Although our fellowship, as a “gathering together”, closed with the lockdown in March, our ladies kept in touch in various ways. The catch cry throughout COVID-19 was “You are not Alone”. Our members made sure each other felt they were not alone. Keeping in touch through phone calls, visiting where possible and distributing the Bible Studies titled “Women of the Bible”: Eve, Ruth, Esther, Hannah, Mary, Deborah. They would have been prepared for the Qld Retreat Convention which was cancelled due to COVID-19. This way we kept in touch with an update letter of encouragement and happenings from our President, highlighting the “Women of the Bible” and the courage they showed in their life and times of their life. These even were delivered around Immanuel Gardens Village by courtesy of Margaret Fresta’s Buggy. Lola Auricht kept busy making recycled greeting cards that are sold to members at Church, all money raised going to buy Bibles that are given to grade 3 students at the beginning of the year at Immanuel College, Buderim. Crocheted rugs for grand and great-grandchildren also were lovingly made and received. An elderly lady in our congregation (over 90) kept busy crocheting butterflies and squares to be made into rugs for the Hostel and Nursing Home.
Eline Nitschke wrote a Bible study titled “The Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6:9:“This is how you should pray”. The word “Father” reminds us that prayer is relationships, and that God is like a loving, kind and good parent. He loves me even more than anything else. He calls us his children and, being Lord of Lords and King of Kings, that makes us his princes and princesses. Maybe this can be used for a Retreat/Convention Bible study sometime.
As the hymn says:
Nothing in all creation, nothing in this whole world,
Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.
We have been able, albeit with restrictions, to meet together again as a group in August to finish our year on a higher note. God is good, we have enough money to again give to the projects we support.
Pam Flesser, President