has been invited to partner with the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI Women) to launch their efforts in equipping and empowering women leaders to build the Kingdom of God and to co-sponsor their upcoming National Women’s Conference.

The conference theme is “Godly Woman: An Agent of Transformation” based on Psalm 68:11, which says, “The Lord gave the command and many women carried the news.” We are expecting about 250 prominent and potential women leaders from various church denominations and ministry organizations representing different regions of India. This conference experience will surely bless each woman leader personally and enhance their vision to make their ministries even more fruitful. We are honored to co-sponsor this event!

Dr. Peggy Banks will present an overview of the “Image of Hope” seminar she originally wrote for her doctoral dissertation, and Michelle McCormick and Diane Serrano, Servant Leaders with WIW, will present Women in the Window International. An advocacy survey written by our team will be available for participants. Our hope is to gain valuable insight from survey results to guide our future advocacy efforts.

Additionally, our team will travel to Bangalore to lead an “Image of Hope” seminar for women leaders serving with Oasis India.  Peggy will facilitate this seminar sponsored by her home church, Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, and Michelle and Diane will assist. The “Image of Hope” seminar will include spiritual disciplines and team-building for these women who tirelessly advocate for women and girls rescued from the streets and brothels. Our goal is to strengthen and equip these women leaders with renewed hope as they press on with their anti-trafficking programs.

Thank you for your prayer support for our India team as they depart on New Year’s Day and return to the US on January 14th!

Yours because I’m His,
Kim

Greetings from Nairobi!  We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

To summarize our trip so far:

The 4-day conference in Juba, South Sudan was wonderful, busy, intense, non-stop — and a tremendous blessing.  We had a welcome from the local pastors as well as a Christian woman who is the country’s Minister of Gender and Social Development.  Teaching included an introduction to Women in the Window Bible study, women’s health, and information regarding HIV/AIDS.  Separate trainings were held for micro-enterprise and both basic and advanced computer skills.

The days following were filled with visits to local churches.  We were warmly welcomed by the various church groups of Women of the Good News, and we heard from some of the conference attendees what they had learned.  They are anxious to teach other women this information.

Monday we traveled to Nairobi.  We were struck by the change in temperature — from 100 degrees to about 70.  We’re cold!  Today, Lord willing, we will be joined by Beatrice Gachube to visit a local orphanage and see some of Nairobi.  Tomorrow we will be attending a meeting of the Sheepfold Ministries as they celebrate their 25th anniversary.  I (Cherie) will be teaching an introduction to the Women in the Window Bible study.  Thursday we make preparations for the return trip, and will arrive in Miami on Friday afternoon.

Our two new-to-Africa team members, Audrey and Bryce, have been great, and our South Sudanese brothers and sisters have already invited them back for another conference!  We all feel that we have learned and received far more than we have given, and we thank the Lord for this opportunity. We appreciate your prayers for us during these final days, and especially as we travel home.

With much love for all of us,
Cherie & Larry Parker