South End Ladies Morning Brunch
Saturday, April 12th at 10:00 am
Immanuel LBC
2533 Crescent Ave
Eugene, OR 97408
Speaker:
Trisch Johnson
E-3 Missions and Cameroon

Ladies Dessert Night Out
Friday, February 1st
Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church
3605 Bennett Drive
Bellingham, WA 98225
Speakers:
Trisch Johnson
Erick Erickson
(Chad & Cameroon Photo Tour)

Pacific Northwest Leadership Training Conference
SATURDAY: January 19, 2008

A quality all-day event, hosted by Hope Lutheran, Everett, WA

Learning to be a leader...spiritual gifts... help in resolving conflicts ...Bible studies... missions...This was a jam-packed Saturday

PNW District Women's Ministry Retreat at Seabeck, WA, October 5-7, 2007

For those of us coming from the North, Friday was a beautiful day to go for a drive, through city traffic, onto a ferry to cross Puget Sound to Seabeck. Other ladies traveled up the peninsula or across the bridge in Tacoma.

The theme for the weekend was "Keeping the Faith, Living the Life". Our main speaker was Carley Wecks. Carley Wecks's focus on Friday night was "The Beauty of Praise" from Philippians 4:4-6. It takes 21 days to make a habit. Try to develop a habit of praise, prayer and supplications without complaining to God. We need to focus on God's praise. When we do that we attract others to us. We had to write down 3 things, in the last year, that we could praise the Lord about. We then discussed them in our small groups. After a break we had a Spa night. This was a relaxing time to have a facial, a manicure and visit.

At the start of each session, we found some kind of gift at our tables for each of us, like a neck warmer, snacks, and hand lotion. Before each of the sessions there was also praise and worship singing and announcements.

Saturday morning Carley talked about "God's Design in Our Years" from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. She talked about 3 time groups. In each time frame we had to find 3 things: "Sunshine / Shadows", "Choice Presented", and "Character Quality to be Developed".

The first was 'Early Years of Maturity', years 20 - 40. There are joys in getting careers, good health, and marriage. The shadows are being expected to be mature but not knowing how. We all go through crisis times and it is the choices we make that change our lives. The character quality was love.

The middle years are 40 - 60. The sunshine is that we are older and wiser, more settled. The shadows are less energy, kids growing up and leaving home, and care-giving - dealing with your parents. We have a choice of either becoming stagnate or generate. It is a time to reevaluate your life. We develop a character quality of caring. We are teaching the younger women to love and we are caring for those who are older.

The later years of maturity are 60+. The sunshine is retirement and more time to do things we enjoy. It is a time to enrich ourselves with freedom and wisdom. The shadows are failing health, loss of mate and friends, recognizing your own mortality, and people making decisions for you. The choices are despair or acceptance, and the character we develop is wisdom.

After lunch was free time. Some went shopping in Poulsbo, while others stayed and did crafts and had fellowship with others. The crafts we could make were stamping cards, making bracelets or knitting something. I made a bracelet out of beads, took a nap and read a book. At 5pm was a fun auction. People brought crafts and food items on Friday to sell for the mission projects. Any that wasn't sold by Sat. afternoon went into the auction. Kylee and Marissa modeled the clothing items like hats and scarves. The raffle quilt drawing was also at this time.

After dinner Carley finished her talk on "Trusting Minute by Minute" and "Keeping the Lord as your focus in times of Struggle". This was from Psalm 37: 1-9. She talked about what fretting means and how we should trust God for our inmost needs. Are we focusing our thoughts to delight in the Lord, committing to him, and resting in Him? There are two kinds of rest. Passive rest is quietly trusting and not striving to control our situation. Remember that God is in control. Active rest is choosing to do good in our daily lives while we leave the results to God.

Then Sue Olsen had a session titled "Fiction, Fact & Faith on the Foreign Field". She read parts of letters from our current missionary ladies on what it is like living the life as a missionary. Near the end of her talk we had a surprise visit from another group staying at the conference center. It was the Elliot Bay Pipe Band from Seattle. They marched around our building and came in playing bagpipes and drums. It was loud in the confines of the room but I liked the music.

Sunday morning Anne Marie Stenberg talked about why we read our Bible. She talked about the history of how it was first written and printed. Reading God's word is the single most important thing to do in our life even if we don't understand it at that time. You will understand more and more each time you read it. Try reading the verses from other Bibles like "The Message" to give a different perspective to your reading. Carley spoke again about spending time focusing on the Lord. She had us write a letter to the Lord.

It was a great weekend dampened only a little by rain on Saturday and Sunday.
-Dianne George

Thank you to all who contributed to the Retreat Fundraiser Quilt. The ladies from Rock of Ages, Seattle, created a beautiful queen-size quilt of vintage reproduction fabrics for our retreat fundraiser. Many women bought tickets at the Annual Convention. The quilt was one by one of the Seattle ladies. A total of $850 was raised and split 50/50 for National Projects and PNW Projects.
-Jan Sorenson

The North end of the Pacific Northwest District WMCLB met for our annual dessert night at Community Church of Joy in Sammamish WA on Feb. 9, 2007. Our speaker was Sandi from Word of Life in Marysville WA. Sandi and her husband Stephen have taught English in a creative access country on a short term ministry for 2 summers. She shared about the deep friendships that they have formed while living among their students. Several of the students know and love the Lord and are eager to share that love with others who haven't yet come to faith. Sandi talked about being from such different cultures but we really are alike in so many ways. We gather as friends around food, we like to shop and just be together with those we love and care about. Our needs are universally the same. Sandi and Stephen request prayer as they are seeking God's direction regarding an extended term in this creative access country. She also encouraged each of us to search and see where God can use us in His ministry.

Thoughts from the 2005 Fall Retreat:
The Pacific Northwest District Retreat
The promise of rain did not dampen the spirits of those retreating to Black Lake Bible Camp, near Tumwater, WA the weekend of October 14-16. The theme of God's enduring faithfulness was encouraging, as we lifted our voices in worship, and our speaker Sharon Hockenberry unfolded examples of this truth from Scripture and her own experience. She shared evidence of how God is always present, no matter what our circumstance. She encouraged us to view our past from God's perspective, rather than let it burden us and hold us back.

We also had many fun times, including hearing the Voetberg Family play and sing in an uplifting concert on Friday night; playing games and writing to our missionaries; and a movie night on Saturday. We raised money for our projects through the raffle of a beautiful quilt, and the sale of crafts brought from each church. In addition, the food provided in the cozy dining hall, and fellowship of sisters and friends, all united to make a relaxing and uplifting weekend.

Many thanks to the ladies of Mt. Vernon, WA aided by our Stanwood, WA ladies, for arranging this wonderful retreat. They made our weekend special!
-Nancy Overgaard, Marysville, WA

Speaker notes...
Sharon has a beautiful singing voice and has sung for the Louis Palau evangelistic association and sings for special events and women's retreats. She is a certified herbalist/Natural Health who has spoken at home school conferences, luncheons and women's retreats. Sharon lives in North Bend with her husband of 24years, Doug and their nine children.

Thoughts from the 2004 Fall Retreat

Pacific Northwest photo album