ELCA NEWS SERVICE July 12, 2008 Women of the ELCA Gathering Welcomes International Guests 08-116-JB SALT LAKE CITY (ELCA) -- A number of international guests attended the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Seventh Triennial Gathering here July 10-13, sharing stories of their faith, their joys and concerns, and their everyday lives. The gathering theme, "Come to the Waters," focuses on the celebration of Baptism through Bible study, speakers, workshops, community service and worship. The event is being held at the Salt Palace Convention Center. War, conflict and violence are the "complexity of my context," said Suad Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), regional director for women's ministries, Lutheran World Federation, and director, Helen Keller Center for the Visually Impaired, Jerusalem. "It's very political, and it's biblical," she said, adding that there is conflict over increased control of limited resources, including farm land and water. Christians make up only 2 percent of the population in the region, Younan said. Jews are the largest group, followed by Muslims, she said. Women and children are victimized by the ongoing Middle East conflict, she said, noting that access to schools, health care and church services are hindered by the Israeli separation wall. "Where I work, where I live, we are surrounded by the wall," Younan said. Women have additional pressures because they must manage the household often while their husbands are out of work. "Women play a crucial role to ensure the safety and security of families in my country," she said. Younan thanked the ELCA for its companion synod program, in which ELCA synods are paired with churches throughout the world and exchange resources, support and prayer. The ELCA New England Synod and ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod are companion synods of the ELCJHL. The Rev. Yuki Gotoh, Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (JELC), is the youngest woman serving as a JELC pastor. The JELC has 22,000 members. Less than 1 percent of the Japanese population is Christian, she said. Gotoh, whose parents are not Christian, said she became a Christian when she was in high school, after an earthquake in Japan killed thousands. In the aftermath, she said, she began to go to church and eventually decided to be baptized. "Our church hopes to be a healing place and a place to promote relationships," she told a workshop audience. The church emphasizes social ministry, responding with a care center for elderly people and youth projects, Gotoh said. She also said the church emphasizes education, operating a junior and senior high school for girls, plus a high school and a fully accredited college. The ELCA South Carolina Synod is a companion synod of the JELC. Education, health and poverty are key concerns for Kenyans, said Margaret Obaga, Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) and a doctoral student at Luther Seminary, an ELCA seminary in St. Paul, Minn. "Accessing water is a big problem," Obaga said. "We walk miles for 20 liters of water." Water is needed for drinking, cleaning, cooking and keeping livestock, she said. Livestock often drink from water supplies before women get access to it, Obaga said. Community and family are very important to Kenya's culture, she said. "Community is first. Your identity revolves around community. The values of sharing, the values of appreciating one another and loving one another, the value of networking for families -- these are very powerful." The KELC operates the Pangani Lutheran Children's Center (PLCC) which takes young girls off the street and provides them with food, health care, stronger family connections and, for orphans, housing, Obaga said. Operated in Nairobi, PLCC serves 85 girls, she said. The ELCA Allegheny Synod is the KELC's companion synod. Rose Kidabing, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea, volunteers her time to coordinate the church's women's program. She visits women in remotes areas of Papua New Guinea, teaching them a variety of skills. Government services often don't reach into remote areas, she said. Literacy is a significant concern, Kidabing said, adding that the ELCA Virginia Synod, companion synod of the church, supports a literacy program in Kidabing's district. --- Information about the Women of the ELCA Seventh Triennial Gathering is at http://womenoftheELCA.org/tg08/ on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news