LWML RETREAT

Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) members gathered Saturday, January 25 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colon for a retreat to recall the blessings of God. Forty-seven ladies from the LWML Gateway Zone (Branch-St. Joseph Counties) and Battle Creek Zone (Van Buren, Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties) used the retreat to share knowledge of the many ways in which God's graciousness and faithfulness are shown in their lives. Responses of praise in song, prayer and worship were given recognizing Jesus as Lord. 

A special source of joy came as the group celebrated the uniting of the Sankey family of Sturgis through the adoption of their four children. Last Spring Margaret Sankey had presented a program to the LWML Gateway Zone describing the initial contact and commencement of legal paperwork, medical tests and preparations to allow four siblings from the Ukraine to become their children. At the retreat, the entire Sankey family was introduced, reminding us of the greatest of God's blessings- that through faith in His Son, Jesus, we have been inwardly and physically turned toward Him and made part of His people. The Sankey's were showered with gifts both practical and whimsical, including a hand-made quilt for each child made by the St. Paul's Piecemakers Quilting Group.

The LWML Gateway Zone includes women from St. Paul's of Colon and St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Centreville.