Vessels of clay in the hands of the Potter
2 Corinthians 4:7
The Chosica women´s conference is always a highlight of our year. All of the Runa Simi team participates in one way or another. The women (Bertha, Carmen, Hilda, Rosa, Kusi, Palerma and I, Donna) facilitate, translate, and lead among other things. The men do the buying, cooking, washing, cleaning, sweeping… oh, how wonderful for the women to have a four days to just focus on the Lord.
This year we had the privilege of having three visiting teachers: Margaret, Elena and Eva, from "The Praying Friends of the Bridegroom" in Chattanooga, TN. What a blessing they were in so many ways!
Sixty women came from the far reaches of Peru, some traveled for hours, others for 2 or 3 days, from both mountains and jungles, and from about 10 different church denominations and six different Quechua dialects; Quechua literacy teachers, "Women of the Bible" teachers, pastor´s wives, cell group leaders, presidents of women´s groups, deaconesses, and women lay pastors. All came to learn and praise God together.
Palerma´s request for a theme from 2 Corinthians 4:7 turned out to be a wonderful blessing. It was a subject that these women were very familiar with in their daily lives and they had names in Quechua for earthen vessels of many kinds. Each table group had a chance to present and teach a lesson on a different kind of clay pot, it´s use, and the Bible significance of one of the substances that it could hold or carry: water, wine, honey, perfume, light, food, oil, God´s Word, and what wonderful things they were able to share! It is always our desire that they be able to return to their villages and communities to "teach as Jesus taught" with objects familiar to them, and with questions and stories that have meaning in their culture.
Best of all, we learned from Margaret, Eva and Elena about how God forms us for His use, "Designed by God, created for His Glory", "Treasures in jars of clay, vessels of honor". Psalms 139, 2 Corinthians 3, John 4, and the Lord´s Prayer were also passages that blessed our hearts. On the last day we were privileged to have a visit from a local potter who attends the Quechua Quirio Church.
The women also had a chance to work with clay, although synthetic so that it would dry in time to take it home. Here (right) Fanny, Kusi, Gabriel and I try our hands at forming clay. It is wonderful to have our kids (and grandkid) involved in the ministry. Kusi helped with translation, Pablo and Miguel both helped in the kitchen and serving, besides being the "press". Not pictured are the guys in the kitchen, Javier the potter, our special banquet with gifts supplied by "The Praying Friends of the Bridegroom", etc. You can see those on Runa Simi´s Facebook, or hopefully soon on our webpage which is being updated.
