Gratitude voiced to WMU

Jul 28, 2009

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)—Larry Martin remembers the bad roads and the hearts of a group of Southern Baptist women who helped change—and essentially save—his life.

Growing up in rural Kentucky, Martin remembers the WMU women who drove 40 miles each day for two weeks to take him to Vacation Bible School. During those two weeks, Martin gave his life to Christ.

Martin, now a consultant with the Kentucky Baptist Convention, shared his story during the June 21 opening session of this year’s WMU annual meeting at St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.

More than 800 WMU women attended the Sunday night session, which focused on lives changed in Kentucky and Appalachia. The meeting concluded June 22. This year’s theme is “Change a life. Change the world.”

“Joyce and I both have this lifelong debt of gratitude to WMU,” Martin said. “And during the 19 years that we were serving in North American missions away from Kentucky, we always counted on the prayers of [WMU]. Those prayers were what carried us during all of that time.”

MINISTRY TO APPALACHIA

For the past 10 years, WMU has partnered with 11 state conventions and the North American Mission Board to impact the physical and spiritual needs of Appalachia, which covers parts of Kentucky in stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi.

“We cannot do what we do without the WMU,” said NAMB missionary Bill Barker, director of Appalachian Regional Ministry. “You’ve made a difference in lives all across Appalachia.”

GROWING UP AN MK

Kaye Miller, WMU presidnt, on the second day of WMU’s missions celebration, spoke to 1,200 June 22 at St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. The Monday sessions focused on changing lives across America and around the world.

Miller, an MK (missionary kid) who grew up in Bangkla, Thailand, shared stories about her parents’ medical missions work with the International Mission Board in a 25-bed hospital.

“Growing up, I saw love and action from my parents,” said Miller, recalling her father touching the hands of a leper while leading him to Christ.

“I saw that love every day.”

Throughout the day, WMU members heard stories of sacrifice and passion for the Gospel being taken to some places that can only be accessed by a helicopter or snowmobile.

Svetlana Parish learned about Jesus in an underground church in Russia, recounting, “I wasn’t raised in Acteens or GAs,” but during the days of persecution for those who followed Jesus.

“We didn’t have the privilege of mission education, [but] we learned that our God is stronger than any circumstances in your life.”

TRIBUTES AND AWARDS

During the meeting, WMU re-elected Miller as president of WMU and elected Rosalie Hung as the recording secretary.

They also took time to honor the lives of Alma Hunt and Dellanna West O’Brien, who died last year.

Hunt, a former longtime executive secretary, devoted her life to the advance of the Gospel and the support of missionaries. She died at age 98. O’Brien led WMU as its executive director/treasurer from 1989-99. She died at age 75.

During an awards luncheon, Diana Lewis of Benton, Ark., received the Dellanna West O’Brien Award for Women’s Leadership Development.

Lewis has served as a missionary with the North American Mission Board for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention the past 18 years. Margaret Brown of Mountain Rest, S.C., received the Martha Myers GA Alumna of Distinction Award for her missions work with her church. She serves as WMU director at Mountain Rest Baptist Church and started the church’s GA organization for girls. Brown is a member of the SBC Executive Committee.

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