Volume XLVI—A Publication of the World Day of Prayer International Committee

WORLD DAY OF PRAYERJOURNAL

2020

WRITTEN BY WDP WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE

Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk

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World Day of Prayer 2 Journal 2020

FEATURES

03 From the Chairperson United by the Bond of Love

04 Worship Service Bible Text John 5:2-9a

05 From the Writer CountryRise! Take Your Mat and Walk

40 Leading Together

44 From the Executive DirectorWDP Is About Building Relationships

49 WDP at a Glance

WDP AROUND THEWORLD

07 Africa

12 Asia

16 Caribbean/North America

19 Europe

30 Latin America

35 Middle East

37 Pacific

World Day of Prayer Writing Committee, Zimbabwe

Contents

World Day of Prayer 3 Journal 2020

At the 2012 WDP International Meet-ing, Zimbabwe was selected to be-

come the writer country of the worshipservice for the year 2020. How to involveZimbabwean women in this unique ex-perience? How to promote this WorldDay of Prayer program? To answer thesetwo questions, the WDP ZimbabweCommittee launched a campaign to pro-mote the theme and their responsibilitytowards the movement. They produceda fabric with the WDP logo and 2020theme printed on it, and sold it in piecesto be made into dresses, head wraps, ortable cloths. They proudly wore theirdresses and head wraps to raise funds tocarry out their projects while waiting toembark in the writing process of WDPmaterials.

When I was elected WDP InternationalCommittee Chairperson in 2017, the del-egates of the Zimbabwe WDP commit-tee gave me a sample of this famouscloth. It was with respect and gratitudethat I received this gift. I wore it first asheadband, and then as a stole. Howproud I was to wear this little piece ofcloth that symbolized the worldwidecommunion, in which we found our-selves during the preparations and cele-bration of our common prayer, on thefirst Friday of March - March 6th, 2020!

In my meditations on the theme “Rise!Take Your Mat and Walk”, I have oftenimagined this Zimbabwean cloth cover-ing the sick person healed by Jesus. Thisanachronism did not make me backdown on listening to the orders given byJesus: “Rise... take... walk!” Those words

changed the life of this man, and then2000 years later they changed my life aswell. In the weaving of Jesus’ words andZimbabwean cloth I saw how much aword of life can bring hope. I believe thatthis encounter still brings a breath of lifeand hope for all.

Immediately after the celebration inMarch, my “normal” life was disrupted bythe order of confinement to combat thespread of the Coronavirus in France. Andas a historical fact, the whole worldfound itself exposed to the COVID-19.The health guidelines to deal with thepandemic, such as isolation, wearing

masks, and washing your hands, werenot all implemented in the same wayaround the world; history will judge thepolitical leader’s actions on this globalhealth crisis.

During this time of confinement at myhome, I used the Zimbabwean fabric as aplacemat for the three candles - Peace -Love - Reconciliation - lit by the girls inthe celebration. These candles were asign of hope for a better time and an in-vitation to apply - Peace – Love – Recon-ciliation to the daily life.

As the allowance to leave home was im-plemented in France, new rules wereadopted, like wearing a face mask andkeeping a social or physical distancefrom each other. I once again turned tothe Zimbabwe cloth, now I used it tomake a face mask. I don’t think anyonehad imagined that the cloth would havethis use when it was made!

You will discover in the following pagesof this Journal the testimonies of theworldwide sisters. Perhaps one day ourchildren or grandchildren will read thesetestimonies with a historical hindsightor a gaze of a scientist. In the meantime,I invite you to discover each testimonyand to carry it in your prayers, so that wemay remain united by this bond of love.Let’s Rise… Take…Walk and live out thehope offered by Jesus and share it withthe world!

Thank you for your commitment to this beautiful World Day of Prayer movement!

United by the Bond of LoveBY LAURENCE GANGLOFF

FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

Laurence Gangloff

World Day of Prayer 4 Journal 2020

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay manyinvalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying

there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him,“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps downahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat andbegan to walk.

*New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the UnitedStates of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Worship Service Bible TextJOHN 5:2-9A

GABONTAIWAN

MEXICO GHANA

World Day of Prayer 5 Journal 2020

We really felt blessed and humbledto be the writer committee for

the 2020 WDP worship service. The op-portunities given by the collaborativewriting process enriched us and let usgrow in faith. One of the impacts of pro-moting the program as the focus coun-try is that it united us. Women fromdifferent religious backgrounds, culturesand traditions came together under acommon goal for the betterment of ourcountry. It was a wonderful experiencewhich required creativity.

In the beginning, we found the thememotivational and a reminder that Christwould give us strength. However, as thedays went by, the theme became morerelevant, especially because of theCOVID-19 outbreak. The theme soundedlike a mandate, a mantra and certainly away of life as the Coronavirus pandemichit the nations in 2020.

In Zimbabwe, the pandemic grouped to-gether with the drought and the eco-nomic hardships made us feel that Godwas speaking directly unto our situation.Our people had to rely on Jesus Christand His command to “Rise! Take YourMat and Walk” towards the love andpeace of God, which surpasses all under-standing, and the reconciliation with theHoly Spirit, who brings healing andrestoration to us all.

Since the theme was defined in 2012, tothe launch of the writing processthrough the Strengthening NationalCommittee Workshop in 2016, and fi-nally the moment of the celebration in2020, the message has evolved. Really,God showed Himself to us. God is AllKnowing. Our country and all othersaround the globe must indeed “Rise!Take Your Mat and Walk.”

Notwithstanding the disruption in ourcalendar due to the pandemic, the chil-dren and youths were able to undertakea drama which was aired at the Zim-babwe broadcasting studio; they as-sisted with advertising on social media,sang and danced in the services. Theywere also involved in projects makingsanitary pads, sewing face masks, crafts

involving beadwork and donating foodto those in need. Little girls from the GirlGuide movement also participated inthe activities. These activities showedthat all hope is not lost. The children ac-quired a good foundation as they learntattitudes basic for their sense of human-ity, which are caring for others and cater-ing to their needs. This intergenerationalexchange of skills also blessed us all.

“Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk”BY WDP WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE

FROM THE WRITER COUNTRY

World Day of Prayer 6 Journal 2020

During the full WDP process as a writercountry, we were reminded that despitethe dark times, Zimbabwe is still part ofa global village. We learnt to appreciateall that God has entrusted us to lookafter. We learnt a lot about our owncountry and how to love and embracepeople from other religions, cultures,traditions and who speak different lan-guages. We are all God’s creatures.

Recently, we also learnt new things suchas how to use video conferencing appli-cations (e.g. Zoom) and other technolo-gies to stay connected despite thelockdown due to Coronavirus. More sig-nificantly, all nations around the worldtook it upon themselves to pray for ourcountry. The responses we got fromother countries have encouraged us toengage and support other writer coun-tries, thus we are more motivated with

next year’s program written by WDPwomen of Vanuatu.

There was an overall excitement thattook charge of the atmosphere aroundthe world throughout the preparationsand services. We heard very positivecomments from different churches andorganizations. They told us to “keep upthe good work.” Others wished they werethe ones leading the program. Some or-ganizations indicated that they wouldlike to join in the World Day of Prayerprograms and projects. Every woman gotinvolved, regardless of their tradition.

There was a great sacrifice by the commit-tee members for the whole program tosail through. To put the materials to-gether with participants from differentparts of Zimbabwe and with no access tosocial media to facilitate our communica-tions was our biggest challenge. Thus, wecreated a steering committee to coordi-nate the promotion of the activities andformed sub-committees to help with thefundraising. People were highly support-ive of the World Day of Prayer, and gavevery good suggestions for the promotionof the activities; we even got support frompeople in the government. Sacrifice, com-mitment and dedication are key!

Those who managed to attend the wor-ship service before the government or-dered a lockdown expressed theirgratitude as they felt the service washeartwarming. They were encouraged to propel above injustice, hatred, vio-lence and walk towards Love, Peace andReconciliation.

We look forward to engaging with morecommunity outreach events while webuild up and improve on the prayer jour-ney that has already began. Through ourecumenical relationships, we developedpartnerships to support the mothers andcare givers of Ramangwana Ravo Trust,the Mucheke Old People’s Home andOmni Village Rehabilitation and SkillsDevelopment Center. Also, it helped birthrelationships that empower women toshare ideas on how to manage chal-lenges in life and be self-sufficient.

This entire experience has reinforcedhow important it is to pray without ceas-ing for others and for ourselves. WithoutGod we are unable to do anything. Wedepend on God for everything. God isGod of the impossible. Is there anythingtoo hard for God?

World Day of Prayer 7 Journal 2020

BOTSWANA

Women of different churches and cul-tures came together to pray, sing, andshare a meal together in worship withour sisters of Zimbabwe. Many peopleattended the services and eagerly partic-ipated. Women from Zimbabwe residingin our country took part in the serviceand sang with us. The moments forprayer had the biggest impact. As a com-munity, we lifted up in prayers those suf-fering from substance abuse,unemployment and gender-based vio-lence. We prayed for the world as theCOVID-19 pandemic spread and for thepeace and stability of African countries.The theme was relevant to the situationof today and taught us that suffering canbe an opportunity for growth in patienceand faith. We do not know why there isalways suffering in the world but as longas our trust and faith are with the Lord,we will grow stronger and resilient.

CAMEROON

Despite the anxiety and unrest in ourcountry due to the COVID-19 pandemicand the Anglophone separatist crisis(Cameroonian Civil War), nothing wastaken away from the enthusiasm andcommitment of our women, who bravedmany difficulties to honor WDP and beunited in prayer with our sisters in Zim-babwe. There was a considerable slow-down in our activities but social mediaapplications, like WhatsApp and Zoom,offered us the opportunity to stay in

touch and reflect while waiting for bet-ter days when we can, by the grace ofGod, hold physical meetings again. If weare to rise to the challenge of doing bet-ter than we have in the past and living inpeace, then we must identify the obsta-cles that undermine our daily lives. Wemust begin living a humble life, be kindand compassionate, share with those inneed and practice forgiveness as muchas possible, “not seven times but up toseventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:22)

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICOF THE CONGO

We give thanks to God for allowing us toorganize and celebrate the WDP serviceon the date planned before any lock-downs went into effect. All the prepara-tion and rehearsal sessions were carriedout successfully and the liturgy wastranslated into the local language anddistributed in all of the provinces. It wasgreat to be able to have one final meeting

AfricaBOTSWANA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

CAMEROON

World Day of Prayer 8 Journal 2020

together in prayer for our sisters in Zim-babwe. As the virus continued to spread,our country began to restrict any physicalgatherings. It has made it difficult for usto meet to plan future activities.

GABON

The program reminded us of Pope JohnPaul II’s visit to our country. On February17, 1982, Pope John Paul II passedthrough Gabon and chose John 5 2:9 asthe Bible passage to encourage us to“stand up and walk”. Now in February2020, we returned to this text thatbrings us to action, love and total trans-formation to achieve healing and re-move divisions. It was a rewardingexperience to be united in prayer andhave a renewed sense of motivation to-wards love, peace and sincere ecu-menism. We have committed ourselvesto strengthen the mobilization andawareness of women’s issues by hostingsemi-annual and annual activities. Al-though our efforts have been stalled bythe COVID-19 health crisis, we are notdiscouraged!

GAMBIA

The women of Banjul, Kombo and theWest Coast usually come together to

prepare one joint ecumenical service incelebration of WDP. Women, childrenand clergy members from variouschurches, and also our Muslim sisters,participate in the service. We rotateamong churches of different denomina-tions and this year we had planned tohold the WDP service at the AnglicanChurch. We distributed the materials toseveral women’s groups for Bible studylessons and retreats. We sent invitationsto churches and radio stations and thechildren’s program to Sunday schools.We also crafted souvenir mats out ofshopping bags to be distributed to par-ticipants. Unfortunately, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, we were unable tohold our service. However, we are notdiscouraged and we thank the women ofZimbabwe for putting together such arich program. We look forward to 2021!

GHANA

The service was inspirational and we feltthe spirit of our sisters around us. Wehad various symbols around the altar torepresent the women of Zimbabwe. Ourlocal songs were sung by a wonderfulprocession of young women and a youthchoir. Given the circumstances of theworld today the theme was timely. As wereflected on it, we realized how muchhope resonates in the story and how thehealing power of Christ can transformour lives. It also teaches us the lessons ofpatience, for when the time is right Godwill answer our prayers. Although manyday to day activities have slowed due tothe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, wecontinue to support the Gender andWomen’s program and the TraffickedChildren’s Project of the Christian Coun-cil of Ghana. It is important for us to notonly pray for change but to actively worktowards change.

KENYA

God bless the women of Zimbabwe. Wethank them for such a wonderfully pre-pared worship service with a relevanttheme that touched our hearts. We werehappy to learn more about their countryand find out that many aspects of their

GAMBIA GHANA

KENYA

World Day of Prayer 9 Journal 2020

culture are similar to ours. Servicesacross the country were well attendedand the comments from the participantswere very encouraging for our commit-tee. Many were unaware of the hardwork our committee does to distributethe worship service and expressed theirdesire to help and support. While read-ing some of the participant’s commit-ments cards we were overcome withemotion. The theme had clearly im-pacted everyone and we realized it wastime to “Rise! Take our Mat and Walk” forourselves and for those in need.

MALAWI

Our main WDP celebration was heldoutdoors on March 6th in the city ofBlantyre to a crowd of thousands. Ourguest of honor was the former first ladyof our country, her Excellency MadamGertrude Mutharika. During the event,

several activities took place apart frompreaching the Word of God, such asgospel choirs, poetry readings anddramatizations. The event was spiritu-ally lively. Woman wore their traditionaldresses from each of their regions whichmade for a colorful and special experi-ence. The first few cases of the Coron-avirus appeared right after the days ofour service. Even though we hadplanned to attend the prayer services inZimbabwe, we had to cancel our trip.The virus became rife on a global scale!Despite these challenges, we thank GodAlmighty for our good fortune and theopportunity to pray for ourselves andothers. May the Lord receive all honor,glory and praise!

MAURITIUS

In a time when it seems increasingly dif-ficult to bring people together, we are

blessed to have the WDP service. Themore we think about it the more theworld seems like one big village. Thereare similarities and differences amongus, but the solidarity of women from sev-eral countries preparing to celebrate thesame worship service, unites us as oneunder God. We were fortunate to havenative Zimbabweans join us for our cele-bration this year. One of them spoke ofthe time they spent in their homelandand another sang the national anthemof Zimbabwe. It was a beautiful culturalexchange. We enjoyed reflecting on thisparticular Bible story. We found that intimes when we may feel paralyzed, theword of God keeps us upright and movesus forward in faith to spread the goodnews of health and salvation.

NIGERIA

As in the word of God, “for where two orthree are gathered together in my name,there I am in the midst of them.”(Matthew 18:20) We were delighted tocome under one tranquil atmosphere toworship with our Zimbabwean sisters.We held our service before any lock-downs were put in place, so attendancewas highly impressive. Thousands ofwomen of different denominations fromall over the country came together. Withone voice, we prayed for our country andfor the state of the world. It was a feeling

MALAWI MAURITIUS

NIGERIA

World Day of Prayer 10 Journal 2020

like no other! The theme strengthenedour faith, revealing that, with God, allthings are possible. We give thanks andpray that our Lord never stops equippingus with the divine mercy and grace to con-tinue working tirelessly in Jesus’ name.

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The women of Zimbabwe’s invitation topraise the Holy Spirit with them broughtus great joy, and we felt connectedthrough our shared experiences.Through the program, we learned aboutthe power and compassion of our LordJesus Christ. The theme was impactfulgiven the environment we all find our-selves in now. The pandemic and manysocio-political wars have caused tension

but we must remember to always havefaith in God’s love for us, and that Godwill bring healing. We made a commit-ment to come to the aid of those who aresuffering. We also made a commitmentto bring WDP to towns and villagesacross our country for the multiple socialand spiritual benefits. We have plans tocarry out a major awareness campaignso that various Christian women can ex-perience the love and healing power ofbeing united together in prayer.

SEYCHELLES

In spite of the Coronavirus, we were ableto celebrate as planned. All preparationswent smoothly and we enjoyed discussingthe culture of Zimbabwe as compared to

ours. This program came at the righttime for us as it touched on similar his-torical and political situations. Our coun-try also set up a committee toinvestigate what our people wentthrough following the coup d’état in1977. The sufferings and killings of thistime gave rise to the need for prayers forboth the victims and the perpetrators ofviolence. The Zimbabwe women basedtheir service on love and reconciliation,which should guide the work of theCommittee for Truth and Reconciliationto bring our country to a healing place.Our nation is called to prayer while weare reminded of the impact of God’shealing love. Now that COVID-19 hastaken over globally, we thank God thatSeychelles has not been as affected asother countries.

SIERRA LEONE

It is always a joy to see women from allwalks of life, different denominationsand cultures praise God together. We al-ways look forward to the WDP celebra-tion as the stories are alwaysinspirational. We were able to hold alocal service but no children’s services,conventions or Bible study lessons dueto the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past,these had the most impact on our serv-ices; however, we are thankful for the

REPUBLIC OF CONGO SIERRA LEONE

SEYCHELLES

World Day of Prayer 11 Journal 2020

time spent together to worship. Thetheme itself was a call to be united inprayer which helped us lift up our voicesin worship and praise. Women who neverthought of their complacency or guilt re-flected on the Bible text and were able tosee themselves in a new light. They recog-nized their challenges and felt deter-mined to move forward not just asindividuals but as a collective in society.

SOUTH AFRICA

Around the world, and Africa in particu-lar, people face huge problems regard-ing health, poverty and corruption.Zimbabwe is our neighbor and many ofour people know someone from there.

The prayers the Zimbabwean womenlifted up were a wake-up call to every-body. The theme motivated us not to bepassive, but to put our faith in our Lordand Savior and to get up and make a dif-ference. Just after the prayer day, theCOVID-19 pandemic hit. In our country,women took action to feed the needy,old and vulnerable. Thousands of maskswere handmade and distributed freelyto old age homes and schools, as well asin the community. WDP will always beone of the most powerful and touchingexperiences for Christian women all overthe world.

Website: https://www.wwdp.co.za/

ZAMBIA

One of the most interestingaspects of the World Day ofPrayer is learning the richhistory and cultural back-ground of each writer coun-try. Zimbabwe is ourneighboring country, and sowe are familiar with theirstory of political struggles,and the transitional periodfrom pre-colonial rule.Those struggles are some-how similar to other Africancountries. The message be-hind the theme, to neverlose hope in any situation,

was very uplifting, especially consider-ing the current situation the world is fac-ing. Our main ecumenical worshipservice was well attended by four churchgroups, members of the diplomatic core,and our guest of honor, the Minister ofReligious Affairs and National Guidance.A sketch of the Bible story was per-formed by Sunday school children. Theresponsive prayers were very touchingbecause they spoke about the reality ofour actions, like how we overlook others.Through these prayers we could confessand recommit ourselves to acts of good.

The prayers the Zimbabwean women lifted up were a wake-up call to everybody.The theme motivated us not to be passive, but to put our faith in our Lord and Savior and to get up and make a difference. Just after the prayer day,

the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In our country, women took action to feed the needy, old and vulnerable.

SOUTH AFRICA

World Day of Prayer 12 Journal 2020

HONG KONG

In January, we had a rehearsal of ourworship service where we ran through atranslated liturgy and introduced Zim-babwe to our committee members. Weprayed together for the situation in ourcountry and the needs of the people inZimbabwe. The Bible story, hymns andvoices of the Zimbabwe women re-minded us that God is our eternal healer.We also ordered some handmade matsfrom the Kunzwana Women’s Associa-tion which benefits their ministry andwe thanked them for their passion andpersistence. We are happy to have hadthis time together because, due toCOVID-19, all WDP celebrations werecancelled. The social unrest surroundingthe virus made many people feel de-pressed and isolated. We had planned tohave a healing service after the sermonto help people ‘take up their mat andwalk’ but restrictions did not allow us togather. We pray to the Lord that we mayresume our worship life soon.

Website:https://www.hkcc.org.hk/acms/?site=hkccnew

INDIA

The NationalCouncil ofChurches in Indiais hosting a Quad-rennial Assemblywith a theme verysimilar to the2020 World Dayof Prayer, “TheHour Has Come; Let’s Get Going”. In theGethsemane account (Matthew 26:36-46), Jesus asks his disciples to be readyand take the cause further into actionjust like he asked the sick man to take uphis mat and walk. The theme required usto see beyond our own interests and torealize how becoming whole is more im-portant than superficial healing. Thismessage was very meaningful to us.Women in different areas around Indiafelt connected in praise and worshipwith the stories of the Zimbabweanwomen. We were able to analyze the re-ceived reports and found that women,who were homemakers, felt their self-worth increase, thus confident in theirability to uphold their family. Foryounger women, the experience of being

present in spirit with sisters across ourborders was the highlight.

INDONESIA

The WDP services were carried out invarious churches and regions across ourcountry, although, due to the COVID-19pandemic there were less services thanlast year. After the worship service in achurch in Jakarta, the leaders organizedan educational event where medical per-sonnel demonstrated the precautionarymeasures to slow the spread of theCOVID-19 for children and adults. Theservice itself was enjoyable and broughtto light the struggles that women andchildren around the world still face intoday’s society. The Letter from our Zimbabwe sisters was powerful and it

AsiaINDIAHONG KONG

INDONESIA

World Day of Prayer 13 Journal 2020

served as the foundation for our medita-tion on the Word of God. We find thatthe extraordinary impact of WDP is thestrong alliance created by the unity ofprayer among different countries andchurches for the common good.

JAPAN

Due to the COVID–19 pandemic, manyservices had to be cancelled. Usually,there are over 200 venues that celebratethe worship service but that number wasreduced to 34. Under the severe circum-stances, people still tried to be innova-tive with smaller gatherings, shorterservices and no tea time afterwards. Weare very grateful for the efforts to sendthe offerings. Considering the currentsituation, many people had a strong willto continue to support those in need.Some of the local churches even sent theWDP Japanese branch thank you noteswhich touched our hearts. Althoughglobally we are suffering and may befeeling helpless, our hearts are big andwe will not lose our faith.

Website: http://cloister171.blog.fc2.com/and www.ncc-j.orgFacebook: @nccinjapan

MALAYSIA

We had a very meaningful worship serv-ice which was conducted joyfully and inmultiple languages. We praised Godthrough song and prayer while high-lighting Zimbabwean women’s stories. Itwas a beautiful moment to be unitedwith our sisters all over the world. Weprayed for religious, social and politicaldisputes to be resolved, for the eradica-tion of poverty, for broken homes to bereconciled, for peace among humanityand for women and children to live with-out fear of abuse. While meditating onthe significance of the theme, welearned that it is important for us to riseabove our comfort zone and accomplishthe tasks entrusted to us by the Lordwith what we have at hand. Only thencan we truly realize the power that re-sides within us to transform ourselvesand help the more vulnerable.

NEPAL

First of all, we would like to thank theAlmighty God, and our Zimbabwean sis-ters for sharing with us their prayers. ForAsian Church Women’s Conference(ACWC) Nepal, March is a blessedmonth because of the World Day ofPrayer celebration. We were a smallgroup of people from different churchesand faiths and we had a great time to-gether. There were two services on dif-ferent days. They each started with ahymn about God’s creation and we tookthe time to remember our sisters, chil-dren and families around the world. Aprayer was also said for the people suf-fering from the Coronavirus (COVID-19).ACWC National Representative, Drau-pati Rokya, briefly shared the historyand significance of WDP and read theGospel of John 5:1-9a. There was a mo-ment of sharing and discussion aboutJesus, and his miracles. After the pro-gram we had high tea together.

JAPAN MALAYSIA

We praised God through song and prayer while highlighting Zimbabwean women’s stories. It was a beautiful moment to be united

with our sisters all over the world.

World Day of Prayer 14 Journal 2020

PAKISTAN

World Day of Prayer enhances solidarityamong people of different denomina-tions, building inclusive communities offaith. The Women’s Desk of the LahoreDiocese Church of Pakistan has made aneffort to conduct the service with the par-ticipation of women from the SalvationArmy and Catholic Church. We aim tostrengthen this partnership by includingwomen from other denominations fornext year’s program. Coupled with thetheme of this years’ program, we’ve real-ized that more work needs to be done inbuilding inclusiveness by dismantling thebinaries of hate and love, fear and domi-nation, right and wrong. The Bible textwas thought provoking. It enabled us todwell upon the challenges in our contex-tual realities as we relate to the situationsof the women in Zimbabwe. It encour-ages women to develop the willingness tocarry their burdens and express their de-sires to be healed in the light of Jesus.

SINGAPORE

Due to COVID-19 and measures restrict-ing physical contact and gatherings, we

were forced to cancel our WDP eventplanned for March 6th. Though we werephysically apart, we were united in spiritand in prayers for the women of Zim-babwe. Being united in prayer showsoneness in Christ and it is what makesWDP so special. The Zimbabweanwomen highlighted love, peace and rec-onciliation in the family, church, andcommunity. It was something we verymuch agreed with during our prepara-tory meetings. We had also planned tosupport the Hiding Place, which is ahalfway house for those suffering fromdrug addictions. We wanted to invite a staff member to our service to sharethe work they do so that others couldunderstand their ministry. We hope torevisit this plan in the future and con-tinue reaching out to the communitiesin need.

SOUTH KOREA

We had planned to hold the worshipservice on March 6th in unison with ourWDP sisters but, due to the COVID-19pandemic, we had to postpone severaltimes. Ultimately, we decided to share

the service electronically. Our committeecreated a video clip of the program andshared it in April with 70 local churchesand individuals who wished to worshipat home. Due to social distancing guide-lines, participation at churches was veryminimal, but we are happy to have beenable to find a creative alternative to wor-ship. In that way, we were united in spiritwith the women of Zimbabwe. This yearwas very challenging and, although wewere able to find a solution, we hope tobe able to celebrate next year’s WDP inour churches.

Website: http://kcwu.org/

SRI LANKA

Women in our country face many chal-lenges from domestic abuse to povertyand unsupportive families, thus it is al-ways encouraging to see one of us riseup and emerge victorious despite thoseconditions. That is why the theme of thisyear’s worship service resonated sodeeply with us. It was also uplifting to be reminded that no matter where we come from in this world, we all

SOUTH KOREAPAKISTAN

World Day of Prayer 15 Journal 2020

experience the same challenges and we are not alone. Although 2020 hasbeen chaotic, the ecumenical unity experienced within this movement trulymakes a difference in our lives and thatof others whom we are privileged tohelp. Our country is still under restric-tions due to the Coronavirus but we arelooking towards the future. We hope to expand our reach next year and con-duct WDP services in other areas of thecountry.

TAIWAN

World Day of Prayer has been observedin Taiwan for 85 years. This ecumenicalprayer movement has become a routineand an important event for our women.Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic,many churches and organizations werefaced with the difficult decision to ei-ther cancel or postpone the servicesuntil June. Under the Zimbabwe pro-gram, various denominations and

institutions came together to thinkabout how our collective power canmake women whole in terms of theirphysical and mental health, and spiri-tual and social life. In that way, womenwill be ready to enable our society toachieve peace, mutual respect andequality. Though the women of Zim-babwe have struggled for years, theystill value family relations and continueto prayer for their country and church.We are reminded of Taiwanese Christianelders, who are constantly praying andseeking reconciliation for Taiwan. Wesee the grace of God among the womenof Zimbabwe, and we also see the re-silience and perseverance of all womenaround the world.

Website:http://www.women.pct.org.tw/min-istry.aspx and http://www.ywca.org.tw/ Facebook: @WDPTaiwan and @YW-CATaiwan/

THAILAND

The COVID-19 pandemic preventedmany services from being held. How-ever, we took the opportunity to learnabout Zimbabwe and pray for the love,reconciliation and peace they desirewithin their country. The program pro-vided an in-depth exploration of the the-ological significance of Jesus’ encounterwith the sick man at the healing pool.We should not be afraid to follow God’sword, especially when we are offered thesteps for personal and social transforma-tion. We have been empowered to takeup our mats, embrace others with loveand care, and to open our arms in joy asthe time to rise has come. Prayer and ac-tion are what link us together aroundthe world. Giving and sharing are acts ofhope which can heal a suffering world.Although challenging, we want to makea difference in our community by sup-porting projects that offer relief duringthe financial crisis caused by COVID-19.

THAILAND TAIWAN

Due to social distancing guidelines, participation at churches was very minimal, but we are happy to have been able to find a creative alternative to worship.

In that way, we were united in spirit with the women of Zimbabwe.

World Day of Prayer 16 Journal 2020

BAHAMAS

This year we commemorated the70th anniversary of our commit-tee. At our main service in Nassauwe celebrated all women leadersfrom all islands in the Bahamasand our sister organizations thatassist us annually to make WDP areality. We lit 70 candles inmemoriam of committee mem-bers, and to honor our friendsfrom the Young Women ChristianAssociation and Fellowship of the LeastCoin. It was a blessing to have Zimbabwewomen participating in the service byreading and singing in their native lan-guage. Our fellowship with them addedto our feelings of unity. Hearing their sto-ries, learning their songs, and samplingtheir foods gave us a sense of ‘oneness’ -one in spirit, in culture and in life. Our re-flections on the Bible study led to per-sonal discussions about procrastinationand the excuses we make when it comes

to our own development. Through deter-mination we can commit to rise and walkwhenever the opportunity is available.

BARBADOS

The WDP celebration allows us to takeour minds off of our own issues, chal-lenges, or any fears that we may have.We are allowed a moment of peace bybeing united in prayer with our sistersand brothers around the world. It brings us joy to know that our small

contribution, be it monetary orprayer, can make an impact on thelives of others, especially our sis-ters in Zimbabwe. The themechallenged us to push past ourfears of the unknown, rejection,uncertainty and remember thatGod is never far away from us. Wereflected on all the opportunitiesthat have always been available to us but can now be reached byrising, taking up our mats andwalking! We aspire to start a men-

torship program for young women andmen who are challenged, to help themreach their potential. This service helpedus put the Word of God into action.

CANADA

Across our country, thousands of serviceswere held days before the global pan-demic was declared and churches wereclosed. Joyfully, people from differentdenominations participated in this

Caribbean and North America

BARBADOSBAHAMAS

CANADA

World Day of Prayer 17 Journal 2020

meaningful service gifted to us by ourZimbabwean sisters. We thank them forsharing such a personal message abouttheir struggles and challenges with us.While traditional services continue to bethe most common way of gathering,there were also creative WDP eventssuch as potluck lunches, a paint café fea-turing the flame lily, Zimbabwe’s na-tional flower, and a physical exercise andprayer session. This year we expandedour country partnership and recruited amember of WDP USA to narrate ourcountry video on Zimbabwe. Our goalmoving forward is to have most of ourresources online, given the uncertaintyof holding in-person events in 2021. Mo-tivated by the WDP message of “Rise!Take Your Mat and Walk,” may we keepthe momentum and purpose of WDPalive throughout the year.

Website: www.wicc.orgFacebook: @WICCanadaTwitter: WICC_CA

GRENADA

Our Zimbabwean sisters enabled us tocome together under the Holy Spirit topray for the struggles that oftentimesseem universal. It felt good to be unitedin prayer and focused on a relevanttheme. Some of the issues that were

reflected on during meditation wereselfishness, the inability to forgive, dis-honesty and not caring for others. Weneed to take up these mats and rise upto change. Only with change can we havea better society. Inspired by the worshipservice, we hope to organize communityoutreach programs to educate peopleabout parenting, sexual abuse and do-mestic violence, and to teach them howto properly garden. We also want to raisefunds to help the most vulnerable in ourcommunities.

GUYANA

There is usually a big WDP service heldat a central location in the capital city ofour country. However, due to the unrestover the current pandemic and our postelections situation, the main servicecould not be executed. Nevertheless, afew local services were held outside thecapital city and participants were glad tohave been able to worship together.Through our preparatory workshops andretreats, we realized that the voices ofour sisters in Zimbabwe were inter-twined with ours. The theme was veryinfluential as it brought alive a messageof love, peace and reconciliation. Wewere empowered to go out and act inlove and peace, especially during thesedifficult times. We recognize that God is

offering us the tools for personal and so-cial transformation. We need to chooseto be agents of change and to offer aprayer and help to those in need.

JAMAICA

The selected Bible text and theme had ahuge impact on us. We felt they were acall to action and delivered a relatablemessage. Jesus asked the sick man, “Doyou want to be made well?” The man re-sponded with excuses such as that therewas no one to help him. However, every-one is welcomed to be healed by themaster’s hand if they are open to it. Thisstory shows us that we should take re-sponsibility for ourselves and that wehave the power to bring about change inour lives, even if it will be difficult. Wejoined our Zimbabwe sisters in prayerfor the protection of our natural re-sources and the respect for human life.Prayer and action are inseparable andthrough WDP we shed light on politicaland social issues that need to be ad-dressed such as anti-immigrant senti-ments, government’s abuse of powerand the increase of violence in the communities.

GRENADA JAMAICA

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

World Day of Prayer 18 Journal 2020

MONTSERRAT

The service was inspiring and challeng-ing to worshippers. A dramatization ofthe chosen passage of scripture was pre-sented so the visual aspect of the storycould be understood more clearly.Studying and meditating on the storybrought to life the realities that arehampering the spiritual and social as-pects of our lives and communities. Self-reflection is necessary to release thebaggage that has been weighing usdown and hindering our growth inChrist. The speaker at our service re-quested that we take a moment to re-flect and let go of the obstacles holdingus back and ask for God’s intervention.Our confidence in God can allow us to ac-complish amazing things. The man bythe pool, although stripped of his energyand feeling neglected, was patient andhad a strong determination to be well.He did not waver in his faith but ratherknew in his heart that God saw him.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

We express our gratitude to the WDPZimbabwe committee for their prepara-tion of the 2020 program. Thankfully, wewere able to hold the services beforebeing affected by the global pandemic.There was heightened interest, zeal andinvolvement as we engaged in praise

together. WDP activities were held inmany schools and churches. The songs,prayers and messages delivered by thespeakers contributed to the spirit filledservices and joyful experiences of thecongregations. The theme called us tochallenge ourselves and pay heed to op-portunities given. We acknowledgedthat Jesus empowers us to take controlof our situation. Our prayers andthoughts continue for our sisters of Zim-babwe who have shared some of thechallenges facing them and their coun-try, like poverty, hunger, unemploymentand domestic violence. We have beenmotivated to reach out to the commu-nity, to support the poor, the physicallychallenged and those who seek socialand economic assistance.

USA

Being united in prayer is consistently oneof the greatest pleasures of WDP for the

women across the USA. Knowing thatthey are praying and singing withwomen all over the world, following thesame program and lifting up the strug-gles of the writer country gives them anincredible feeling. Being exposed to an-other culture is also one of the high-lights. Having a small window into aworld that is so different from theirs,and yet similar in many ways, is an im-portant way of building awareness and aconnection to the writer country. TheLetter from Zimbabwe had the strongestimpact on the worship service partici-pants. Many groups printed it out andshared it amongst their congregation,separately from the worship service. Itwas eye opening for them to see whatwas really important to the women ofZimbabwe and to share their story.

Website: www.wdp-usa.orgFacebook: World Day of Prayer USA

We acknowledged that Jesus empowers us to takecontrol of our situation. Our prayers and thoughts

continue for our sisters of Zimbabwe who have shared some of the challenges facing them and their

country, like poverty, hunger, unemployment and domestic violence.

USA

World Day of Prayer 19 Journal 2020

ALBANIA

It is always a pleasure and a bless-ing to be united together in prayerwith our sisters around the world,because we know it makes ourprayers stronger. In the past, ourcountry was very isolated and notmany people knew anything aboutus. Now, the ability to be equal toothers and come together in prayeris a very important and emotional mo-ment. In God’s eyes we are all the same.God gives us the power to overcome diffi-culties and the strength to heal physicallyor spiritually. As Christians, we know thatGod is our power, our joy, and our hope.God hears, understands and heals us. Theworship service theme highlighted ourtrust in God and gave us the opportunityto lift up the current difficulties we arefacing. Our country is currently dealingwith a lot of political, economic and socialproblems, so we are challenged to con-tribute to reducing conflict and bringpeace to the family, community, andchurch. We are committed to love, peace,and reconciliation!

ARMENIA

Directly after March 6th, our countrywent into lockdown to avoid the spreadof COVID-19. We were able to hold ourworship service but have not been ableto gather after that for community activ-ities. We are thankful that this year, theparticipation of churches in our WDPcelebration has expanded across fivecities and six denominations and organi-zations: Evangelical, Catholic, Apostolic,Greek Orthodox, Brotherhood Church ofSyria, and Christian women’s forum. Theprogram written by the women of Zim-babwe taught us that with faith we canovercome all difficulties and learn toserve each other. As we listened to their

voices, we felt closer to themknowing we had shared difficul-ties. We enjoyed our time in jointprayer for love, peace and reconciliation.

AUSTRIA

For the first time in WDP Austria’s history, we celebrated the worshipservice in St. Stephen’s Cathedral,or Stephansdom. It is the mother

church of the Roman Catholic Archdio-cese of Vienna and the most importantreligious building in the capital. Over athousand women, men and differentchurch leaders worshipped together,some travelled from outside of Vienna to share this special moment with us. Theservice was described as powerful, vividand optimistic. Our community enjoyedlearning about Zimbabwe, a country inthe midst of transformation. The themewas seen as a symbol of hope, a messageto make us get up on our feet and fight forour rights for a better life. Especially now,during the COVID-19 pandemic, thetheme represents our fight against thevirus and how we will overcome the

Europe

AUSTRIA

ALBANIA ARMENIA

World Day of Prayer 20 Journal 2020

challenges that have arisen. The par-ticipants tried to take this ray of hopeinto their daily lives to have thestrength to face their challenges.

Website: http://weltgebetstag.at/Facebook: @weltgebetstagderfrauen

BELGIUM

It is empowering and gives us hopeto see so many churches and groupscome together and share ecumenicalideas. We are very grateful for thefellowship and the time spent to-gether preparing the worship service.We invited native Zimbabwean peopleto join us at our service. They shared sto-ries about their home country and an-swered our questions about the currentsituation in Zimbabwe. We learnedabout the difficulties being faced bytheir people and their determination tohelp and improve the situation ofwomen and children. It was very nice toshare in prayer with our sisters in Zim-babwe and our neighbors. Everyone par-ticipated in the service veryenthusiastically which made for an en-joyable experience. After the service wewere motivated to support projects inour local communities dedicated tohelping those in dire need.

Website:https://wgdjmpbelgium.wixsite.com/nieuwdesignFacebook: @WereldgebedsdagBelgie

BULGARIA

Only a few local committees managed toorganize WDP celebrations this year be-cause the COVID-19 crisis was precededby a flu epidemic we also experienced.To be united in prayer with Christianwomen around the world is a wonderfulexperience and a great privilege, so wetried our best to honor the program. Wewere deeply impressed by the vitality ofthe WDP movement in Zimbabwe andits impact on the life of the whole soci-ety. We can see parallels between thepolitical situation in both our countries,

where peace, justice and truedemocracy are being achievedthrough a painful process. The Bibletext was very inspiring, coupled witha motivating theme for the Bulgar-ian context. We also thoroughly en-joyed two aspects of the program:the country background informa-tion, which allowed us to learnabout a new culture, and the spacefor spontaneous prayer for the prob-lems faced in Zimbabwe and ourown country.

CROATIA

Our WDP celebration brought togetherand empowered both committee mem-bers and participants. Our worship stim-ulated compassion and awareness thatwe are all responsible for achieving abetter world. We felt the needs of thewomen of Zimbabwe and prayed forchanges in their country. Influences at aglobal level are interwoven and what-ever happens, somewhere as far asAfrica, does not differ from the situa-tions we face in our own communities.God is present everywhere. We must bemore open and receptive to the guidancethe Lord offers us in different ways andthrough many individuals. Prayer and ac-tion are powerful tools of change that will

BELGIUM

CROATIA

BULGARIA

World Day of Prayer 21 Journal 2020

lead to a society that accepts and lovesall of God’s children. The theme was soinspiring, especially during this globalCOVID-19 lockdown when people arefeeling isolated, depressed and in needof motivation to rise and take up theirburdens. We are not alone in carryingthese burdens, as our Lord is alwayswith us.

Website: http://www.wdp-croatia.com/Facebook: Svjetski molitveni danHrvatska - World day of prayer Croatia

DENMARK

We often forget to praise God when weface difficult times, so it was very inspir-ing to witness the women of Zimbabwepraising God in the midst of all theirtroubles. We learned a lot from thesewomen through the worship service andtheir courage to trust in the Lord aboveall else. Fear has a way of keeping usdown, but we must welcome and trust inthe Lord’s guidance to get up and act in prayer. Knowing that we are bound together in Christ, by the Holy Spirit all over the world, is our greatest motiva-tion. To hear a message from differentwomen in various countries reminds usthat, although the world is large, we are

all neighbors. We were developing newinitiatives to help others but due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and society on lockdown, we had to slow down. Never-theless, we are determined to help our community as best we can duringthese times.

Website: www.kvindebededag.dk

ENGLAND, WALES &NORTHERN IRELAND

The opportunity to unite in praise withthe whole world and contribute to ahuge wave of prayer is one of the reasonsbeing a part of this movement is so spe-cial. Our region is made up of about3,000 individual and independentbranches and each branch has their ownway of celebrating the service. Manyservices were greatly enhanced by the

presence and contributions of Zim-babwean women and men, whobrought artifacts to decorate the al-ters and took active parts in the wor-ship service. One branch remarkedthat the theme of the service couldnot have been timelier. Havingblessed and prayed over their com-mitments, they are now putting theminto practice as they support the eld-erly and lonely in their

community during the COVID-19 lock-down. There was a strong sense that thewomen of Zimbabwe would be encour-aged if they knew how much their serv-ice had encouraged us to reach out infaith and take up our mats and walk inour corner of England.

Website: www.wwdp.org.ukFacebook: @WorldDayOfPrayerEWNITwitter: @WWDPforEWNI

FAROE ISLANDS

Our Inspiration Day was very special asthis is when we take the time to haveBible lessons, sing, pray and share. Insmaller groups there are more opportuni-ties to ask questions and to get to knowone another better. We were able to holda local service within our community be-fore any Coronavirus lockdowns were put

FAROE ISLANDS

DENMARK ENGLAND, WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND

World Day of Prayer 22 Journal 2020

in place. Still, there was tension and par-ticipants had to keep their distance. Wemanaged to have a lovely time togetherand enjoyed the program under such apowerful theme. We loved praying withour Zimbabwe sisters, learning abouttheir culture and getting to see howthey live through the pictures provided.There was a group of mothers and chil-dren who sang for us and every year weinvite the WDP Denmark Chairpersonto come and visit us!

FRANCE

We are grateful to the Lord that we wereable to meet face to face for our WDPservice in a time of uncertainty due tothe COVID-19 health crisis. Despite thehardships and stress the global pan-demic has brought to us, it has alsoproved to be an opportunity to displaycreativity in our ways of communicating.Our celebration was lively and the mostimpactful part of the service was the Let-ter from Zimbabwe. This new way of pre-senting the country and their issues wasexciting and brought us closer to our sis-ters. One local group even felt inspired to send them back a letter with a prayerof hope. The depth of the women of Zimbabwe’s faith and their resilience in

the face of adversity truly impressed us.We felt them passing along theirstrength and joy to us throughout theservice. They rose, so we must also risefor healing comes to those who want itand trust in God.

Website: https://journeemondialede-priere.fr/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JourneeMondialeDePriereFrance

GERMANY

There is always a special atmosphereamong Christians on the first Friday inMarch. There is a unique feeling ofworldwide togetherness in the bond ofthe WDP. We truly feel God’s belovedblessing. We always try to find new andinteresting ways of promoting WDP. This year, an art exhibition was organ-ized to showcase the powerful paintingsof Granete Ngirandi of Zimbabwe. Welive streamed a WDP service to reachyoung people through social media. Wealso created a petition to ask Germany’s federal government to offer partial debt relief to Zimbabwe by reinvestingthe debt relief in health programs inZimbabwe. Over 50,000 signatures

were collected. We want to thank ourZimbabwe sisters for a powerful and in-tensive program, for sharing their lifewith us via a letter, for their joyoussongs, faith in God and encouragementto rise. With the women of Zimbabwe as our role models we will overcome our challenges, no matter how difficultthey are.

Website: https://weltgebetstag.de/en/Facebook: @weltgebetstagTwitter: @weltgebetstagDInstagram: @weltgebetstag

FRANCE GERMANY

The depth of the women of Zimbabwe’s faith

and their resilience in the face of adversity truly impressed us.

We felt them passing along their strength

and joy to us throughout the service.

World Day of Prayer 23 Journal 2020

GREECE

We were fortunate enough to be able tocelebrate our worship service, but due tothe Coronavirus we were unable to cele-brate as we usually do, and there was adecrease in attendance. However, thewomen who were able to come togetherhelped each other stay safe. We prayedfor the healing of all Coronavirus victimsand their families in our service. We also prayed for the women of Zimbabweand happily gave our support to them. A Zimbabwean woman joined us andspoke about her country and the suffering some of the people endure.The opportunity for praying for eachother and helping those in need are themoments of WDP which have the great-est impact. The theme also connectedwith everyone on a personal level, be-cause every person has been sick or in-jured once, and knows in their heartsthat the Lord is a healer, now and forever.

Facebook: WWDP Greece - μ μ

HUNGARY

Every year we consider the experience ofbeing united with the whole worldunder a common day of prayer as a great

miracle. Learning about an African coun-try was very exciting, especially for thechildren who enjoyed the exotic ani-mals, lively music and interesting cul-ture. In the rural town of Dunaújváros, adrawing competition based on the bibli-cal story was held during the children’sprogram. Our people experienced 40years of communism, so we really iden-tified with the women of Zimbabwe andwhat it means to live in a dictatorshipand within corruption. The persever-ance, optimism and strong faith of thesewomen was very encouraging and theyhave set an example for the rest of us.We were motivated to turn to the

vulnerable and those in need. We joineda pre-existing project to support a healthcamp organized by the HungarianLutheran Mission Society for those livingin Africa.

Website:https://www.meot.hu/index.php/noi-m

IRELAND

Despite growing concerns over theCOVID-19 pandemic, only two worshipservices were postponed. Others werewell attended, including our annual livebroadcasted worship service. The servicewas led by President Major GillianDicker and our guest speaker wasWDPIC Chairperson, Laurence Gangloff.It was an amazing experience. We thankeveryone who supported us and workedhard for the success of this worship serv-ice, especially the women of WDP Zim-babwe. Many agreed that the servicethey wrote was spiritual, uplifting, rele-vant, and inspiring. The theme, letter,and Bible study all reflected love, peace,compassion and reconciliation, some-thing all churches want to be a part of. Itis a privilege to be a part of such a spiritfilled movement.

GREECE HUNGARY

IRELAND

World Day of Prayer 24 Journal 2020

Facebook: Women’s World Day of PrayerIreland

LITHUANIA

Each year, the WDP celebration creates aunique opportunity to be united inprayer and to get inspired for other activ-ities. Participants are very interested inthe worship service and make it their re-sponsibility to contribute either bypreparing materials, decorating, read-ing, acting and singing. Regarding thetheme, one person reflected on how itwould be easier to ignore the angry, sadand most vulnerable. It is easier to prayfor them or offer money rather than tohear their cries and hold their hands.When Jesus spoke to the man at the pool,he extended out his hand and said “Rise!Take Your Mat and Walk.” Let these wordsof Jesus lead everybody to the pool of thehealing love of Jesus. Let us extend ourhands out to our neighbors so we may allbask in the Lord’s glory.

LUXEMBOURG

This year’s celebration was a bit particu-lar. Although we were able to celebratebefore any lockdowns, the usual warmatmosphere was missing. People weresocial distancing but still felt bound to

their sisters around the world. Everyoneenjoyed the whole celebration especiallythe choir and music. Many were unawareof the situations being faced in Zim-babwe and that women still need tofight for their rights. The children en-joyed their service as well and almostdid not want to leave! Our celebrationsare growing every year with more loca-tions and participants. It motivates us tocontinue our efforts and hopefully topass on the committee’s duties onto theyounger generation. We also hope tobegin celebrating in the Northern part ofour country. There is much to do andmany changes to oversee, especially asthe pandemic crisis evolves.

Website:http://www.acfl.lu/de/weltgebetstagFacebook: @WDPLuxembourg

MACEDONIA

WDP is very important and special to us because without it we would neverhave heard or learned about some of the different countries around theworld. It is good for us to be able togather with women of other denomina-tions to learn about these new countriesand lift them up in prayer, especially

since this is usually our only chance to doso. It is also helpful and encouraging tolearn about the circumstances of womenfrom other countries and see that theirexperiences are similar to ours. This year,we were happy to have a celebration inOhrid for the first time. It was not heldby any congregation but by the lead organizer of a school for Roma children.They prepared the service together with the girls from school who invitedtheir mothers and families to join. It wasa joyous and unforgettable event for allof them.

NETHERLANDS

Several worship services were held acrossour country in churches and schools. Itwas very moving to gather together andpraise the Holy Spirit with our sisters inZimbabwe. There was a moment duringthe service where participants sharedtheir thoughts, reflections on the themeand visions for the future which was thor-oughly enjoyable for all. The WDP serviceis a special time for us, but over the yearswe have noticed a decrease in attendanceand interest. It may be because of agingparticipants or too many other churchevents to attend. We have not given uphope and, like the theme of this years’

LITHUANIA MACEDONIA

World Day of Prayer 25 Journal 2020

service, will rise and move forward withnew ideas and plans. As of last year, wehave started using digital methods ofpreparation and have taken actions to encourage younger women to participate.We hope and pray that this will prove successful.

Website:https://www.wereldgebeds-dag.nl/Facebook: Wereldgebedsdag Nederland

NORWAY

The COVID-19 pandemic caused all ofNorway to shut down shortly after theworship service was held which led tothe cancellation of some local activitiesand decreased our contact with localcommittees. However, we still managedto hold several worship services. It was ablessing to be united in prayer with ourecumenical sisters and the women fromZimbabwe. Most of our committeemembers belong to the Church of Nor-way but we also have members who arePentecostal, Methodists, Baptists andmore. Our main celebration was held in Oslo at the Free Church, where amember shared an interesting reflectionon the theme and delivered an upliftingsermon. Although it is sometimes

difficult for us to acquire some of theitems suggested in the program, we tryto stick to the original outline as much aspossible. It is important to us to stay con-nected to the originality and creativity ofthe writer committee.

Facebook: @kvinnenesinternasjonale-bonnedag

POLAND

Do you want to be made well? At first thisseems like a strange question because it isknown that every sick person wants to behealed. However, the outcome dependson our individual answers based on self-reflection. We must encourage ourselvesand others to rise and become well.

Almost all of our services were sched-uled for the first Friday and Sunday ofMarch, so the pandemic did not preventus from praying for the women of Zim-babwe. It is a great feeling to know thatat one moment in time, women all overthe world are praying for specific issuesbrought to light by the writer country.The prayers, the letter from Zimbabwe,the decorations and beautiful songs allprovided for a thrilling service. Womentook an active part in the program in

Warsaw with the musical elements re-ally lighting up the entire service, as thechoir made a real masterpiece out ofeach song.

Website: https://ekumenia.pl/Facebook: @ekumenia

PORTUGAL

In the south, the celebration was initi-ated by the WDP Portugal Chairpersonwho presented the country of Zimbabweand read the letter of the women. Mean-while, several symbols of the countrywent into procession and were used todecorate the altar table. During severalmoments, a choir of African women ofthe Methodist Church sang the hymns intheir native language. At the end of theservice, tea was served so that the con-viviality and sharing would continue.Unfortunately, the north was the firstzone most affected by the COVID-19virus so no WDP celebrations were held.During the months of March, April andMay the churches have remained closed.We are grateful to God for our lives dur-ing this time of distress. Upon reflection,we understood that our eyes and earsshould be wide open to listen to thewords of wisdom that God has for us.

POLAND PORTUGAL

World Day of Prayer 26 Journal 2020

Let’s build a more just and pleasantworld for all humanity.

REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA

We were surprised to see that the themefor the service that focused on healingcoincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.This was an unexpected test that filled uswith a lot of emotions but the Lord hasalways shown us protection and support.The WDP movement is so powerful, andit is inspiring to know that women of dif-ferent countries are united by the un-ceasing common praise for our Creator.This experience makes us optimisticabout the future. For the first time, weorganized a family service for communi-ties from two cities in addition to ourmain services. It was an unforgettablemoment for all as we prayed together forZimbabwe, sang hymns and reflected onthe sermon. A children’s service was heldafterwards with quizzes, games, dancingand crafts. Our joint activities were trulya highlight and we plan to continue thisinitiative next year.

ROMANIA

We thank our sisters from Zimbabwe forsuch a relevant topic. Who would havethought that after the call to “Rise! Take

Your Mat and Walk,” the churches wouldhave to be closed due to COVID-19? We have had to embrace online tech-nologies in order to be closer to and sup-port our communities and peopleworldwide as best as we can. Eventhough some congregations were un-able to hold their services, we have no-ticed an increasing interest in themovement. People appreciated the serv-ice, enjoyed the songs and were im-pressed with the information about theconsequences of climate change and theeconomic and socio-political situation ofZimbabwe. We had a conversationabout at what point in life does the word

of God speak to us. The stories of our sisters and the word of God were allgreat sources of encouragement duringthese times.

Facebook: Ziua Mondiala de Rugaciune -Romania

SCOTLAND

WDP is one of the few opportunitiesthat churches get to work and socializeecumenically. The friendships made lastfor years. People who attend the serviceyear after year get to see friends they donot usually see every day. That is whatmakes WDP so special. The women like to

ROMANIA SCOTLAND

That is what makes WDP so special. The

women like to getinvolved, participate inBible studies and learn

more about the lives of the women in the

writer country.

REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA

World Day of Prayer 27 Journal 2020

get involved, participate in Bible studiesand learn more about the lives of thewomen in the writer country. They try todecorate the church as suggested and re-create recipes from the writer country.Children services are held in churches andschools. The children love arts and crafts,such as coloring the flag. They enjoylearning about a new country, and lead-ing their own service. Their enthusiasmand energy are motivating. People are al-ready excited for next years’ service!

Website:http://www.wdpscotland.org.ukFacebook: World Day of Prayer Scotland

SERBIA

This WDP worship service will be re-membered as a very precious gatheringof Christian women in the northern partof Serbia. We were able to hold our serv-ice right before news of the COVID-19 out-break shuttered the doors of ourchurches. We thank God for the opportu-nity to share our prayers for the women inZimbabwe. For us the theme reflected areadiness for change. We need to recog-nize Jesus’ invitation to be healed. TheHoly Spirit confirms to us that Jesus’ maintask is to empower us to make changes.

Next year, WDP Ser-bia will celebrate its70th anniversary andwe would like toshare our happinesswith all our sistersaround the world sothat we may stayunited in prayer,peace and justice.

Website:www.ehons.org

SLOVAKIA

The WDP worship service was an excep-tional one, given the difficult situation ofthe COVID-19 pandemic in nearly everycountry in the world. Our committee or-ganized a service at the EvangelicalMethodist church on March 6th and itwas attended by many women, men andyouths. We were very pleased that wedid not experience low participation andwere able to celebrate with each otherbefore any lockdowns were put in place.We even had the pleasure of a youngstudent from Zimbabwe, studyingLekarska fakulta (Medicine) in Slovakia,join us in prayer. The strong and purefaith in God the Christians of Zimbabwe

have is inspiring. They are humble andgrateful for even the smallest thing thatlife gives them. They are an example forall of us.

Facebook: @sdmslovensko

SLOVENIA

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, manywere afraid to participate in the worshipservice but we were happy to see thatmany organizations still held their cele-bration. In Ljubljana, a historic momenttook place when members of Serbian Orthodox church joined us in prayer. The context of the Bible story was stillfresh in our minds as we held a Biblestudy session with Ulrike Bechmann in

SLOVAKIASERBIA

SLOVENIA

World Day of Prayer 28 Journal 2020

January, so the question “Do you want tobe made well?” echoed in our ears.Whether it is a virus or a wounded heart,Jesus can heal everything if we accept it.This is a call for action towards justice.We cannot sit idly by and wait for a mira-cle to happen; we must make our ownmiracles. One of the most appealing as-pects of the WDP movement is the uni-versality of Christianity. To be united inprayer with Christian women around theworld feels glorious.

Website:https://smdslovenija.wixsite.com/smdslovenija

Facebook: SMD (Svetovni molitveni dan -Slovenija)

SPAIN

The WDP service was the penultimateevent in our churches before the COVID-19 related confinement. It was a blessingto be able to gather together, althoughstrange not to be able to hug or kiss eachother. Our services were colorful, featur-ing items of African artisanry. InSabadell the women wore bright Africanclothes; and in Madrid there was a choirof Christians from Equatorial Guinea.Through the program we learned thatAfrica is a continent where people,

despite difficult circumstances, praisethe Lord with joyful enthusiasm. Wewere impressed by their history and thework the women do year-round to helpwomen and children. We felt a renewedcommitment to WDP as we prayed forthem and their country. Now, with theBlack Lives Matter protests in our coun-try, we are even more aware of the racialdiscrimination faced by our black sisters.We will continue to lift the women be-yond WDP circles up in prayers.

SWEDEN

We were grateful that the WDP servicecould be celebrated as planned acrossour country just before COVID-19 brokeout and closed all opportunities for inperson meetings. It was a day to remem-ber with gratitude the valuable ex-change between women in ourworld-wide churches including in Zimbabwe. Many were enthusiasticabout the program and enjoyed collect-ing items representing Zimbabwe, like drums, fabrics and pots. The call toact in love, peace and reconciliation wasvery motivating. In several places,women who had been visiting or

SWEDEN

SPAINThrough the program we

learned that Africa is a

continent where people, despite

difficult circumstances, praise

the Lord with joyful

enthusiasm. We were impressed

by their history and the work

the women do year-round to

help women and children.

World Day of Prayer 29 Journal 2020

working in Zimbabwe participated inthe service which generated a specialconnection with the women who wrotethe service and their situation. In spite of the difficulties we face today therewas a feeling of hope and faith for thefuture. It was mentioned that we shouldnot be afraid but to have faith in God.

Website: www.svekumeniskakvinnor.seFacebook: @svekumeniskakvinnor

SWITZERLAND

Due to the risks associated with theCOVID-19 pandemic, many WDP cele-brations were cancelled and those thatwere held had to adapt to the health restrictions outlined by the government.Our traditional invitation for a commu-nity meal together after the service wasnot possible this year. A local group that

was not permitted to host a large service,still wanted to participate and in asmaller, more private circle, read theworship service together. Many peoplewere impressed with the service andwere deeply impacted by the Letter from Zimbabwe. Two local groups de-cided to answer the letter and sendwords of greetings and encouragementto the WDP Zimbabwe committee.Through the service, many learnedabout the great effort it takes to movetowards reconciliation, forgiveness andpeace. It is sad that Zimbabwe’s transfor-mation has not yet been fulfilled; but itis inspiring to know they work towards itevery day.

Website: www.wgt.ch

UKRAINE

Learning about other countries and theirculture is the biggest highlight of theWDP program for us. It is always inter-esting to get informed about the situa-tions and struggles of people from suchdistant countries. Despite the distance,we have many things in common. Beingunited in prayer makes us feel like we arean integral part of this movement. Thisyear may have felt chaotic with the wide-spread fear and despair over the COVID-19 pandemic; but the theme proved tobe acutely relevant and uplifting. It re-minded us that Jesus is present in ourlives to heal. We must be open to theLord’s guidance and be brave enough tochange what needs to be changed. Wemust also acknowledge the peoplearound us in need of our help and ex-tend our hand out to them.

SWITZERLAND UKRAINE

World Day of Prayer 30 Journal 2020

ARGENTINA

We felt very blessed to be invited by thewomen of Zimbabwe to praise the HolySpirit. It was frustrating not to be able tocelebrate all of the planned services,due to the COVID-19 pandemic andmandatory isolation measures. Still, wewere glad for the opportunities we didhave to come together. The programwas very enjoyable. We translated thesongs into Spanish and decorated thealtar with many candles. The most im-pactful part of the service for us waslearning about the tireless struggle thewomen of Zimbabwe face. Our prayersare with them!

Website: http://cedmo.blogspot.com/Facebook: DMO Argentina

BRAZIL

Over the years, the WDP themes have allbeen fantastic in provoking faith, unity,prayer and creativity. This year is no dif-ferent. The theme challenged us to findthe courage to be vulnerable and al-lowed us to be healed. It reminded us ofthe importance of walking collectively asa community to overcome our condi-tions. It was noted during the medita-tion that Jesus opens people’s minds andguides them to live in peace. Jesusteaches us that we are the catalysts ofour own journey and cannot expect our

circumstances to change without action.We have been stimulated to take re-sponsibility for ourselves, to change ourways of life, and to pursue transforma-tion and liberation. In that way, we willcare for each other as God cares for us.

Website: http://www.dmoracao.comu-nidades.net/

CHILE

From the moment we receive the worship service materials, excitementbegins to brew. Preparations begin, com-mittee meetings are scheduled and invi-tations are sent to other ecumenicalgroups. Despite the pandemic, some

Latin AmericaARGENTINA BRAZIL

The most impactful part of the service for us was learning about the tireless

struggle the women of Zimbabwe face. Our prayers are with them!

World Day of Prayer 31 Journal 2020

congregations managed to get togetherand hold their service. Undoubtedly, thissituation reduced attendance but thosewho met achieved their goal of prayingfor the women in Zimbabwe and our na-tion. Given the situation today and whatis being experienced globally, it wasgood to have an opportunity to focus ourprayers. We also felt that the Bible studycomplemented the worship very well.There were plans to have meetings andprayer chains but it was no longer possi-ble due to the pandemic.

Website:https://diamundialdeoracion.wixsite.com/chile

COLOMBIA

Given the public health situation, wewere not able to advertise the services asmuch, but we enjoyed the ones we wereable to hold. Everyone was very enthusi-astic in the preparation of the altar. Wewelcomed the participants with smallclay pots. During the worship service, wehanded out three cards, each one with adifferent color and shape: a red heart, a white dove, and a yellow flower. Theparticipants wrote down on each onetheir commitments towards love, peaceand reconciliation. Many have alwaysbelieved that we have to reflect on our-selves in order to heal, so they reallyidentified with the theme. It is also

important to act on our prayers and helpvulnerable communities. God gives usmany opportunities but we must havethe initiative to act on them. We are already thinking about how we will plan for next year, possibly visitingchurches and forming our final ecu-menical committee.

COSTA RICA

In February, our committee held apreparatory workshop to familiarize our-selves with the materials. For the firsttime, representatives from the Caribbeancoast of Costa Rica managed to join theworkshop, where we also discussed ourorganizational structure. We were gladfor the opportunity to integrate theminto our committee. “I feel blessed to be apart of something so important. I didn’tknow this prayer spiritually unites somany on a global level,” commented oneof them. It was a time of joy, support, re-flection and communion that strength-ened our bond. We are happy with thebroad participation in the workshop, es-pecially because the only group thatcould hold a service was the one from theCaribbean Coast. Because of the pan-demic, the schools and churches wereclosed down. Nevertheless, the program

CHILE COLOMBIA

COSTA RICA

World Day of Prayer 32 Journal 2020

motivated us to move forward andachieve our goals in life. We should al-ways have hope in the future.

CUBA

Before the socio-economic situation inCuba worsened due to COVID-19, wewere already in need of a theme that invited us to get up, take up our realitiesand walk towards change. In this sense, we value the program written by the women of Zimbabwe. It focuseson a theme that takes us to a faithtransforming experience. The search for

an encounter with God results in inte-gral healing. Just as Jesus’ healingphrase had the power to encourage asick man to rise, so too should our wordsduring this pandemic. God inspires us torise and helps us encourage others. Insome way, none of our countries willever be the same. We have faced notonly a disease, but the desperate cry ofthe collapse of creation, of systems andindividualism. It is towards a life ofpeace, sharing and reconciliation whichwe must move.

GUATEMALA

COVID-19 related restrictions began inour country on March 15th, so before

that date some groups were able to holdtheir services. Nevertheless, beingunited in prayers for the women of Zim-babwe was a special event. We are alsoplanning to host three workshops elec-tronically in the upcoming months. Wefelt God’s touch in our hearts as a call toprayer. On a national level, our countryhas faced struggles that have led to painand suffering. Thus, the call for peaceand reconciliation is a personal and so-cial challenge. On one hand, we feel theneed to seek justice for the faults com-mitted against our communities; and onthe other hand, we believe injusticesshould be met with forgiveness. Ingranting forgiveness, we have peace inour hearts.

Facebook: Dia Mundial de Oración -Guatemala

HONDURAS

Two weeks before our WDP celebration,we held a workshop and invited localchurches to join us in getting to knowthe focus country. Several participantsjoined us and we shared refreshmentsbased on Zimbabwean recipes. We worktogether every year to celebrate WDP inthe Roatan circuit and the Utila NorthCoast group. We had planned threeservices for 2020, but due to the globalpandemic we were only able to holdone. The moments we were able toshare together were refreshing; andpraying along with our Zimbabwean

GUATEMALA

HONDURAS

CUBA

World Day of Prayer 33 Journal 2020

sisters was invigorating.The program taught us thatwe must not sit around andwait for help, but to get upand push ourselves to fol-low the examples we find inthe Bible’ stories. We thankGod we were able to hold atleast one bilingual service -English and Spanish.

MEXICO

The WDP worship serviceprogram always provides uswith the opportunity to learn about thesituations that exist in other countries.With love and empathy, we joined to-gether in prayer for the needs of eachother. We prayed for the women of Zimbabwe, for the world and ourchurches. We reflected on the invitationof Jesus to be healed, to get up and over-come the obstacles or excuses that pre-vent us from accepting the guidanceneeded to transform our lives. We com-mitted ourselves to spreading theGospel so that people can know thepower and greatness of Jesus’ love andmercy. In that way, they can build a di-rect relationship with God through ourLord Jesus Christ.

NICARAGUA

Like every other country in the world,the Coronavirus pandemic slowed downour everyday life. We had everythingprepared for the celebration, like thedramatizations, the souvenirs and theeducational materials; but the pan-demic stopped our plans. We wanted todouble the number of celebrations butunfortunately it was not possible. How-ever, through praises to the Holy Spiritwe were able to feel God’s presenceamong us. The theme challenged us tobelieve that we can achieve miracles.Jesus encourages us to find ways out ofour limitations and difficult situations.As Jesus is there for us, we need to be

there for those who acceptchange in their lives. With con-fidence we can achieve any-thing we want.

PANAMA

The impact that the worshipservice has on women can beseen in the commitment andactive participation of thoseorganizing and attending theservice. Despite the situationour country was going throughat the time, celebrations were

still held and well attended. We had ablessed time together joining our sistersaround the world in prayer and praise.The reflections based on the themewere very powerful. We have to wake upand start to change things for the betteras Jesus is our model of love, peace andreconciliation. We must actively fill ourminds with new ideas; and depart fromnegative behaviors with faith and hope.God loves us all and implores us to livetransformed lives. Some of our sistersfelt the courage to make a difference.They decided to start a ministry in theircommunity to help those in need by de-livering food and medicine, and visitingthe sick and the elderly.

MEXICO NICARAGUA

PANAMA

World Day of Prayer 34 Journal 2020

PARAGUAY

For us, participating in this ecumenicalmovement has been and continues tobe a blessing in our lives. We had the joyof having women from Brazil, Argentinaand indigenous women from Chaco par-ticipating in our two-day retreat. Know-ing that we are united under the mantleof God regardless of our denominations;we aim to pray for one another withconfidence. While those of us who engage in these retreats and meetingscan appreciate their value, there are still groups that fear ecumenism. This is one of the challenges we work to-wards overcoming. As we reflected onJohn’s biblical passage to identify our

‘mats’, we focused our strength towardsa new hope. We know that Jesus, de-spite knowing our weakness, loves usand approaches us with mercy and hu-mility, asking us - “Do you want to bemade well?”

VENEZUELA

The reality in which our people currentlylive in is very complicated. Leading up tothe 2020 celebration we experienced aseries of blackouts and lack of gasolinefor transportation, which made ourpreparatory meetings difficult to hold.The protocols established to combat theCoronavirus pandemic also limited us in many ways. However, our women

persevered and in Caracas we met sev-eral times and eventually held our WDP celebration. In Maracaibo and Barquisimeto, services were held thefirst week in March. Despite the set-backs, we are encouraged to continuecelebrating WDP. We are exploring vir-tual options for the 2021 program. Thetheme this year challenged us to not bestopped by adversity, but to learn from itand seek alternatives in order to moveforward. We invite all to be attentive totheir needs and the needs of others. Wewill “Rise! Take Our Mats and Walk!”

VENEZUELAPARAGUAY

As we reflected on John’s biblical passage to identify our ‘mats’, we focused our strength towards a new hope. We know that Jesus, despite knowing

our weakness, loves us and approaches us with mercy and humility, asking us—“Do you want to be made well?”

World Day of Prayer 35 Journal 2020

EGYPT

We are thankful for the spiritual fellow-ship, unity and support we receive fromthe WDP worship service every year.Coming together to meet, pray and sup-port each other spiritually has thebiggest impact on all of us. In unity thereis strength, so it always feels great to beunited in prayer. Thank you to thewomen of Zimbabwe for a wonderfulservice. The theme of their programtaught us that the ‘mats’ in our lives, theobstacles that sometimes hinder ourability to do God’s work, must be left be-hind. The Bible story inspired hope inour hearts that, with patience and faith,God will heal us. We also felt motivatedto extend our hand in support of Syrianwidows who are living in Cairo.

LEBANON

In spite of this year’s turbulent politicalrevolution, the worst financial crisis ourcountry has ever experienced and the

COVID-19 pandemic, we thank God wewere able to hold our WDP worship serv-ice. We prayed for protection, comfort,and for the health of the world. The pro-gram tackled social and economic issuesthat we are familiar with and listening towhat the women of Zimbabwe have en-dured made us feel connected to them.The challenge to stay strong and not losehope is tremendous but as this year’sspeaker, Rev. Rima Nasrallah van Saane,

shared, “we will not be defeated by ourburdens. We will not give up the fight fora good life. No matter how long or howheavy it all feels, we will listen to Christ’scall, and we will rise up and carry theseburdens as we walk to a life renewed byGod’s promises.”

Facebook: World Day of Prayer NationalCommittee of Lebanon

PALESTINE

Everyone was feeling very positive andexcited for the services we had plannedin Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah,along with a service at the ArmenianApostolic Seminary with the participa-tion of its choir. But unfortunately, due tothe COVID-19 pandemic and the corre-sponding country lockdown, they werecancelled. We pray that the situation willbe better for next year. Despite this, wefelt drawn to the problems and concernshighlighted by the Zimbabwean

Middle EastEGYPT

LEBANON

World Day of Prayer 36 Journal 2020

women. We held the theme very close toour hearts because the Gospel readingcame directly from our environment.The pool of Bethesda still exists today inJerusalem. It attests to the belief of thepeople who were healed, or hoped to behealed if the angel stirred the water.When asked - “Do you want to be madewell?” - we respond with a “of course!”But even if we individually pick up ourmats, we still need the massive efforts ofgood people who believe in human be-ings, who do the will of God, have globalmoral values and are supported by inter-national law.

TUNISIA

We were very pleased to be able to holdthe worship service despite the frantic

and tense environment the world is cur-rently in. With the threat of the Coron-avirus and political tensions rising, wefelt that this time of prayer and unitywas greatly needed. A number of youngAfrican men joined us for the worshipservice. It was a new experience for themand we were happy to be able to exposenewcomers to WDP. They actively partic-ipated and enjoyed their time with us.We enjoyed learning about our sistersand brothers in Zimbabwe. The impactof the service was in the understandingof the situation in their country and lift-ing them up in prayer.

TURKEY

Throughout the service we felt thepower of the Zimbabwean women, who

took the steps of righteousness, peaceand reconciliation with spiritual trans-formation. The Holy Spirit gives usstrength and enables us to act in waysthat better our lives. By being open tothe Holy Spirit and listening to the needsof our society, we can make a changewithin ourselves and our world. Withthis attitude we can bring true love toour neighbors. The word of God alwayshas a big impact on us. The Bible teachesus how faith brings us healing: the faithin the healer (Matthew 9:27-29), thefaith in the words of God, and the powerof the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:5).

TURKEY The Holy Spirit gives usstrength and enables us

to act in ways that betterour lives. By being open to the Holy Spirit and

listening to the needs ofour society, we can make a change within ourselves

and our world.

World Day of Prayer 37 Journal 2020

AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND

We take turns hosting the interdenomi-national WDP worship service, and thisyear it was hosted by the women of theFree Constitutional Church of Tonga.There were other local services held aswell with a lot of effort put into decora-tions, souvenirs and traditional Zimbab-wean recipes. One group had the leaderswearing flower wreaths in their hair rep-resenting the colors of love, peace andreconciliation. The fellowship WDP gen-erates with other denominations is amajor part of the celebration. We arelucky to have such committed support-ers of WDP services. We enjoyed the op-portunity to learn about Zimbabwe andnative Zimbabwean women joined ourservices. It was uplifting to pray with oursisters and we were encouraged to showthe power of prayer to our communities.

Website:http://www.worlddayofprayer.co.nz/

AUSTRALIA

While a few services were cancelled inorder to abide by social isolation guide-lines due to the Coronavirus, most ofthem were held before lockdown. Theoverall atmosphere was one of gratitudefor being together to share the joys andhardships of our Zimbabwe sisters. Incertain areas of Australia, there aremany migrants and refugees from Zim-babwe, some were asked to speak at theservices. They spoke longingly of their

beautiful country, the struggles they en-dured and the love for their families.This authentic voice gave great value tothe services. The program challenged usto consider the ‘mat’ we need to lift up.For some people, the ‘mat’ is their apa-thy, judgmentalism, or consumerism.However, we are urged to advocate forthe poor, to be generous, stand againstinjustice, uphold the dignity of each per-son and promote the equality of races.

Website: www.worlddayofprayeraus-tralia.org

COOK ISLANDS

Thanks to God, we were able to hold ourworship services before any COVID-19restrictions were put in place. On one is-land, each church was allocated an issueregarding Zimbabwe and was asked tocompose a song, drama or prayer to bepresented at the WDP service. This ini-tiative helps us understand the context

The overall atmospherewas one of gratitude for

being together to share thejoys and hardships of our

Zimbabwe sisters.

PacificAUSTRALIAAOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND

World Day of Prayer 38 Journal 2020

and makes us feel closer to the writercountry. “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk”is one of the most powerful themes wehave reflected on so far. We were chal-lenged to consider how we respond toGod’s call. Are we ready to stand for theLord’s will? Are we ready to encounter allthose who are in need, to love them andwalk hand in hand with our sisterssearching for healing? We cannot de-pend on others and must do our part inbuilding God’s Kingdom. Our voices aswomen must be heard.

KIRIBATI

WDP is a time where we can share whatwe face and listen open heartedly to theissues of Christian women around theworld. We make the space to listen towhat our sisters in Christ have to say andrespond with our prayers of solidarity.This annual event strengthens our faithin God and we feel the power of the HolySpirit within us. The theme of the pro-gram was very helpful in reminding us toconsider what it means to be a goodChristian. What can we do to help oth-ers? What do we have to offer? This canoften be very challenging to answer butit reminds us of how Jesus is constantlyhelping others. We believe that WDP is amovement not only for Christians but for

everyone who could benefit from thelove and wisdom of God.

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Our worship service took place on March14th after a long discussion with theMinistry of Health and Human servicesto consider the risks. While there wereno COVID-19 cases on the Marshall Is-lands at the time, we wanted to takeevery precautionary measure to keep oursisters safe. Our service took place at theInternational Convention Center and wewere able bring over 1,000 sisters to-gether to worship. The theme touchedour hearts and was especially fitting forthe situation we find ourselves in today.Knowing that God loves us and that weare in the Lord’s care, we sang anddanced in praise to express our feelings

of trusting God’s protection. Our dancessymbolized our commitment to pick upour mats and heal from the troubles inour hearts.

SAMOA

We are grateful to the women of Zim-babwe for inviting us to be globally en-gaged in prayer with them. Womenparticipated in the service with joy andwith inspirational feelings when invitedas one in body and soul. The theme en-courages change; and we are particularlyinterested in impacting the economywith the women’s movements and de-veloping cooperation in the nationpeace-building process. Our country is inneed of transformation as it faces socialand political issues. It is time to becourageous enough to let our voices be

COOK ISLANDS

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Knowing that God lovesus and that we are in theLord’s care, we sang and

danced in praise toexpress our feelings of

trusting God’s protection.

heard. Although the pandemic hascaused hardships, we want to highlightthe positives we have noticed. Our coun-try has had no COVID-19 cases and fami-lies have been able to spend more timetogether. People who have never gone tochurch have been worshipping fromhome due to broadcasted services onthe radio and television.

TUVALU

On the morning of our service, we emo-tionally listened to the struggles andsuffering the women in Zimbabwe faceand the hard road they had to walk to-wards love, peace and reconciliation.That reality differs from ours and we appreciate what we have; however, itbrought us to a sense of love and respon-sibility, a responsibility to do more forwomen and children in need. The choiceto be healed, to be made whole, is ours to make and understanding thisempowers us as women. We are chal-lenged to look beyond the difficultiesbefore us and to rise up like the man bythe pool, through Jesus Christ. He is our

assurance for a better tomorrow. To beunited in prayer is astounding and in-spiring. The WDP celebration is an im-portant annual event and despite Tuvalubeing a small island country, we recog-nize that unity in prayer for any nationcan move mountains.

VANUATU

World Day of Prayer 39 Journal 2020

TUVALU

VANUATU

World Day of Prayer 40 Journal 2020

Listening to women’s voices fromaround the world is one of the many

things that sustain the interest in WDP.This is quite visible at the InternationalMeeting when the working group, to se-lect the theme and writer committees,starts to reflect on the applications forthe annual observance.

In 2019, the WDPIC office started theconversations to organize the writingprocess with the committees selected atthe International Meeting in 2017, inBrazil. As the process starts way ahead ofthe year of the celebration, this was thetime to reach out to two of the selectedcommittees: Taiwan, WDP 2023 andPalestine, WDP 2024. Thus, in Decemberof 2019, WDPIC Chairperson, Laurence

Gangloff went to Jerusalem and WDPICExecutive Director, Rosângela Oliveira toTaiwan.

To witness the faith of the PalestinianChristians who, inspired by the life andteachings of Jesus Christ, seek justiceand peace; Laurence attended theSabeel International Gathering in Beth-lehem. There were about 75 people from16 different countries representing sev-eral denominations at the Gathering.The speakers were Palestinian Christiansand Muslims, Jews, and Israelis, whotalked about their daily lives and thenon-violent actions for a just peace.

Besides attending the Gathering, Laurence met the members of WDP

Palestine in Jerusalem. Among them arewomen with a long history in WDP, whocan even tell the stories of the writingprocess for the 1994 worship service. Theseven of them come from different de-nominations and communities, butwere all excited to be united in prayers.

This meeting was the first step of a longprocess towards writing the worshipservice for WDP 2024. We had planned aStrengthening National Committeeworkshop to be held in 2020. However,with the COVID-19 global outbreak, weare all living under some version of alockdown and severe restrictions for in-ternational travel. Thus, we started ourconversation via web conferencing.

Leading Together“I beg you… bear with one another in love”

BY ROSÂNGELA S. OLIVEIRA

Laurence Gangloff meeting with WDP Palestine Committee

World Day of Prayer 41 Journal 2020

In July, we took the second step. We metonline for the first time. Seventeenwomen and young women participatedin the conversation. We are starting thewriting process of the worship service inthe midst of a global health pandemic.What a challenge!

“It is not going to be easy to gather peo-ple to come to Jerusalem from Ramallahor Bethlehem because of the check-points and the pandemic” said one par-ticipant. But it will “be exciting because itis a process and a group effort,” said theother. We are aware of the many obsta-cles in the several phases of the process,but we are confident that there is anenormous support for our sisters and wewill face the challenges together.

It is interesting to realize that in 1928,during the World Missionary Conferenceheld in Jerusalem, few women gathered

to talk about initiatives to unite womenaround the world; this conversation gavespace for the future formation of an in-ternational committee for the WorldDay of Prayer. Almost 100 years later,now as an organized World Day ofPrayer International Committee, we areback to Jerusalem, to the Holy Land

where the Christian faith started, withthe theme “I beg you… bear with one an-other in love.” In love, we will hear thewitness to God’s grace through JesusChrist. It will be a witness for peace, anurgent need not only in the land of Jesusbut also around the world.

We are aware of the many obstacles in the several phases of the process, but we are confident that there is an enormous support for our sisters

and we will face the challenges together.

Writer Committee Meeting

WDP Palestine Meeting Sabeel International Gathering

World Day of Prayer 42 Journal 2020

The Strengthening National Commit-tee Workshop took place from De-

cember 4 to 6, 2019 when more than 30participants gathered at Our Lady ofProvidence Girls’ High School, NewTaipei City, Taiwan. Through various cre-ative activities and dialogue, the three-day workshop aimed to strengthenfellowship, build relationships, and“brainstorm” concerning the worshipservice materials for WDP 2023.

Local participants included women andyoung women from the Catholic Church(Taiwan Catholic), Yu-Shan TheologicalCollege & Seminary, Women’s PrayerGroup, the Mustard Seed Mission, theSalvation Army, the Methodist Church(Taiwan), Chang Jung Christian Univer-sity (CJCU) School of Theology, YMCA ofTaiwan, YWCA of Taiwan, TaiwanLutheran Church, Taiwan TheologicalCollege & Seminary, the Garden of HopeFoundation and the Presbyterian Churchin Taiwan (Presbyteries/Districts).

Rev. Rosângela briefed the participantson the historical roots of the World Dayof Prayer and how the seed was planted.In the nineteenth century, Christianwomen in North America were moved toaction when they saw the suffering ofwomen around the world and in theirown communities. They were active let-ter writers, and so they wrote letters andcalled for united prayer and action in sol-idarity with women across the globe.

About 100 years later in Taiwan, morethan 30 participants from various de-nominations were challenged to writeletters for the preparation of WDP 2023under the theme “I have heard aboutyour faith” (Ephesians 1:15). Following aBible Study summarizing the back-ground of the book of Ephesians, led byRev. Dr. Wu Fu-Ya, former President ofTainan Theological College and Semi-nary, (Rev. Wu incidentally was the firstfemale ever appointed as a principal of atheological institution in Taiwan!), the

participants were asked by Rev. Rosân-gela to think deeply about their reactionto the theme. “What is it that you haveheard about her/his/their witness offaith and love?” In small groups, the par-ticipants wrote down their letters ac-cording to the structure of Ephesians 1:1,15-16, and 17-18. Their letters touchedvarious levels and showed their concernsabout personal health conditions, thePearl Family Garden, the PresbyterianChurch in Taiwan (PCT)’s mission, the2019 Hong Kong protests, and so on.

Through this activity, the participantsexpanded their vision and identifiedspecific categories: Women and Family,Women and Politics, Women andHealth, Women and Environment,Women and Culture, and Women andLeadership. Based on the different cate-gories, the participants began to thinkdeeper about “What are the prayers andactions that women in Taiwan want tovoice in 2023?”

“I have heard about your faith”BY RACHEL CHEN AND CARYS HUMPHREYS

World Day of Prayer 43 Journal 2020

During the discussion of Women andEnvironment, Vavauni Ljaljegean, a Pai-wanese Evangelist from Mu-Lin churchin Pingtung, Taiwan, told the partici-pants a heartbreaking story. After Ty-phoon Morakot, a three-day rampagefrom August 6 to 9 in 2009, the elder In-digenous people who lost their homesand relocated in the plains took theirown lives due to difficulties adjusting toan unfamiliar environment.

When it came to Women and Leader-ship, it was agreed that promoting equalrepresentation of women in decision-making is important; however, the par-ticipation of women in leadership rolesin Taiwan is still lacking and has a longway to go. Nancy Lin, former WCC Cen-tral Committee member (PCT), encour-aged the participants to step up, leadand speak up.

All the insights and reflections producedduring this workshop became the basison which the organized ecumenicalworking groups are further developing

the worship service and resource materi-als. WDPIC had planned with WDP Tai-wan a second workshop for April 2020,but it was canceled due to the COVID-19outbreak. This minor setback has nothalted the commitment and excitementfelt by all participants of the initialprocess. After a web conference with theWDPIC Executive Director and the coor-dinators of each working group selectedby WDP Taiwan, the writing processmoved on to the next step. All working

groups have formed, the outline for eachcomponent has been designed, and thewriting process has launched. The mem-bers of the working groups are still ableto meet while practicing social distanceand wearing face masks. The mobilechat communication among eachgroup’s members and with WDP Taiwanis intense. There is great enthusiasm!

May all the acts and efforts glorify Godand let the voices of Taiwan be heard!

World Day of Prayer 44 Journal 2020

On behalf of WDPIC, we invite you tothe International Committee Meet-

ing to be held on June 12-19, 2022. Wewill be hosted by the WDP ScottishCommittee, at the John McIntyre Confer-ence Centre, in the University of Edin-burgh, Scotland.

Participants to the International Meet-ing are delegates elected by their Na-tional Committee. The delegates are torepresent and be sponsored by theircommittees, in return they commit to in-form back about their experiences.

Have you recently visited the WDPICWebsite? The website has been updatedwith a page dedicated to the 2022 Inter-national Meeting. All relevant informa-tion about the Meeting is posted on thispage. We encourage you to share the

information and motivate the conversa-tion that will inspire the movement togrow.

The Conference Registration Fee hasbeen announced in the currency of thecountry: British Pound Sterling. The feescover dinner and accommodation fromJune 12th to breakfast on June 19th.However, take note that Saturday, June18th, lunch is not included. It is a sight-seeing day and everyone is responsiblefor their own lunch. Information aboutsightseeing options and the cost will beprovided later. The delegate registra-tion is £ 50, and the fee for accommoda-tion is £ 850 for single room or £ 700,per delegate, in a double room.

Besides sponsoring their own delegates,the committees are invited to contribute

to the Fund for Tomorrow. This fund isdesignated to develop WDP leadershipthrough participation at the Interna-tional Meeting. Donations given to thetravel fund are applied to diversify repre-sentation, including young women, whoattend the Meeting and share their giftsand wisdom with WDP leadership.

We live in unprecedented times and areall working together to slow down thespread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) inour communities. We are aware thatmany committees are not able to meetin person and that it is still unclear theimpact of the current situation on theplans for the International Meeting in2022. However, step-by-step we start theconversation and preparations, with ourtrust in God’s goodness.

WDP International Committee Meeting 2022You are invited!

2017 International Meeting, Brazil WDPIC visiting Scotland, 2019

World Day of Prayer 45 Journal 2020

“New Heart, New Mind, Called to Hope”

Based on the letter to Ephesians (1,18), weare called to hope; therefore,

We invite you to experience the meetingwith a spirit of openness and tolerance,

and for that, the heart must be ready: New Heart! 

We invite you to discern together the chal-lenges of our time and make wise, vision-

ary and courageous decisions: New Mind!

Above all, we want to reaffirm that the women of World Day of Prayer are carriers

and givers of hope: Called to Hope!

Will you join us on the path of “New Heart, New Mind. Called to Hope”?

World Day of Prayer 46 Journal 2020

WDP Is About Building RelationshipsBY ROSÂNGELA S. OLIVEIRA

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

World Day of Prayer (WDP) is aglobal ecumenical movement

led by women in their communities. Itcreates an opportunity for building re-lationships, a spirituality of listening toeach other and to God, a prayer in-formed by the context of women’s lives,and a prayerful action expressed bysharing resources with communities in need.

Motivated by a common prayer on thefirst Friday of March, women lead work-shops to learn about the focus countryand to study attentively the Bible andthe worship service. Together they planthe program for children in schools orchurches. The interpretation of the an-nual theme in the local context and theenvisioning of responses are creativelycrafted and intensively promoted acrossthe globe. The projects and organiza-tions to support are selected carefully.Most of what we do is based on in-per-son events where building relationshipsis the first step of a long journey.

However, on March 11, 2020, the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) announcedthe outbreak of the COVID-19 pan-demic. Most of the services planned tobe held on the annual day of prayer,March 6th, were held except for in a fewcountries in Asia and Europe, whichwere already exposed to the COVID-19outbreak.

WDP WORSHIP SERVICE:THE LAST IN-PERSONGATHERING

Governments around the world set inplace measures to reduce the spread ofCOVID-19, consequently churches andschools were closed for in-person events.Then, WDP activities planned for afterMarch 6th were canceled or postponed,even in Zimbabwe. The committee stillnurtures the expectation to hold the Na-tional Celebration at the Sports Center inHarare after the lockdown is over and itis safe to gather again, said SylviaMarowa, “we really want to express ourgratitude for the prayers for us fromaround the world.”

In the Cook Islands, the worship servicewas held with restrictions, and the WDPcelebration became the last gatheringheld in the Cook Islands before the lock-down. “We felt blessed to be able to cometogether as women of this country to give

our thanks to the Lord. The theme is rele-vant because we have to rise, take up ourmats and spread the good news in what-ever way we can during the lockdown,”voiced Henrica Marona.

The England, Wales and Northern Ire-land committee began the Y-Pray Con-ference in 2016 “to introduce a group ofyounger women to the movement. TheConference was canceled along withother events, such as Link Days,” in-

formed Elizabeth Burroughs. Also “can-celed were the worship services plannedto be held in Bethlehem, Ramallah andJerusalem,” informed Nora Carmi, fromWDP Palestine. Manon Naidoolamented the uncertainty of the wellplanned 90th Anniversary of WWDP inSouth Africa during the Africa RegionalConference, which was canceled in July.

Taiwan’s experience with the SARS pan-demic in 2003, led the government totake early precautions when made awareabout the Coronavirus in China. NancyLin informed that “the government tookover all mask productions and ensuredthat every single civilian had equal accessto buying face masks. Wearing a mask isrequired in public transportation and inall indoor public areas such as churchesand stores. With masks and keeping so-cial distance, the writing working groupsare meeting to develop the worship serv-ice program for 2023.”

WDP 2020 Worship Service, Taiwan

World Day of Prayer 47 Journal 2020

LISTENING TO EACHOTHER IN A GLOBAL CONVERSATION

The WDP International Committee(WDPIC) invited several committees for aglobal conversation via video conferenc-ing (Zoom) to reflect on the impact of thismoment on WDP and the alternatives tomove forward. We held four video confer-ences between May and June - one inSpanish, one in French and two in English.Thirty-nine committees and sixty-threeparticipants from the seven regionsjoined the conversation, in addition to ex-ecutive committee video conferences,which is all summarized in this article.

WDP committees are using a variety oftools to keep connected and present tothe needs of the communities. Theyrange from rethink the structure andpractices to introduce new technologiesin communication to reach out to mem-bers, friends and local groups.

WDP France is considering changing thecommittee’s structure to reinforce thelocal connection, stated Christine Méar.“How have we decided to rise, take ourmat and walk? We have to reengineer theway in which we do things and seize up

this opportunity of involving our regionalcorrespondents, so they can be in contactwith their constituents, and linked withthe National Committee.”

Catherine MacKeil explained that inCanada, they are sorting out WDP grantapplications. “With COVID-19, we are un-able to support any of the projects withgroup gatherings, which include a lot oftraining events. We are focusing on theorganizations that are on the frontline ofhelping people, particularly womentouched by violence or human trafficking,and hunger.”

Elizabeth Clark, from Australia, pointedout that they do not currently accept di-rect donation on the website, but to dealwith possible reductions in offerings,they may supply transfer details to thoseinterested in contributing that way. In-grid Mai Pinkes, WDP Argentina, ex-pressed the concern with the currencydevaluation on their Annual Contribu-tion to WDPIC. Coromoto Jimenez deSalazar, WDP Venezuela, shared abouttheir committee’s plans to use the offer-ing to provide food to the vulnerablecommunities in Caracas, although theservice could not be held.

KEEPING THE CONNECTION IN TIMES OF SOCIAL ISOLATION

In Germany, the WDP committeeplanned to prepare the facilitators forthe Vanuatu 2021 program via an onlinelearning platform (Moodle), explainedIrene Tokarski. “We are developing theonline platform for our national work-shops, which usually happen from Juneto July, with about 180 women multipli-ers. The digital workshop is a platformwhere you can do different tasks, for ex-ample, research, live chat with other par-ticipants, offline tasks like reading theBible text, or watching a video clip.”

In Bahamas, the committee asked theyoung participants for help. The responsewas so positive that they are planning tohave them as the liaison and chairpersonmentored by WDP retirees. “Journeyingwith young women has been a specialblessing for us as they have become ourteachers in using technology. This inter-generational dialogue has been power-ful! Coming out of this crisis, we all realizethat a new way forward is necessary. Wecannot just ‘make things up as we goalong’ and see what will happen. Change,rapid change, unexpected change, is

WDP Meeting in English WDP Meeting in FrenchWDP Meeting in Spanish

World Day of Prayer 48 Journal 2020

never easy, and not always welcome. Butchange is inevitable,” said AnnettePoitier.

Even before the pandemic, WDP com-mittees were using cell phones and in-stant messaging (WhatsApp, Line) tocheck on members and friends. Now,they are using instant messaging tosend out prayers, remarked Susana Ren-ner, WDP Brazil, or having committeemeetings in group chats, shared BertheSindjui, WDP Cameroon and SybilleMartial, WDP Republic of Mauritius. Asthe months advance into the timeline ofpreparations for the 2021 WDP program,some committees, for the first time, hadtheir regular meeting virtually (Zoom).WDPIC is having monthly video confer-ences (Zoom) with executive membersto replace the canceled annual meeting.

WDP is increasing its online presence bycreating websites where the resourcematerials or activity information areavailable. Social media (Facebook, Insta-gram, Twitter) is used to share about thelocal celebrations, inform about thefocus country, campaign for ThursdaysIn Black, and pray for the world. EveryFriday, WDPIC posts a prayer with thehashtag #WDPUnitedInPrayer.

Growing out of the uncertainties of in-per-son worship services for March 2021 andthe current experience with Sunday vir-tual worship services, many committeesare nurturing the possibility of an onlineservice for Vanuatu 2021. Bianka Paz,WDP Guatemala, mentioned their recentconversation about a workshop onlinewith video clips to introduce the materialsfor the 2021 Vanuatu program. MargaritaCuzco, WDP Paraguay, mentioned theirinitial conversation about distributing thedifferent moments of the worship service

into the communities and finding a virtualspace to come together.

THE CONTEXT OF WOMENIN THE MIDST OF THEPANDEMIC

The vulnerable situation of women dur-ing the pandemic was noticed. Familiesare separated by the lockdown, curfewsand closed borders. Unemployment,hunger, and domestic violence againstwomen have all increased. There isshortage of medications and treatmentsin overflowed public hospitals withCOVID-19 patients. In the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, USA and Brazil, thedenial of the health crisis is exposing thepopulation to the uncontrolled virustransmission. In DR Congo, Rose BiasimaLala, commented on their use of localradio to raise awareness about Coron-avirus prevention.

Jyothi Singh, WDP India, talked about“the concern with the rural communitieswho do not have easy access to internetto engage in online initiatives.” Also, inCosta Rica, Rebeca Cascante commentedon how the priority is being given tofamily members who work from hometo use the internet rather than womenwho want to connect with their commu-nity activities.

WDP has a word of hope to offer.

It was really inspiring to listen to the ef-forts made in the midst of so much dis-ruption. WDP leaders are committed tocarrying on the message and beingpresent during this difficult moment.We lift up in prayers WDP families andcommunities who are mourning. Weare to walk together in prayer and ac-tion. We are to be creative and orientedby the WDP Guiding Principles. WDPhas a word of hope to offer. It is time to

share it!

The process of developing WDP worshipservices continues in the midst of thepandemic. The 2021 Vanuatu and the2022 England, Wales and Northern Ire-land worship service materials are readyand have been electronically distributed.The writing process with WDP Taiwanfor the 2023 service was launched, andwe are in conversation with WDP Pales-tine for the 2024 program. Aware of theuncertainties, but full of hope, we arelooking forward to the InternationalMeeting in 2022, in Scotland, under thetheme - “New Heart. New Mind. Calledto Hope.” Visit our website for more in-formation and follow our newsletter!

The WDP worship service is a tool for lis-tening to each other and God in order toengage in prayer and action with sistersand communities around the world. To-gether we “Rise! Take Our Mat andWalk,” an action-oriented message thattakes us away from the fear inflicted bythe pandemic. The 2021 program, writ-ten by WDP Vanuatu, affirms God’s loveand Jesus’ walk on the path of justice asthe source of our strength to move for-ward. Together, we “Build on a StrongFoundation”.

World Day of Prayer 49 Journal 2020

Support women, youth and children through education, mentoring, shelter, food programs, clean water, orphanage assistance and prison visitations;

Provide assistance for people who are displaced, refugee or migrant, care for the ones living with HIV and AIDS, the families affected by COVID-19, and empower the victims of domestic violence and human trafficking;

Promote Christian education for children and youth, grant scholarship for women’s theological formation and sponsor ecumenical initiatives;

Organize WDP locally and nationally, contribute to the regional and international WDP coordination, and tell WDP leadership stories by donating to the Fund for Tomorrow.

WDP at a GlanceWorld Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Chris-

tian women who welcome all to join in prayer and action for peaceand justice. The common day of observance is the first Friday of March,but local WDP activities are held all year long.

The 2020 Journal is based on the 93 reports out of the 146 countries thatreceived the WDP worship service materials. The COVID-19 outbreak fol-lowed by the precautionary measures to slow the spread of the Coron-avirus closed churches and schools globally. Every country reported theimpact of the outbreak in their well-planned WDP activities. Eventhough, many worship services were cancelled or had lower than usual at-tendance, the appropriateness of the 2020 theme was emphasized.

WDP Guiding Principles acknowledge that all people have something togive and to receive. The local groups receive the worship service and re-spond with giving. “Through the WDP offering women share their re-sources with women and children around the world (WDP GuidingPrinciple). The exchange of stories and gifts illustrates the WDP motto of“Informed prayer. Prayerful action.”

HOW WILL WDP OFFERING MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ZIMBABWE AND AROUND THE WORLD?

The committee has organized an outreach program to be aware of the needs of the communities and help as they are able. Theyhave selected a few projects to support in response to any offering received from WDP Committees. They aim to impact the livesof the children with special needs and their mothers or caregivers; the elderly; and the street children and young people. Theywant to contribute to their education, shelter, wellness and job training.

The National/Regional Committees reported that this year’s offering will be given to their local community and abroad for thefollowing purposes:

Countries: 93

Regions:7

Languages: 81

Participants:563,282

Worship Services:13,868

World Day of Prayer 50 Journal 2020

WDP 1927–2026

THEME TIMELINE

The WDPIC Timeline poster showcases 99years of World Day of Prayer history. From

1927 to 2026, the poster displays the themesand writer countries which have motivated ourprayers and actions.

Hanging this poster on your wall to promoteWDP is a great way to start traveling around theworld. The poster is an educational tool to talkabout the issues that we have raised awarenessand advocated for over generations. It alsodemonstrates where in the world women areleading this ecumenical movement.

Besides that, we incorporated expressions ofWDP within the seven regions we are organized:Africa, Asia, Caribbean and North America, Eu-rope, Latin America, Middle East, and Pacific.You can invite the children and youth to matchthe photos with the theme and the region.

There are two ways that you can order theposter. You can order a printed copy from theWDPIC office (email—admin@world dayof-prayer.net) or you can order the art design andprint the poster in your country.

The prices are:1 to 10 printed posters = $ 6.50 each poster plusshipping;

11 to 99 printed posters = $ 5.50 each posterplus shipping;

Over 100 printed posters = $ 4.50 each posterplus shipping;

Digital Art Design = $100

EDITORIAL TEAMExecutive Committee Members

The WDP Journal is an annual publication of the World Day of Prayer In-ternational Committee (WDPIC). It is based on the Annual Reports writ-

ten by the WDP National/Regional Committees. It offers an overview of theglobal movement from its local context, and includes expressions of prayerand action based on the annual theme. WDPIC promotes the sharing of in-formation, therefore the Journal can be freely downloaded from the WDPICwebsite, and it can be reproduced provided acknowledgment is given to thesource of information. All photos were originally sent from WDP Committeeswith the understanding that they might be published.

EditorialRosângela S. Oliveira (Staff)Samantha Figueroa (Staff)

PhotosWDP Committees and WDPIC

DesignLaura Lee (Consultant)

Cover ArtworkNonhlanhla Mathe (WDP Zimbabwe Committee)

World Day of Prayer International Executive Committee Laurence Gangloff, France (Chairperson)Susan Jackson-Dowd, USA (Treasurer)

Africa:Henriette Mbatchou, CameroonJoyce Larko Steiner, Ghana

Asia:Vino Schubert, Sri LankaMoumita Biswas, India

Caribbean and North America:Ruth V.E. Phillips, BarbadosLauren Wilks, Canada

Europe:Senka Sestak Peterlin, CroatiaEmmanuelle Bauer, Luxembourg

Latin America:Rebeca Cascante Gómez, Costa Rica Esther Susana Renner, Brazil

Middle East:Maral Barzkian-Haidostian, Lebanon (EAG Member)Nora Carmi, Palestine

Pacific:Vicki Marney, Australia (Vice President)Henrica Nio Marona, Cook Islands

Préparez-vous à:

• Écouter la Parole de Dieu et s’écouter les unes les autres enpartageant des prières et des actions d’espérance.

• Rencontrer et vivre des temps forts avec les responsables de laJMP de votre région et du monde entier.

• Participer aux élections du Comité exécutif, aux choix des futursthèmes et pays rédacteurs

• Inaugurer le lancement de la célébration des 100 ans de prièresininterrompues : 1927–2027

Pour préparer la rencontre internationale de la Journée Mondialede Prière:

• Enregistrez la date dans vos agendas

• Collectez des fonds pour la participation des délégués de votrecomité

• Impliquez des jeunes femmes pour représenter votre comité

• Entrez en relation avec le bureau de la JMP Internationale et votredéléguée régionale.

Let us Meet Again in 2022!Come ready to:

• Listen to the Word of God and to one another in sharing prayersand actions of hope

• Build community among WDP leaders in your region and aroundthe world

• Participate in elections for the Executive Committee, futurethemes and writer countries

• Launch the 100 years of uninterrupted prayers celebration – 1927 – 2027

To prepare for the WDP International Committee Meeting:

• Save the date

• Raise funds for your committee’s participation

• Involve young women to represent your committee

• Be in communication with the WDPIC office and your regionalrepresentative.

Venga preparada para:

• Escuchar la Palabra de Dios y una a las otras compartiendo ora-ciones y acciones de esperanza

• Construir una comunidad entre líderes del DMO en su región ycon el mundo todo

• Participar de las elecciones para el Comité Ejecutivo, los futurostemas y países escritores

• Promover la celebración de los 100 años ininterrumpidos de oraciones—1927–2027

Para prepararse para la Reunión del Comité Internacional del DíaMundial de Oración:

• Guarde la fecha en su calendario

• Recaude fondos para la participación de su comité

• Incluya a mujeres jóvenes que puedan ser seleccionadas para representar su comité

• Mantenga contacto con la oficina de CIDMO y con su represen-tante regional.

VANUATU

“Build on a Strong Foundation”March 5th, 2021

One of the first things we learn with Vanuatu women is that “Landto a Ni-Vanuatu is what a mother is to a baby.” The relationship

with land is at the foundation of the Ni-Vanuatu identity and spiri-tual strength. The photo chosen to illustrate the program reflects theVanuatu’s women connection with land, culture and faith.

We listen to their voices through the worship service, which invites usto focus on the Bible story in Matthew 7:24-27. Jesus tells a storyabout the kingdom of heaven using the image of a house and theland on which the house is built. Choosing the land on which to buildthe house is an important decision for people in Vanuatu. The combi-nation of considering the terrain and the climate is crucial in a tropi-cal archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean prone toearthquakes, cyclones, volcanic eruptions and rising sea levels.

In Jesus’ story, the wisdom of the builder of the house comes fromhearing and acting on the word of God, which is a word of love. This isthe foundation on which our sisters call us to build our homes, ournations and the world. A call of faith to be earnestly considered whenresponding to the prayer of commitment: “What is the house thatyou would build?”

The Vanuatu sisters praise God for fertile land, the sweet melody of thebirds and for the sound of children. All of them together reflect theirway of life and their everyday struggles with production of food, carefor the environment and the education of children. Those challengesare reasons to praise God for being the source of their strength whilethey pursue opportunities in education, keep children away from mal-nutrition and provide alternatives to young people. In receiving theirvoice as a gift of wisdom, we share their hope and creatively engageour communities in “Informed Prayer. Prayerful Action.”

ENGLAND, WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND

“I Know the Plans I Have for You” March 4th, 2022

In the midst of all the uncertainties we are living under this yeardue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WDP 2022 theme emerges

like a balm of confidence. It is an invitation to place our trust in Godin times of suffering.

The program is based on the letter that the prophet Jeremiah wroteto the exiles in Babylonia (Jeremiah 29:1-14). The exiles were in acontext of suffering, uncertainty, and opposing views on how to re-spond to the moment. Today, we come together to hear the storiesof women who feel excluded, listen to the fear of a child refugee andlearn to see the context of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-faith society in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (EWNI).

For Jeremiah, God’s plan was clear, and we share this assurance bysinging it. What is your WDP hope? Let the children and the youthguide your response. Then, come to celebrate hope by lighting acandle on behalf of the seven regions of the world, knowing that ourprayerful action can bring to life the promises of God who, like aMother and Father, cares for us all.

We are given a seed of hope to ponder where it needs to be plantedin our lives and in our communities. Take this opportunity, to raiseawareness on the needs of your community and offer the gifts ofprayers and commitment. A seed, nourished by prayers of interces-sion and actions of love, bind us together around the world.

May God, who plans no harm, sustain the world in love and hope.

For more information about World Day of Prayer please write to:World Day of Prayer International Committee

475 Riverside Drive Suite 729New York, NY 10115 USA

Tel: 1-212-870-3049Email: admin@worlddayofprayer.net

Facebook: World Day of Prayer—International CommitteeInstagram: worlddayofprayerinternationalTo download the Journal, visit our website:

www.worlddayofprayer.net