45 women came from all over Ghana to Accra for a 2-day workshop about women and Transformational Leadership and to deepen their knowledge about World Day of Prayer from the global to local level. Representatives came from the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, African Methodist Episcopal, Anglican, Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches. The workshop was held on October 21st and 22nd at Saint Barnabas Anglican Church, Osu.
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The first day focused on leadership, the WDP organization, history and Guiding Principles, and the Thursdays in Black Campaign. On the second day, we took time to answer questions and deepen the conversation. Then we held one more session on Women and Transformational Leadership. We closed the workshop with the 2020 WDP worship service prepared by WDP Zimbabwe and studied the Gospel of John 5:2-9. With songs, dances and prayers we shared a great fellowship. We felt blessed during these two days together! 

- Joyce Larko Steiner, WDPIC African Regional Rep & Laurence Gangloff, WDPIC Chairperson

​Rise! Take your mat and walk
If we want to fulfill this request of Jesus, then we have to rise up and stand on our feet!
​That’s why we invite you to get up.
Be aware of your feet
Feel the ground under your feet
Make contact with the ground
Your feet are your earthly bond
Thanks to your feet, you have a point of view for you
Your feet will make you move
They keep you in balance and carry you
They brought you here
They have led you to other people
They go with you God’s way
They go through life with you  - through ups and downs
GOD puts your feet on wide space! (Psalm 31:9)
God, bless our steps as we go. Amen

​The theme for the 2020 WDP Zimbabwe program speaks directly to the heart and mind of women in Latin America, who still suffer under a ‘machista’ culture. As part of the Brazilian committee, we studied the theme at our Assembly and we felt inspired by the words of Jesus: “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk!”
 
In the Bible text, John 5:2-9a, we read that Jesus changed the life of a man who was ‘stuck’ and didn’t have much hope in changing his situation. He couldn’t think about the future. He was just surviving day by day, but then Jesus changed the life of this man. Jesus asked him an important question – Do you want to be healed; do you want to change your life? It seems obvious that someone would say yes but sometimes the answer is not so clear to us.
 
Many women in South America cannot even think about the possibility of having a different life. It seems impossible for them. They feel that, just like the man in the story, they have nobody to help them so they wait and hope for their circumstances to change.
 
The bible story shows us that for Jesus nothing is impossible. Sometimes women feel paralyzed like the man in the bible story, just seeing obstacles. With faith and Jesus’ guidance we can change negative situations in our life that do not seem to have a solution at first glance.

​Jesus encourages women to rise, to take our mat, which symbolizes our excuses, and leave it behind and walk. Jesus empowers us to believe that a different life is possible. Change is possible for those who believe in Jesus and in his words. Jesus enables us to move forward. 
 
On behalf of the WDP of Brazil, Grytsje Couperus participated in a retreat in Caacupe, Paraguay to prepare for the WDP of 2020. Women from the hosting country, including the indigenous Paraguayan, and women from Brazil and Argentina were present. At this annual gathering women study together and prepare for the worship service on the first Friday of March.
 
One of the participants shared a story about her life. How she had suffered for 20 years married to a drunken womanizer. She felt ashamed for not being able to keep her marriage and guilt for the divorce until she understood Jesus’ liberating words. Jesus’ words “Rise, take your mat and walk,” made her cry and freed her from sadness and frustration. She took her mat, and believed that she was allowed to be happy and to have a different life. Her old life was over, Jesus told her to rise and to move on.
 
May Jesus’ words continue to liberate women who still suffer in a culture that does not value them.

- Susana Renner, WDPIC Regional Rep. of Latin America