Women’s Workshop Inspires Journey of Faith
Profile on: International Graduate School of Leadership (IGSL) | Manila, Philippines
“The women poured out their hearts: their burdens in providing for their families, their hurts in being left by their husbands” said Kim Andaya, a Master of Divinity student at International Graduate School of Leadership (IGSL) in Manila, Philippines. She’s referring to a 2-day women’s workshop the school did as part of Ministry Week last October. They showed the film Magdalena. Most of these women were single mothers, from different provinces, and from lower socioeconomic brackets. “The women watched with rapt attention, laughing, gasping, and even crying.”
In the Philippines it is not uncommon for women to be separated from their husbands due to economic reasons. The men find jobs in different cities and sometimes in different countries to bring in an income. It means the women are left alone to carry the day-to-day burden of caring for their children and often parents and in-laws.
“Through our time with them,” continues Kim, “the women learned that Jesus is El Roi – the name Haggar called God in the desert as she wept –the God who sees.”
The workshop was facilitated by 2 leaders and 8 students from IGSL. The event was held in cooperation with a local church, Greenhills Christian Fellowship in Novaliches, part of metropolitan Manila. Some 31 women attended the movie screening and 29 finished the film and prayed to receive Christ. They were also trained in how to share the gospel with others. Some of these women are headed to Muslim-majority countries like Kuwait and Qatar.
One of the women, Blanche, commented that the 2 days Kim and her team had with them were not enough; they usually had to “put on a strong face for their families, and this was the first chance in a long time that they were just able to unload, and be heard. And the Lord met them there,” Kim noted.
Another woman, Rose, shared that it was only through the film that she realized that women, who are so often overlooked in society, are precious and beloved in the eyes of Jesus.
Pray for International Graduate School of Leadership (IGSL):
- That the Lord would protect the seeds of the faith of the women (at the workshop), and that it would truly take root in their hearts so it can grow and transform their lives.
- That the Lord would continue to use the students and faculty mightily for His Kingdom.
- For all the students and faculty (now that the second half of the school year is well under way) to have clear minds, dedicated hearts and to stay healthy.
- For God to meet the various needs of IGSL, especially financial. They currently have a significant need for their scholarship fund, Online Learning Hub, Asian Faculty Development, Staff Assistance, and Campus Improvement Projects.?You can click here to donate donation@igsl.asia or https://igsl.asia/support.
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