An overview of WHAT ON EARTH IS ALABASTER??

Since I was twelve years old I have had a draw to missions work. I have always felt that I wanted to do something for those starving children and desperate people I saw on TV. After high school I went to the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph MN. I am currently a second semester senior and will be graduating in May, 2011. I chose to study social work. I never wavered or changed my mind, I always knew what I wanted to do: help people. 


During my education at the College of Saint Benedict I learned a lot more about what was actually going on in the world around me. Not only that, but as time went on I grew more compassionate and passionate about helping people. The summer of my sophomore year of college I went to Rwanda with New Mercies Ministries. This trip literally changed my life. While I was there I knew that the Lord was calling me. I spent only a few short weeks in Rwanda, but it was enough to impact me in a big way. While there I had a chance to play with the children in the village, pray with a mother suffering from horrible varicose veins, talk and minister to three homeless street orphans, and a lot more. 

So where does all of this lead? After I graduate in May, I will be going to Uganda, East Africa to start a women's ministry I have named Alabaster Women's Ministry. I will be working with Pamoja Ministries Uganda. I will be starting a ministry for women who have been victims of sexual violence. Sexual violence to women is common place, due to a lack of respect for women. As you may know, when a women is sexually violated she may begin to feel used, worthless. Often she will contract a disease or become pregnant long before she is prepared to be a mother. My goal with Alabaster Women's Ministry is to empower women to heal. To empower them to be over-comers. I will be using my skills as a social worker to facilitate small group supportive therapy, parenting skills education, health education and assistance, healthy relationships, and assist the women to create a way for them to share their stories. The end goal is to rise from poverty and connect them to education in order to help them be self sufficient. 

This is only the start. My heart is to see women empowered to make something of themselves, regardless of their circumstances. My question is: will you support me in this ministry to hurting women? I am volunteering all of my time and skills to these women, in order for me to do this I need financial support to support myself while I live there. But not only that but I NEED your prayers. Without your prayers this ministry will not happen. I need you to ask God to bless what I am doing and for his presence in what what he has called me to do. My living and ministry costs for the entire year is estimated at $13,000 (this is only an estimate). Let me know if you have questions. 

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[Ivan Woods1]

Here we go