Final meeting on the Holy Spirit and Celebration time!

It was a happy/sad day as we completed our study on The Holy Spirit.  What a powerful study!  On our final day we asked the ladies to share the insights they had gained as well as any lingering questions...AND this was Denise's time to say farewell as this was her last time to meet in this way with these ladies before leaving for the states.

Rose basically led the meeting...

Rose opened the meeting by reading from Ps 51:10 reminding us that the same God who spoke the world into existence is the same God that David prayed to; "Create in me a clean heart..."

I love the way Grace follows along while we are singing praises to God!

After reading a note from Patricia that she was unwell, Rose invited us to pray a word of healing over her...

While Rose prayed, Jane led us in singing more praises to God...

During the course of the meeting, Patricia became stronger and stronger!

After sharing insights and questions, we gave out certificates; of attendance and completion...

Me, Denise, Monica and Rose

Elida

Valary

Emily (Mama Emmanuel)

Jane

Patricia

Christine

Three ladies had perfect attendance!  Josephine (away due to death in the family), Patricia and Christine (who has been teaching this study at her church)

Special gifts for perfect attendance!

Christine is now my new photographic assistant!  Below is some of her "work"

Beautiful Valary

Anticipating popcorn!

Setting out the food

Birthday girl was served first!

Now that Christine is helping with photos, I get to be in some of them!!

Rose

Monica

Serving up the popcorn

Is my help needed?

Being served tea

We had quite a spread as each lady brought something to share!

Leona (helping to serve sugar) is one of Christine's students...she will now be joining us!

This day was Grace's second birthday - here we are singing happy birthday to her!

Valary then shared a word from the Lord for us.  She is normally very quiet, so as she spoke we paid extra attention...

She reminded us that we are to do what the Spirit of God is saying for us to do...

Valary, Patricia, Jane, Emily, Rose

...let us not envy what God might be doing in someone else's life, but WAIT for our time...WAIT patiently...

Interestingly "wait patiently" is the word the Lord had shown me in the past week!

I love this shot of Valary and Patricia smiling at Denise

Rose's playful side coming out!!!

Denise then took the opportunity to share what this group of ladies has meant to her over the past two plus years...

Meanwhile, Emmanuel did some exploring - he is now walking!

Here he tried to grab the camera...

Leona seemed right at home with us...here she is playing with Gracie...

Gracie and Leona

Patricia sharing what Denise and this Bible Study have meant to her...

Patricia looking strong!

Leona looking contemplative

Elida was the first lady we met back in Sept 2012...she was on the same vehicle when we traveled to our first meeting.  Back then our friend Twyla was asked to speak to pastor's wives - there were 40+ in attendance...

...from that initial group, about a dozen began meeting with us weekly...some have come and gone, but Elida and two others have stayed with us!

Christine, one of our newer members, sharing how much she appreciated Denise's patience answering her many questions...

Leona goofing around with the banana!

Jane, also new, sharing her experience...and her appreciation of the studies she has been a part of.

She has shared this Holy Spirit teaching with her pastor, who wants to teach it to his congregation...

...he says he has learned things he did not know before...

Jane looking quite lovely

Christine packing food for Gracie

I think Leona has the gift of service!  Whenever she saw something that needed to be done, she just jumped in to do it...

Leona collecting our cups

Even as Jane was sharing, you can see Leona in the background carrying the cups to the kitchen...

...meanwhile Christine packaged up all the leftovers and presented them to Grace as her birthday present from the group!

Monica enjoying the presentation to her daughter

Monica shared how much she appreciates that we freely give the Word of God every week...

...she shared that if we had offered to pay fare, or give other items, we could have attracted a very large crowd...

...but we had made a decision from the very beginning that we wanted ladies to come to hear the Word of God, not to receive material goods...

Rose did a great job of translating from Swahili to English for us!

That is, when she was not distracted by Grace!

I loved watching this caring mother watching out for the little ones in our midst...

Christine, who led us in a final song of praise, asked Patricia to pray...

She is such a prayer warrior...

...and told us after the meeting that she felt completely healed!

Valary, with her head on the table, is also a woman of prayer...

It seems Gracie is learning about prayer as well as singing praises, as she tries to grab Patricia's hand!

I love the look on her face as she is gazing up at Patricia, who is praying with fervor...

...I wonder what Grace is feeling as she touches the hand of this praying woman...

We ended our time with a song of praise and then saying the 'Grace' together...

...it was a sweet time of fellowship, sharing and celebration!  We will be breaking for two months until we resume with a teaching on Money and Stewardship.