A bright and sunny day ushered in the Philippians ministry women’s day 2014, which was held on 11th October 2014 at J.J McCarthy Center. As always, women’s day is special as it provides an opportunity to refresh, reflect and revive.
The venue was elaboratively decorated for the guests and the 150 women from the church who attended. All of them played different roles to fit the different pieces together to produce one beautiful event. The theme colours were orange, blue, and yellow, a perfect blend to signify a celebration of life and the day’s theme ‘You Only Live Once’ (YOLO).
All women were invited for this event. Even teens and pre-teens were not left out; they accompanied their parents and guardians. They joyously registered the women as they streamed in and were ready to extend a hand in any role that they were assigned. Working with their mentors, they delightfully received payments of KES 1,000 from all who were paying at the entrance.
The program started at 12 noon and the women were ready for the treat of the day. Opening prayers were offered and for sure God came through. The melodious choir set the stage rolling with some uplifting songs.
Anita Gogo and Ciku Munyao were the host and co – host respectively and as anticipated, they kept the women excited and expectant for more every time they took the stage.
‘YOLO’ is a popular slang that is trending on the social media and entertainment scene, especially with the young people. In most cases it bears a negative connotation that resonates with the fact that life is short and therefore as long as you are alive then it’s a chance to indulge in anything desirable without a care.
This women’s day event turned the meaning around to give it a godly and true perspective.
Mrs. Cecilia Muriuki, a mother, counselor and biological scientist by profession presented a talk on mental health that brought a somber mood across the hall. “Over 65 % of deaths in Kenya are caused by mental illnesses and this is because many people do not understand the disease,” she said.
She read out shocking statistics, stating that 11 million Kenyans suffer from mild to severe mental health condition. According to the World Health Organisation, about 10 million people with mental health conditions worldwide have attempted suicide and 1 million have succeeded.
She finished by urging everyone to practice the four A’s and R of mitigating mental conditions.
- Avoid – Unnecessary Stress
- Alter – Deal with problems head on
- Adopt – Doing something in an acceptable way
- Accept – The situation that you cannot change such as divorce, sickness etc.
- Relax – Exercise regularly, eat healthy and pray.
The talk on mental health prepared the audience for the keynote message from the guest speaker, Mrs. Florence Ahenda. She is a mother of four adult children and a full time minister based in Uganda – Kampala Church of Christ.
She redefined ‘YOLO’ ‘Life is short. You live once, so live well, you will not repeat it. This is the real thing. Live your best life now and live it fully for God.’
She went on to share from God’s word in Genesis 30:1-2
1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.” 2 Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?
“What is it that you want so badly in your life and why?” she continued.
Lesson: Gen 2:17-18; The scriptures urge us to take every stressful situation to God as Rachel did and in Gen 30:23; God opened Rachel’s womb.
Every woman had a take home from Rachel’s story. In closing she said, “In life we pursue many things; success, children, spouses, careers etc, yet we forget the source of all these things,” She pleaded and emphasized that we should consider filling that void with God. Ruth Regao presented a very moving spoken word urging everyone to give their best in everything regardless of what others will think of them for they are doing it for God.
And that was not all. This was followed by solo presentations, a skit that cracked ribs and a talk show that brought to light the lives of a teenager, a single mother, single lady and a married woman to address the different needs of the women in the same platform.
The final act was from our own super dancers. They took the stage by storm, bringing the event to a close and leaving the women glued to their seats, asking for more.
To crown it all, a sumptuous meal was served as the women took time to fellowship and depart. It was a wonderful event that glorified God and left everyone looking forward to the next year’s event.
The dancers: L to R,ShikoMunyao, Neema Mukuccia, Tabitha Muia,
Phina and Christine Munene
By Tabitha Muia
A solo performance by Muthoni Mburu
