FWESDA Women: International Lady Chefs' Summer Tea Party

It started as a very warm and humid morning.The weather bureau predicted thunderstorms that afternoon, so I had a sick feeling that perhaps nobody will show up except Shari and me. I have ardently prayed that more women from the church would come to enjoy this special bond of friendship, a sort of a women's club for sisters of Christ. And I was not ready to be disappointed.
Few minutes before 4pm, the women arrived and the fun began.

Marie arrived with an intricately-carved watermelon teapot which served as a great centerpiece. Then Sarah showed her exquisite mini cupcakes and we all exclaimed our "Ahhs" and "Ohhhs". More yummy goodies came. The white tablecloth was a perfect back drop for all the colorful aprons that were draped around it plus the display of homemade, gourmet hors d'oeuvres, appetizers and desserts.

Shari's collection of 4 kinds of freshly-brewed tea was just wonderful! And to think that she said, she does not like tea! I still could not decide whether it was the raspberry or the peach tea that caught my fancy! The orange-pineapple was just as yummylicious and the chai tea was just as energizing. Linda's tofu spread was the favorite of the afternoon and a copy of her recipe was in order. Anna's varied selection of Russian pastries was simply tempting and scrumptious. And there were a lot more: stuffed tomatoes,lemon bars, black bean quesadillas plus Hilda's "coconutty" dessert flavored with pineapple. All I can say, is that: to those, who did not make it, you missed a lot of the fun and camaraderie.

Then the game began. Each lady was asked to pick a household gadget that reminded them of an experience about their lives as girls, wives, and women. We were richly blessed with the shared stories and we knew that this friendship will thrive for as long as we make it.

Ruth Bell Graham once said that "The center of power is not to be found in summit meetings or in peace conferences. It is not in Peking or Washington or in the United Nations, but rather where a child of God prays in the power of the Spirit for God's will to be done in her life, in her home, and in the world about her." The stories shared were testimonies of God's love for us, women.

We then had to pick up a piece of a puzzle to search for our matching piece our "prayer sisters" and it was quite a revelation! We wanted to have a very special friend for the year, someone who does not have to be a secret, someone we can pray with, pray for, share our joys, our passion and our concerns. And what a fun revelation it was for all.

This has been a wonderful experience for the ladies, and we certainly hope, that you will join us in our next scheduled activities. We want you to be part of our ministry. We want you to join our fun, the laughter and the friendship. A Canadian writer once said, "A good laugh is as good as prayer sometimes."
Proverbs 31: 25 NIV says, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."