Women’s Ministry
Women’s Ministry in Sudan!
I am so excited to announce that the Lord has raised up Jewel Gruer to be our Director of Women’s Ministry for e3 Sudan. I’m sure you’ll hear lots more about, and from, Jewel in the future, but here’s a short interview with Jewel about the budding Women’s Ministry in Sudan.
What do you believe the Lord is doing in Sudan through Rose (The Sudanese Women’s Ministry Director) and the women?
I believe that the Lord has equipped Rose and the women with a desire to improve their lives. Rose is a very compassionate woman who has the necessary leadership qualities to tenderly lead the women through Bible Study and life skills to help them heal and to prepare them to face whatever the future holds for them. It is a privilege to help encourage them in any way possible to reach the goals that they have set for themselves.
When did you first begin working with e3 (GMF)?
I began to work with GMF/e3 in June 1992 when I went to Romania on a mission trip with Mike Downey and Clair Turner. Before that trip I had never witnessed to anyone except my two children. During that trip I had the privilege to pray with 30 people to accept the Lord. I felt that my life had been out of balance and that I was led to do more “mission evangelism”. I spoke to the the GMF staff and began to work helping Mike Jorgensen had also just come on staff.
How many countries have you been to with e3/gmf?
11
Which countries?
Romania, Russia, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Bolivia, Uganda, Sudan, Taiwan (I addition I have also worked in Nigeria, Zambia, China, Thailand, Nepal with other ministries)
Why are you drawn to women’s ministry?
In every country that I have worked in I have seen the women suffer in many different situations like the results of poverty, prostitution, poligimist marriage, drugs, abuse, etc. This suffering crosses generational and racial boundaries and only the Body of Christ can bring us together as believers working together to help each other. Just as God sent Ruth to Naomi and Mary to Elizabeth, God continues to use women to encourage and equip other women in their spiritual journey. I feel very privileged to be able to “love” on the women and help them realize how precious they are because God loves them.
What is it about the women in Sudan that drew you to them specifically?
I was impressed to see how the women wanted to work to help themselves to better their situation. I was also impressed how they accepted me with open arms.
Why Sudan?
I had prayed for Sudan many years before I went there. I had developed a love for the people there because Talsy and Moises Vega the missionaries in Panama had such a love for the people and I prayed that the Lord would let them return and once again minister because they had lived there for several years. I never planned to go there but that must have been the Lord’s plan.
What’s your favorite all-time book?
I love the book of Acts because it shows the universality of Christianity and as missionaries we can see similar things happen on trips just like the apostles saw in those early days of the church. How more exciting could that be?
By Jewell Gruer
The Women’s Ministry Poject started out when I met some ladies last year under a tree while Pastor Joshua and I were walking to see another pastor. Joshua said we should ask the women what
On the last day of our time in Sudan I talked to Pastor David Kaya, who is the e3 Partner in charge of Sudan. I asked him what else I could do to bless the women. He replied “Bring some wedding dresses.” This seemed like a strange request. Little did I understand how this would be an outreach tool and would also demonstrate to the women how precious they were in His sight.
This year I was so blessed seeing how excited the women (mostly already married) were just to put a dress on and see how they looked in the photo on my digital camera. I told them that was the way they truly looked to the Lord as He saw them when He looked at them because they truly were Daughters of the King.
In addition to the Wedding Dresses, I collected a lot of embroidery needles and thread and well as crochet hooks and knitting needles that I presented to them as gifts from their sisters in America. Therefore I want the craft project to also be a part of our outreach to these dear sisters.
I printed and framed the following to dedicate the Wedding Dress Ministry
The Perfect Marriage
A marriage is based on faith. A man and a woman have faith in one another, and make a verbal profession of that faith before God and man. This union results in the creation of a new being, the husband/wife which lasts until death separates them.
Our union with Jesus Christ is exactly the same. We come to know Him and believe His proposal and we make a verbal profession of our faith before God and man and enter into a new creation that lasts forever because death will never separate us for he who has entered into life if free from death
When we are united with Christ, we join together with other Christians all over the world to form The Bride of Christ and someday we will meet together at the ~~~~~~Wedding Feast of the Lamb~~~~~~
