One week to go before we head to Malawi and the Dzaleka Refugee Camp!  I am excited and nervous and so very thankful for God's provision.  I have received or been told of gifts of  $3,450 of the $4,125 needed to date.  I am reminded of the "great cloud of witnesses" who surround Tom and I.  Thank you again to all who have contributed to the trip so far and for the great gifts of prayer for myself and our team.

Our schedule has changed slightly and I am sure will have many more turns and twists before we live it all out.  Our latest schedule now includes a second women's conference.

On Saturday, October 15th, we will participate in a day conference sponsored by There is Hope Malawi.  It is for single mothers, many of whom are teenagers with babies.  They have often been abandoned or divorced and face rejection and discrimination from their families, schools and churches.  Some have been involved in commercial sex or turned to it as a way get money to care for their children.  I can't imagine the pain to their souls when they face such desperate circumstances.

During the week, we will be visiting the work of the two refugee churches, Emanuel Full Gospel, and the Swedish Pentecostal Church, we are working with. They, as refugees, see needs around them both inside and outside the camp and seek to meet them.  On Friday and Saturday, October 21-22, we will participate in a Women's Ministry Conference sponsored by these two churches.

The theme of the second conference is from the book of Ruth, looking at suffering and our identity in Christ in the face of suffering.  Naomi chose to change her name from "pleasant" to Mara or "bitter".  She let the experiences of her life determine who she was.  In Christ, our past doesn't define who we are.  In Him we have hope.

Please pray with me for these women.  Their lives hold much tragedy, but also much resilience and perseverance.  I look forward to engaging with them during our time together.  I want to be an encouragement to them, but it can be overwhelming to listen to their stories.  Please pray that I won't turn my eyes or my heart away, but be very present with them even when I can't change their circumstances and when I don't know how God will meet their great needs. I want to reflect His love for them and let their faith and hope impact me.

It is my prayer that our time in Dzaleka will remind those we meet that the God who sees and hears, sees and hears them and they are not forgotten by Him or His people.

Refugee camps are dangerous places – especially for women and children.  A trip to get water, fire wood or simply to go to the bathroom can expose them to sexual violence.  Where do they go with that kind of pain?  Where can they go with their shame?  Who will listen?

International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and First Covenant Church (Minneapolis) have invited me to join a short-term team going to Dzaleka (pronounced Za-lake-a) refugee camp in Malawi in October. Among other things, I will participate in a women's ministry conference that the refugee churches in Dzaleka are planning around our visit.

Would you be willing to join me on this trip through your prayers and support?

Trip dates: 12-25 October 2011
Support needed: $4,125

The body of Christ is meant to be a safe community that shelters, loves, covers shame with grace and restores dignity in His name.  We are eager to share some of the biblically based principles of the Journey Group ministry the with refugee women in Dzaleka.

As you may remember, I began working with the Journey Group ministry while serving refugees in Austria back in 1995.  Back then it was called SALTS and Hope for the Wounded. Tom and I felt this would be a powerful resource for those who have suffered so much loss, upheaval, violence and abuse during their refugee experience. This has great potential to be an encouragement to these refugee churches.

It is a humbling and inspiring opportunity to meet these refugee women at a heart level, listen to their stories, learn about their circumstances and hear their hopes and fears.

Financial contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to IAFR at the address below. Please be sure to designate your gift "for the support of Donna Albinson".

IAFR
Attn. Dzaleka 2011 Trip
P.O. Box 47947
Minneapolis, MN  55447

Please pray with me...

• Pray that God will prepare my heart with humility and openness to be an encouragement to the refugee women.
• Pray for wisdom and insight as we prepare to share some of the principles from the Journey Group ministry.
• Pray for the financial needs of the trip.  We each need to raise $4, 125. Pray that in these difficult financial times, God would provide what is needed.

Click here to download an IAFR flyer related to this ministry opportunity.

Click here to download my letter to potential donors and prayer supporters related to this trip.

I'll post related updates and prayer requests to our website. If you would like to receive such updates by email, please let me know by email soon. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to do so now!

This spring two women from my church, First Covenant Church of Minneapolis, attended the leader training seminar, SALTS, offered by Open Hearts Ministry. I am excited that the church is offering a Grace Group this fall.

"A Grace Group invites men and women, age 21 and older, to examine life experiences that have impacted their emotional and spiritual health. Unexamined life experiences that keep us from living whole and healthy lives are trauma, neglect, betrayal, abandonment, and abuse in all its forms (emotional, physical, sexual, spousal, and spiritual). All of these leave their imprint on our souls. This, in turn, touches our relationships at home, at work, at school, in our social and our spiritual communities.Damage has been done in relationships. Grace Groups invite people to look at the damage again, but this time in a safe, supportive community that encourages healing and promotes life-giving change. Grace Groups are rooted in Biblical principles that will bring fresh perspective and growth to those who are longing for a deeper connection with God, with others and with their own hearts."

If you are interested in being a part of this small group, you can e-mail me by clicking on the e-mail link under my picture in the left column.

How I Got Involved in Grace Groups

In 1995 I attended a training seminar in Croatia called S.A.L.T.S.: Survivers of Abuse Leadership Training Seminar (now a part of Open Hearts Ministry). It was a powerful time in my life as I learned to walk with others who sought to grow and heal from the wounds of life.

At the time I was living and working in Austria with International Teams. Seeing the value of this small group ministry, a friend and I started meeting with other women to walk through the SALTS material. We found the changes God was doing in our lives were influencing all aspects of our lives.

In a desire to share this material with others, International Teams hosted a S.A.L.T.S. training in Hungary in the spring of 1997. As women from various walks of life and cultures experienced life-giving change, we saw the need to get the material translated into German and begin small groups in our area. Opportunities came to host more training conferences with the S.A.L.T.S. (Open Hearts Ministry)leadership and other women from around Austria caught the vision and began starting small groups in their areas.

We had our first training conference in German in 1999. God has continued to grow the ministry beyond the borders of Austria into other German-speaking countries. He has also opened the doors for ministry to both men and women. It is now known as “befreit leben” in german. It is a powerful testimony of God seeking out the hearts of men and women wounded by life, especially in the areas of abuse.

Moving to the USA in 2003 gave me and a fellow small group leader the opportunity to begin small groups, now called Grace Groups, in the Minneapolis area. It is an incredible privilege to walk with women in discovering hope, help and healing as they bravely face the wounds of life.

For more information about Grace Groups go to: ohnmin.org . There is a variety of information regarding opportunities from small groups to week trainings to resource materials.  I hope you will take the time to check it out.