Be a part of what God is doing through Azmera!
Hi friends!
This morning as I woke up super early cause I’m still jet-lagging from Poland, the Lord put it on my heart to share an Azmera update...
God is doing amazing things in and through Azmera. To be honest, you want to be a part! I’ll share with you how you can be a part latter in this blog.
The POLAND Azmera Haven Retreat was absolutely amazing. To watch God work so specifically in so many women’s lives in a few short days was a such a privilege. Lives were changed!... Throughout the haven retreat the women have the opportunity to share their Haven Highlights - highlights of what God has done getting them to the haven retreat and while at the retreat. One women shared at the end of the haven retreat that she was considering leaving the field in December. After this haven retreat she is ready to stay on the field. Praise be to God! Another woman shared how her daughter has been having some serious health struggles and she considered not coming. The Lord gave her such a peace to come as He assured her that He would take care of her and her daughter. And, of course, He did! This woman brought 3 beautiful Polish and one beautiful Indian co-worker. These ladies, who God is using to do incredible Kingdom work, left encouraged, refreshed, challenged, and overall loved. One other woman thanked Azmera for letting her bring her Romanian co-workers. She said, “so many times these conferences are for Americans (and there is certainly a need for retreats within one’s culture). What a joy to this time get to bring my national co-workers. Their lives were changed!”
As I walked away from Poland, I realized, “these haven retreats are simply about God showing His love to Kingdom-minded workers – these women who are on the front-lines sharing the love of Jesus throughout the world – through the us, the Connection Crew (the volunteer team). We are simply His hands and feet, LOVING these dear women who give & give & give. We are a part of expressing God’s delight in these women. Such a Joy! Then, they are at a better place to serve.
One of the members of the Connection Crew reminded us that we are not just impacting the 32 women that came to the POLAND Azmera Haven Retreat, we are impacting 32 communities – their families, their churches, their ministries, their communities. Jesus, thank You for allowing us to be a part!
God was gracious to us in that at the Poland haven retreat I believe God was solidifying some of the aspects of the haven retreat. We tried some new things that I’ll have to share in a different blog, had an amazing TA (travel assistant) on our Connection Crew, and overall strengthened our impactful haven retreat schedule.
Just in time…. while in Poland, God was blowing the doors open for our next Haven Retreat in Cambodia. I received a letter from a foundation that was excited to let me know that they wanted to send up to (50) women from (5) different organizations working to end sex trafficking to the CAMBODIA Azmera Haven Retreat. This is on top of a number of women who had already signed up for the haven retreat. I stood in awe of His work. This is a milestone. God is shaping the ministry of Azmera. What a privilege it is to get to watch…. And, the majority of these workers are Cambodians. As we receive their registrations, I get the privilege of finding out more about them on facebook. :-) Darling, sweet, courageous women impacting Cambodia for Jesus. Seriously, can’t wait to be a part of touching their lives.
As the Cambodia haven retreat continues to grow, this week I have had the pleasure of watching God grow the Connection Crew. I literally was in tears yesterday as I was sharing with a friend what I have been able to watch God do in the last few weeks. With an increased number of attendees. I became concerned about having enough volunteers to serve them well. Once again, God is saying, “I’ve got this!” …This week our speaker has been solidified, after our previous speaker needed to graciously back out. God knew. A dear friend that I’ve wanted to speak at a retreat for years, due to some unforeseen circumstances, was able to commit to joining us. Then Tuesday, I checked our registrations and more and more women committed. Again, I’m so in awe of Jesus! He provides. He loves us. He delights in us.
Another woman, who joined us for her first time in Poland and has this week committed to Cambodia, wrote to me this week simply in tears of joy, so excited to be a part of what God is doing through Azmera. She literally wrote, “I’m so excited!!! All I can say is WOW!!”. I wrote back saying, “I’ve been in tears today too. I stand in AWE!”
I can’t help but think about what was prophesied over Azmera back at our Kenya haven retreat, “More to come!”
As I was writing an email to a friend yesterday I said “I am so blessed to be a part of what God is doing through Azmera and you want to be a part!” Honestly, friends, you want to be a part! :-)
How can you be a part of what God is doing through Azmera?
Share the invites to our haven retreats with workers, expats, military wives, Kingdom-minded women that you know as well as your churches, your friends, etc. We want to be sure that the invite gets out there so that more and more women will be refreshed, renewed, restored as they are hard at work in His Kingdom. Overall, we want to be a part of impacting the world for Jesus. Kingdom-building!
Consider joining us as a volunteer at one of our haven retreats. As I told my friend, “look at the schedule of upcoming haven retreats on our website and prayerfully consider which one you will pursue serving at.” Join us ion this short term missions opportunity.
Give to the Azmera Haven Scholarship Fund. The haven scholarships are huge in allowing these women the opportunity to attend these haven retreats. Many at Poland haven retreat said, “we could not have come here if it weren’t for the haven scholarships”. To send one worker per year to a haven retreat costs just $30. To send 2 pear year is $60. To send one worker to each retreat per year (3 haven retreats) is $90. Prayerfully consider how many workers you can be a part of refreshing per year. Once decided, you can go to our website at Azmera.net, go to donations, Haven Scholarship Fund, and enter the amount you want to start giving monthly. Or, you can write directly to me at christina@azmera.net and we can get you set up on a direct deposit or bill pay... God is working and I can’t wait to see how He continues to work through YOU.
Lastly, and certainly not least, PRAY. PRAY. PRAY…. Azmera is God’s ministry. We simply want to be His hands, His feet, His mouth, to encourage workers all over the world. May we be sensitive to His leading, His plans, His people. May we “fix our eyes on Jesus”!
Thank you, dear friends, for reading. God is doing great things through Azmera and you are invited to be a part. Go God!
Grateful,
~ Christina
“The LORD your God is with you the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17
