Widows' Might Ministry

2 Years and 5 Months

2009-03-28T10:07:00.004-04:00

Two years and five months had passed since Linda had been able to go to Nigeria and minister to God's beloved widows. But her prayers were answered as financial gifts from friends allowed her and her husband to return to Nigeria.

Saturday morning the widows began to arrive from around the city and from the villages outside of Onitsha. By 10am there were about 500 in attendance. Just prior to the noon hour, the crowd of widows had grown to almost 700. Lunch, a soft drink, a bottle of cooking oil and a small packet filled with items of love and appreciation along with a prayer card were given to each widow. Linda spoke to them about the power of God and the power of prayer using the story of Elisha and the widow whose oil bottles continued to miraculously produce enough oil for all of her needs. She prayed with each lady and blessed them in Jesus' name while given them each a kiss from Jesus. Between eighty and one hundred women invited Christ to be their Savior at this conference. Praise God for all the angels who were singing!

Working with Orphans

2008-08-28T19:28:00.005-04:00

James tells us in the first chapter of his letter that pure religion is to visit orphans and widows in their day of trouble. For seven years our ministry has remained single-minded by pouring love, encouragement and the Word into the widows of the world. I believe that God opened a new vista as we ministered to orphans and street children in Kenya during the month of August. One of our hosts, Erastus Omukhango, has poured himself into these street children and orphans so that they will receive a quality education, nutritious food, and safe shelter.

There is a teenager whose name is Naomi. At the age of 12, she became an orphan. A man enticed her to marry him. This is illegal in Kenya. Marriage age is 18. Naomi has a child who is now 3 years old. When Pastor Erastus found Naomi on the street, she was destitute. He has placed her in his school where she is excelling to the point of having the highest math score out of over 500 schools in Nairobi. She has only been in his school for two years. Naomi is due to graduate from eighth grade soon. Pastor Erastus has asked me to seek funding for her to attend secondary school. I have met with her. She is sweet and bright and waiting for God to do something for her. She will be taking her boards in November and receiving her results in December. Then, the school board will decide on her placement, allowing her three different secondary schools to pick from. If anyone who is reading this would like to partner with our ministry to see Naomi have the opportunity I know God would want her to have, please contact us. Pastor Erastus is responsible for 500 students. He does not have the funding to send Naomi to the boarding school. The tuition, room and board is about $2,000 a year. I really believe that someone who is reading this account will help her.

While at the Korogocho Estate, Wally and Linda had the opportunity to address orphans and street children on four different occasions. These children were so responsive and polite that it was truly a pleasure. Widow's Might Ministry has donated money to this ministry so that these children will have fresh fruit with their lunches. This has never been done for them before. Their meals consist of porridge in the morning and beans and rice for lunch. It is our hope that we will be able to continue ministering to these very dear youngsters on a consistent basis. As you can see, God has increased our territory.

3 Kenyan Widow's Conferences

2008-08-28T18:47:00.003-04:00

As many of you remember, last November we partnered with Africa Equip Ministries in Kwangwari Estate, Nairobi, Kenya. We have just returned from Nairobi where our conference has grown from 70 to 217 widows. Dr. David Kitonga selected a board of directors to oversee this ministry. Twenty-two pastors were also in attendance. Last Saturday proved to be an exciting day for each of these women. Many came to Christ. The theme of this year's conference was 'Be Ready for God's Provision'. A wonderful lunch of rice, vegetables, and meat was provided, and everyone cheered when they heard that sodas were being served. At the close of the program, Linda prayed for each widow individually and gifted them with oil and flour. A testimony was shared by one of the widows who had attended last year's conference. She told the audience that her landlord was ready to padlock her home. After receiving a token from Widow's Might, she was able to pay her debt. She has not had any difficulty with her house payment since prayers were offered up on her behalf by Linda.

Dr. Kitonga has asked Widow's Might to help many of these ladies to begin a small entrepreneurship. He has informed us that the cost for each business "start up" will be $150.00. I would love to see us be able to do this. Please pray that God would allow us the privilege of investing in many of their lives during 2009.

Many people have been praying the prayer of Jabez for Widow's Might. Well, friends, it's working! In addition to Dr. Kitonga's ministry partnering with us, two other pastors, the first Patrick Ominde from Dandora4, hosted 60 widows. Sister Beatrice, a widow, worked very hard to organize this meeting in her own kiosk where she is a tailor and teaches sewing to other widows. The women were thrilled with Wally and Linda's Bible teaching. The Lord was working so powerfully as Linda spoke in the kiosk, a passerby was attracted and observed from a distance for a few minutes. She then walked up to Pastor Patrick and said, 'What must I do to be saved?'. That day was her day of salvation! At the same event, Wally approached a young man who was standing outside the kiosk. After several minutes of discussion, the young man said he was ready to accept Christ as his savior and Wally prayed with him. Again a lovely lunch was served and groceries were distributed.

Our last conference commenced in Erastus Omukhango's church in Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya. We learned during our time of individual prayer that some of these women are HIV positive. Please pray for them. One of the ladies has six children and is very weak and poor. These women were overwhelmed when they received a kiss from Linda on each cheek. They were so happy and blessed to go home with an armload of flour, rice, oil, sugar and tea.

As most of you know, we invite each of the ladies to join Prayer Stations for the Nations to pray for the widows of the world. The ladies are given laminated prayer cards with scriptural prayers to use on a daily basis. When we ask them if their prayers are being answered, many raise their hands and testify because of the widows in the various nations who are praying for them. Our prayer front is growing. Widows from Siberia, Belarus, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mali, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana are partnering to be watch women on the walls for their sisters who suffer much in widowhood. Our hope is that God is well pleased with this effort and that we will remain in the center of His perfect will. Thank you to all who are supporting this ministry with Christ's love.

Sent to Siberia

2008-07-12T10:45:00.004-04:00

This truly has been a year of walking by faith. The Wally and Linda weren’t sure that they could or would go to Tyumen. But, God knew and they went because of His faithfulness through Cornerstone EPC. Thank you, Cornerstone. Not only were we able to use our spiritual gifts in Tyumen for kingdom work, but God continued to display to us His desire for us to journey down this path for His glory.

Blessing #1

We had no difficulties with flights, transfers, customs or luggage.

Blessing #2
We saw a young woman receive the Lord. Her name is Szveta. She had so many questions about Christianity. God brought her to the right place at the right time. She sat in Wally’s lectures on Old Testament survey, learning about the magnificence of God. During her free time she approached Linda. They sat and discussed her questions about Jesus. By the end of the week God had planted His desire in her to become a woman of God.

Blessing #3
Three widow’s conferences were conducted. As usual, tears of reunion, joy and hope were shared. Gifts were given. Meals were served and testimonies shared.

Boutique Sales benefit a Widows Luncheon

2008-04-28T16:52:00.002-04:00

Saturday we partnered with Boutique to You to raise funds for the ministry. We are praising the Lord for those of you who purchased a purse or accessories! Through your purchases, we now have enough money to provide a meal during the conference for 85 widows. Please keep praying as we keep depending upon our Lord to meet our needs.

Boutique Shopping for a Good Cause

2008-04-06T17:12:00.003-04:00

Thanks to a generous contact in Michigan.... We have a great fundraiser where you can purchase women's accessories and help women around the world! Mother's day is just around the corner, graduations are quickly approaching and birthdays are every month! This is an easy way to shop for these special events.

If you make a purchase on www.boutiquetou.com between now and April 25th Widows Might Ministries will receive 20% of the sales profit!

The money will then go to caring for the needs of the widows and their children in Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Kenya and Siberia.

An additional 10% will go to Katie Beth Hostetter's Urban Arts ministry that is starting this summer and will conduct 3 weeks of inner city visual/performing arts camps in Detroit with kids who desperately need a hope and purpose for their lives!

IMPORTANT: WHEN CHECKING OUT ONLINE, PLEASE WRITE "Widow's Might Ministry" IN THE COMMENT BOX. (if this isn't done, no credit will be given!!)

Also, come to the warehouse and take a look at the goods in person! On April 26th from 1-4 pm Boutiques for You will donate 20% of the sales to Widow's Might Ministry.

Widows Conference in Nicaragua

2008-01-19T17:42:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday, January 16th, Widow's Might conducted its first conference in Bluefields, Nicaragua. At least 6 churches were represented at our late afternoon and evening meeting. The women had never experienced anything like it, and they said they loved it and plan on coming together on a regular basis to minister and pray with each other. We were blessed to meet at a lovely location on the top of a hill overlooking the bay. Patrick Tinkam, a missionary with Partners in Christ, was such a great help behind the scenes. Everything was just right! We took a picture of each of the ladies so that we can find prayer partners for them back in the States. Since there was a hurricane last August, black beans and rice were very expensive, but Patrick was able to secure enough for us to buy so that each lady had 4 pounds of each. We invited them to begin praying for the widows of the world. They were excited!

Claudia Vajellaos translated beautifully and Darcy Graham sang His Eye is on the Sparrow and As the Deer. Two ladies from the audience also sang a solo each. Our evening went by so quickly. One of the women asked that we pray for her to be able to have a home this year. Her home burned down last year. She has three children and is a teacher and doesn't make much money. There were so many lovely ladies there. I wish all of you could have joined us.

2007-12-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, Debbie Hormel and her daughter Catie hosted a Christmas tea for nearly 50 women.
It was delightful and brought in more funding for the brick machine. We now have over $4,000 toward our goal. Please pray because we still need $16,000. Also, a big thank you goes out to Jill and Beckie Thompson, Katie Beth and Wally for all of the work they did to make this event happen. Thanks Katie Beth for the music! Thanks to "Our House" staff!

Popcorn!

2007-12-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

Last year we tried a fundraiser for the holidays and found it to be well received. What is it? Yummy, white chocolate, almond popcorn! It comes in cute little Christmas boxes. Our friends and relatives are really getting with this event. This year our sales doubled! Boy did our house smell good!:) If any of you are interested in finding out more about this fundraiser and would like to support it, simply let us know!

Kenyan Widows Conference

2007-12-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

Our Kenya trip proved to be very successful! Dr. David Kitonga hosted us in Kawangware, the second largest slum in Nairobi. 300,000 indigenous Kenyans reside there. No running water, no electricity and no plumbing make for a difficult life. While there, we sponsored a widows conference on Saturday. Over 70 widows came, not knowing what to expect. By the end of the day we were great friends. Many of them gave testimonies after the program.

One woman had been evicted from her home. She wasn't even able to return to her home to gather her personal belongings. Another woman had prayed that day that God would supply 1,000 Kenyan shillings before 4 pm that day so that she could pay for her daughter's school fees. Another woman told us that she sold hard boiled eggs on the street and had barely enough money left over to feed her children. A woman who has been suffering with breast cancer for three years was so thankful to have these gifts bestowed upon her. She had prayed that morning that God would give her the strength to walk to the meeting. She told us that she felt much improved after we had prayed with her. A Sudanese refugee was grateful for the love that was shown to her even though she was not Kenyan. She said that she would tell her friends of this wonderful widows ministry so that they would be able to participate in future meetings. Because of the monetary love gifts that we had collected while in the States, these women's lives were turned around that day and i'm sure that if we would have had time enough to hear from other women, we would have received more testimonies. But greater than that was the fact that the Holy Spirit ministered to them in a powerful way. Twelve of the women came to know Jesus as their personal Savior at the conference. Praise God! Pastor Andrew, who had issued invitations to the churches, said that he could see that the ministry to the widows from myself was from deep to deep.

The food was delicious! And the women really enjoyed the luxury of having meat with their vegetables and rice. They cheered when they were invited to join with other widows of the world to pray and were surprised to each receive a beautiful scarf and 4 pounds of rice.
God's joy filled the church. Several pastors also attended and were ministered to by Wally and me.

We came away from the day filled with awesome appreciation for what God had done. Six pastors, 2 being widows have been selected to head up Widow's Might Ministry, Int'l. in Kawangware. Please pray for their success and that the widows of Kawangware will see themselves as beautiful women of God. To those of you who live in America and are helping us follow God's will in this ministry; we really want to thank you!

Wally, my husband, preached on Sunday. It was a great day of thanksgiving. 15 souls were saved! We also conducted two workshops for the teachers at Dr. Kitonga's school. His school is educating 1,400 students in the midst of the slum. They are the healthiest children, fed 2 meals a day and seen by a nurse every week. The Kitongas have done a beautiful job and God has honored their vision. Everyone we met who served the widows and the children were sold out to the Lord.

Kenyan Widows

2007-11-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

Linda and her husband, Wally, left for Kenya on Tuesday. They will be ministering to many different people. Saturday is the large widows' conference. We have planned on 400 widows arriving. This is just an estimate since it's the first trip to the area. They will be returning next week. Keep them in your prayers!

Widow's of the World Magazine

2007-11-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

We are currently working on our first magazine for widows. Mrs. May Dubuc has written a beautiful, autobiographical sketch of God's faithfulness in her life. As we continue to complete articles we are seeing everything come together. Please pray for the mass production of the magazine. Our desire is to make it available without charge to the widows of the world.

Next week we will be capturing photos for the magazine at the Grand Canyon. Please pray for the weather to be absolutely magnificent and for us to embrace the beauty of God's nature.

Holiday Blessings-A Fundraiser

2007-11-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

You are welcome to join us on Monday, December 3rd or Tuesday, December 4th at "Our House" in Washington, Michigan to enjoy an evening of wonderful, Godly stories about the widows of the world. Linda Hostetter will be speaking to you while you enjoy decadent desserts and beverages. Admittance is free. Seating is by ticket only.

If you are interested, please contact Debbie Hormel.
Her email is dchormel@wideopenwest.com.

The proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to purchase a brick building machine. This machine will be used to build the Skills Acquisition Center in Onitsha, Nigeria.

Pray for Siberia

2007-11-02T16:33:00.000-04:00

I have been anticipating my return to Siberia to be able to revisit the widows. Today, I learned that the American dollar has dropped in value 50% and our friends who are the founders of Footprints ministry, has had to release three employees and are concerned that they will be unable to issue an invitation because of their financial stress. Please pray that God will make our way straight and be our provision to return this spring. There are 7 churches waiting as well as 2 new cities waiting for us to come.

The Good and the Bad

2007-11-02T16:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was as good as it was bad.
Let's start with the good. At a breakfast meeting with some pastors, we learned that you must have a visa in order to enter Kenya now. Before we left Detroit, my husband said, "I think we should take our passports to Denver." And so we did! Praise the Lord, we were able to apply for the visas yesterday without missing a beat. God even provided a wonderful couple to help us with their private laptop and printer.

Praise #2-We found that our filming was not going to succeed unless we had more equipment. After calling a few places, God provided a Christian man who knew everything we needed for under $100. The owner of the business also offered to meet us on Sunday before we fly out to retrieve the equipment. Filming has been going very well, since we now have everything in place.

Now the bad, but there's a good ending. Around lunch time yesterday, I felt as though talons had taken a hold of my throat on either side of the adam's apple. The pain was excruciating and it was very difficult for me to communicate. I began to rebuke the enemy and praise the Lord. I really suffered with the pain and still feel bruised, but speaking is not difficult and I am praising God for His protection.

Please pray for us as we continue to film the documentary for Widow's Might Ministry and Prayer Stations for the Nations.

New Email Contact

2007-11-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

We are excited to share our new ministry email with you! Contact us at widowsmight@gmail.com. We would love to hear your thoughts and prayers!

Ministry in Denver

2007-10-31T16:47:00.001-04:00

God has brought us to Denver, CO where we are capturing the history of Widow's Might Ministry on film for a future documentary. So far so good! We also met some cool ladies at Panera who were very interested in the Widows Ministry. We prayed together and I was able to give them information about the brick building machine. We only need $17,000 and it will be ours for the widows center. Wally met with pastors today and came away very encouraged. He distributed information about the ministry and has been referred to the leader of women's ministry at Greenwood Community Church in the Denver area.

Thanksgiving in Kenya

2007-10-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

Wally and I will be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya in November. We are planning a widows conference on the 17th. Our travel dates are Nov. 13-21, 2007. Please pray for saftey and God's hand on our trip. I'll update with more information as soon as I get it!

Building Bricks

2007-10-19T20:45:00.001-04:00

October has really gone quickly with a trip to Cincinnati, OH, where we raised over $2000 for the brick building machine. Praise God for all of the ladies who came out for the banquet on Friday night and the congregation who were celebrating missions that weekend at Real Life Church. Leaving Cincinnati, Katie Beth and I traveled on to Anderson, Indiana where we filmed Ruth Shinness for the past couple of weeks. Over the years, I have modeled our prayer cards for the widows from Ruth's Prayer Strategy Resource Book. If any of you are interested in praying God's Word, I would suggest you look at Ruth's website. Next week we will be traveling back to Cincinnati to continue more filming. It's fun but tedious at the same time. I would like to thank all of you who are praying for this ministry. Next week we also have a meeting with two different ladies who are willing to host fundraising for the widows center. So far, God has brought in enough money for the well, the water tower and the wall. We are now working toward funds for the brick building machine. Please continue to pray that it comes in quickly!

Joyfully waiting to pray

2007-09-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

We took a lot of footage when our team was in Nigeria last October. This is a short clip that shares the joy the widows have, after the widows conference. They are singing and praising the Lord as they wait to pray with Mama Linda.

Fundraiser Recognized by local newspaper

2007-09-08T15:44:00.001-04:00

The Northville Record wrote a beautiful article on the Garden Walk fundraiser and the ministry of Widow's Might Ministries. You can read the article by clicking here.

A Walk Through God's Garden

2007-08-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

August 15^th was a perfect day for a walk through God’s garden at the home of Mrs. May Dubuc. It was exciting as approximately three-hundred people strolled through the sunken garden, a replica of Buchart Gardens in British Columbia, following the pathway and reading the scripture passages strategically placed along the walk. Mrs. Dubuc calls this God’s garden because he gets all the glory for the beauty he created.

Linda and her team had prayed diligently for months in anticipation of this great day. It took over thirty friends to complete the preparations for this gala event. As the cars approached the home, three men were there to help with parking and shuttling the visitors to their destinations. Greeters kindly pointed the way to begin the walk. Others waited along the pathway to answer questions and draw attention to the scripture boards. The terminus of the walk was on the back, lower level patio. As the guests entered the home they were greeted again by volunteers who cheerfully offered light refreshments.
Widow’s Might Ministry, International presented a display of the plight and hope of the widow’s through a photo-poster display. Fourteen six foot posters were placed in a well lighted alcove creating an art gallery effect. As the visitors strolled through the gallery they were confronted with the realities of widowhood in Africa and Siberia. Many commented that their eyes were opened as a result of this event.
Katie Beth and her co-worker, Kristen Garrett, produced a DVD that Linda showed to the participants. About every fifteen minutes a new group would be seated at the far end of the room and see a nine minute presentation followed by Linda fielding questions and answers about Widow’s Might Ministry, International. She was also able to share some of her wonderful, God stories with the groups.
As the visitors left the room and returned to the patio for their final exit, they were handed a folder containing Linda’s business card, a vision brochure, a Widow’s Might Brochure, a small book called God’s Promises, a copy of the DVD, and a self-addressed, stamped envelop for those who wished to partner with the ministry at a later date. Secondly, they were encouraged to give on the spot as they were led by the Lord. Many did just that and gave approximately five-thousand dollars for the Widow’s Skills Acquisition center in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria.
It was truly a glorious day. God was honored and the people who attended were blessed. The pictures reflect some of the beauty of what occurred at the garden walk, but they fail to capture what the Spirit accomplished. Only time will tell how many hearts were touched and lives affected as a result of this great day.
There are so many people to thank for all they did in making this a success for the Lord. To each of you May and Linda give a huge hug and a kiss on each check.

If you are interested in obtaining any of the above mentioned materials, please contact Linda or leave a comment on this blog.

The Mink Hat-Siberia Trip

2007-07-11T11:20:00.001-04:00

Cathy Bytwerk and I flew together to Moscow and then transferred to Tyumen. During that second flight, God placed a woman next to us who acted like she was our hostess during that flight. Any time we had a need or a question, she responded very graciously. Thank You, Lord, for sending her to help us. Just before disembarking in Tyumen, the lady said to me, “You do not have a proper Russian hat.” I thought that was rather strange since she had been so kind to us. I was wondering what a proper Russian hat for a woman really is. It was very cold while we were there and I had brought hats that were suited for a Michigan winter. But, it never gets to 34 degrees below zero in Michigan! My last day in Tyumen, a very dear widow found my translator, Alexie, and presented me with a proper Russian hat. She told me I did not have a proper Russian hat…the same words the other woman had spoken. It is absolutely gorgeous, Mink to boot. My last day there I wore my new hat knowing that God wanted me to have a proper Russian hat. When I return to Siberia I will be sure to share this story with my widows and wear the beautiful hat a dear widow provided for me.

Siberia, February 16-25, 2007

2007-07-11T11:19:00.001-04:00

February in Siberia is cold. It was the coldest I have ever been in my life. But, Tyumen Christian Church extended all the warmth I needed to be able to serve the widows. During our stay our team was privileged to minister at five conferences at various churches in Tyumen and two in adjacent villages.

Each of the conferences was well attended and we were prepared to present them with the love of Christ. Cathy Bytwerk and Sabrina Todd brought words of encouragement and beautiful music dedicated to encouraging the widows. Katie Beth also blessed us with her violin and she was able to film the conferences. I, of course, continued to pray for each widow and present monetary and material gifts to them. Revival has entered into one of the churches as a result of last year’s widow’s conference. These women are literally glowing, and they are so happy. Their hands are God’s hands. Since our first meeting, they are currently ministering to orphans in their community.

A representative from Novosibirsk and Omsk, cities to the north west of Tyumen, has issued an invitation for us to return in October. We are looking forward to planning that visit.

Garden Walk Fundraiser

2007-07-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

On August 15, Mrs. May Dubuc, is opening her home to host a “Bring a Friend” garden walk to benefit Widow’s Might Ministry, International. Her garden is a replica of a portion of the sunken garden found in Bouschea Gardens in British Columbia. She refers to this garden as God’s Garden. When you come, you will see why. Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, but she has sprinkled Scriptures throughout that encourage you in the Lord. Mrs. Dubuc’s garden has been featured with the Northville Garden Club for several years. When she was asked if she would consider a garden walk to benefit the widows of the world, her response was immediate, decisive and positive! We are thrilled to have this opportunity for others to enjoy God’s Garden as well as to learn about our ministry to widows.

If you are interested in joining us, please email us or call the number listed below.
248-349-8389

mbdubuc@wowway.com

A huge thank you goes out to all who are helping to make this fundraiser happen.

Fanny Crosby Fundraiser

2007-07-07T11:53:00.000-04:00

Saturday, June 23, was a beautiful day in central lake. The plans had begun several months earlier for the Victorian luncheon hosted by Mrs. Lois Whitehead at her home on Central Lake.

As usual, Lois had a vision, and brought that vision to pass. The food, decorations and music were exceptional. Lois’ friend, Gail, had come from Livonia to make her labor light. Beth and Sherri, Lois’ daughters, brought their beautiful voices from Jackson and Commerce Township, to lead the women with hymns that have blessed generations of Christians.

I humbly became Fanny Crosby, the great, blind hymnist. God provided delightful ladies attired in Victorian array that enjoyed our afternoon together. They also heard many stories about God’s provision for Widow’s Might Ministry, International. And as a plea was made for further funding, they generously contributed to our W-3 project a well, a wall, and a water tower for the widow’s skill acquisition center in Onitsha, Nigeria.

A huge thank you goes out to all the women who served and attended.

National Day of Prayer

2007-05-02T11:59:00.000-04:00

Sandy Wallace and I (Linda Hostetter) developed a prayer booklet several years ago which focuses on the National Day of Prayer. Tomorrow we have the privilege of using the prayers in that booklet to beseech the Lord. I encourage you to join with us by downloading a free copy of the prayer booklet. Go to www.startministries.com and you will find the link on the home page. Please let us know how God used you and what you think of the book.

Pamper Yourself Ladies!

2007-04-24T10:56:00.000-04:00

Widow's Might Ministry has two fun opportunities for you ladies to support a great cause!
JUNE 23, 2007-High Tea on Central Lake
Join us for an afternoon of tea, cakes, music, and enjoyable entertainment. Tickets are $100 and all proceeds go to the development of the Nigerian Widows' Center.
AUGUST 15, 2007-Walk through the Secret Garden
Spend a few hours enjoying your friends' company while you walk through a beautiful garden, listening to classical music, sipping lemonade, enjoying God's creation. Admittance by ticket only. 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.

For more information please contact katiebeth@startministries.com.

Update: Nigerian Widows' Center

2007-04-24T10:44:00.000-04:00

Fall 2006

At the beginning of September 2006, Linda received word from Pastor Tony Agwaniru that the plots of land had been made available to build the widows' center in Onitsha, Nigeria. Joy sprang up in the team!

That same week Michigan State University donated over 400 desks, 200 hutches, and 40 tilt back chairs for the centers. Catch this-4,000 square feet have been chalked off in a warehouse by a man of God so that the donated furniture has housing until the future centers are prepared.

There's more! A young man who inherited land from his father in Kenya is desirous of us partnering with him to build a widows' center. Of course, we are overwhelmed by God's provision.

A few months ago, we were approached by another ministry in Mali who are also willing to donate land for the same purpose.

Now, you can see why all those desks came when they did.

Of course, plans are in the mix for raising necessary funds to raise the buildings.

Winter/Spring 2007

"W3" is our Phase II project to raise money for the widows center in Nigeria. We must build a wall, a water tower and a well before the actual building is constructed. The total cost of Phase II is $24,000. If you would like more information on Phase II or would like to donate toward the project please email linda@startministries.com.

April 2007

We are half way to our goal of raising $24,000 for the "W3" Project. We are in the process of securing the paper work for purchasing the land in Nigeria. That is in the hands of the Lord and the lawyer! Keep that in prayer.

Testimony from Urbana Delegate

2007-04-23T18:40:00.000-04:00

Linda is standing in the Widow's Might Ministry/START Ministries booth at the Urbana 2006 Missions Conference. The following is a testimony from a young lady who spoke with Linda at Urbana.
"Five years ago, as I headed toward my first mission trip as a high school graduate, God impressed James 1:27 on my heart. Little did I know that this same verse would stare back at me, literally, as I began to contemplate what to do after my university graduation.

I remember very clearly God's instruction for me to minister to the widows and orphans-that He did not merely want me to reach out and care for the poor or the needy, but specifically, these two groups of people-women and children who are left alone and often forgotten. I did not know the how of reaching out to them then, but during my time here at Urbana 2006, I began to ask God to specifically show me the steps to take. 'Show me what to do Lord. Show me how to follow your call of five years ago because I really don't know where to begin...'. Those thoughts raced through my mind as I stared at the overwhelming maze of mission organization booths at Urbana.

Lo, and behold, the first aisle I walked down, the Widow's Might Ministry banner with James 1:27 loomed in front of me-my answer to prayer! God was faithful; I knew I had to talk to the representative at START!

In sharing with Linda how God placed a burden on my heart, and listening to her share the vision for Widow's Might Ministries, I knew that God had indeed answered my prayer for how. Not only is the ministry focused on the people I have a heart for, the anticipated establishment of training and medical programs compliments with my interest in healthcare and public speaking.

Just this morning, I had broken down and surrendered my life to answer the Lord's call-whatever, wherever, and whenever. The response songs sung, had the exact words of 'take my hands, take my life'. It is no coincidence that as Linda prayed for me, she lifted up my hands and my life to the Lord, for Him to use and He chooses. While I still don't know for sure about the next few months and where I will end up during my summer break, he has begun to show me how to answer His call and I am excited to be used by Him in His mighty plan. I know God will lead and provide an opportunity to partner with Widow's Might Ministries to reach and touch our widows and orphans with God's love."

-Lydia, Toronto, Ontario