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Impressive Attendance at Second GAK-UK Women’s Ministries Retreat

Impressive Attendance at Second GAK-UK Women’s Ministries Retreat

Rebecca Asamoah

We’ll Make It to Heaven ... We, and our spouses, and our children, and our families! Why? Because we cannot hear about salvation and lose Heaven. We will pray to God to make it possible.”

These were the parting words of Sister Linda Mukwada (SEC Prayer Ministries Coordinator) guest speaker at the Ghana Adventist Congregation UK (GAC-UK) Women’s Ministries retreat.

The venue was the quiet surroundings of the De Vere Estates at Daventry. Attended by 170 women from 13 Ghanaian churches in the BUC, the theme for the weekend (22nd-24th November) was “Growing in God”. That this is the second of the biennial event makes the attendance numbers all the more remarkable.

On Friday evening, Elder Jacqueline Otokpa, SEC Women’s Ministries Director kickstarted the event with a testimony on her trip to another Women’s Ministries retreat, the challenges she faced and how God came through for her. “We serve a God who specialises in impossibilities!” was her closing remark.

Sister Linda Mukwada, the main speaker, presented messages on holding on to the promises of God and supporting one another in prayer. On Friday evening, she spoke on “Brokenness to Blessedness”. Her sermon on Sabbath, “The Untold Story”, was based on the well-known story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:1-5. She affirmed that when we are exposed to the “leprosy” of our sisters and we take it to God, we will have a testimony. In her consecration service on Sunday, she challenged each attendee not to leave the event without a prayer partner. The inspirational messages were very well received.

Some of the highlights of the weekend were the speaker-led workshops which focused on evangelism, mental health, the home and family.

Another highlight was the testimonies and prayer sessions interspersed with music. Beautiful Ghanaian music streamed from the meeting hall as instruments and voices fused together in praise and worship. 

Speaking to Sister Gina Boamah, GAK-UK Women’s Ministries Coordinator, Elder Otokpa revealed that the visit had changed her perception of Ghanaian churches. She was notably impressed by the presence of women of other nationalities and our bilingual (English/Akan) approach.

The success of the occasion was summed up in the words of one of the attendees:

I’m not a Ghanaian but I’ve been so blessed and enjoyed it so much that I’ve already got a few people in mind I’m going to invite to the next retreat.” What a testimony!

These are just small glimpses into the amazing event, where God took centre stage.  To Him be the glory!