Mennonite Women USA

2004-2009: The AAWT Sister-Link encompassed three parts. First, Mennonite Women USA sought to walk beside AAWT organizationally as they developed and their vision for ministry.  Second, Sylvia Shirk Charles of Bronx, NY, coordinated one-on-one pen pal connections between the original seven AAWT leaders and the Ethiopians represenative who joined the group in 2007 and eight North American pastors, theologians, and theology students. Sylvia is pictured right with Mama Sidonie Swana.  Pen-pals:        Hellen Bradburn, Tanzania, and Malinda Berry, Indiana      Beatrice Hayalume Kadi, Congo, and Mary Mae Schwartzentruber, Ontario      Esther Kalambo, Zambia, and Harriet Bicksler, Pennsylvania      Nellie Mlotshwa, Zimbabwe, and Regina Shands Stoltzfus, Indiana      Sibusisiwe Ndlovu, Zimbabwe, and Nina Lanctot, Michigan      Rebecca Osiro, Kenya, and Mary Schertz, Indiana      Sidonie Swana, Congo, and Sylvia Shirk Charles, New York       Kelemua Tefera, Ethiopia, and Michele Armster, Pennsylvania The hope for these pen pal connections is to develop friendships, share theological ideas and writings, and to support and challenge one another as women leaders in the church. Third, MW USA is helped to provide scholarships for African women to attend local theological schools. All scholarship recipients were chosen by the AAWT steering committee. Most of the funds were raised by a North American giving circle comprised of women church leaders which formed for this purpose - Les Amies (friends of the African women). MW USA provided $7,000 in seed money and an additional $1,500 per year for AAWT scholarships from its International Women’s Fund. (Read more in the timbrel archives.)  See: "Pen Pals Connect the Continents" tmbrel, May-June 2006.

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