Welcome to the 23rd issue of Lutheran Women in Mission e-News! Please forward and share this news and encourage others to stay in touch with LWML by email. To date, there are over 2070 subscribers to e-News receiving LWML news and updates. NEW LWML GROUPS Forty eight new societies have been added to the LWML roster since April 2003. This brings over 720 more women to our membership. We welcome them! And now, the best part, some of the background on how/why they joined LWML and what might have "jumpstarted" their group: Opened our new worship building and we waned to make a lasting contribution to our community Our new Pastor called me to ask how to get an LMWL going Pastor's wife contacted me after meeting Mission-Ministry Vision (MMV) Consultants at a young women's retreat New mission church started and the ladies wanted to belong to LWML The group was started by a non-Lutheran member who had attended an LWML meeting - -the Pastor and his wife are very supportive and the group is growing A second group in the congregation -involving women who work outside the home The Lord did the greatest share of the work! A mission congregation where the vicar's wife encouraged the formation of LWML A new mission - -many women were involved with LWML in their former congregations New congregation -women are very dedicated to serving the Lord Hispanic LWML group- formed after the Heart to Heart Sisters gathering in OKC Second LWML group in congregation with a Bible Study/service focus- started as a result of MMV experience A new group was started following the San Jose convention -reaching out to younger women A rebuilt group and going strong Young women's group offers babysitting during the meeting New Pastor and his wife showed support for LWML and a new group was started MISSIONS AND GRANTS NEWS Twenty one grant proposals were selected to be on the 2005 convention ballot in Tampa. The choice was a difficult one as all 83 submissions were worthy. The Grant Selection Committee gives thanks for your prayers as we made the decisions, and we encourage you to continue to pray for the delegates who will be faced with similar decisions in balloting for those who will receive funding. SORTING, PACKING, TAPING AND LABELING! This is what you will find many volunteers doing at the Gifts from the Heart collection area in the Tampa Convention Center on June 16 and 17, 2005. The women of the LWML will be bringing many Gifts from the Heart to the convention. They will be bringing sheet sets, towels and washcloths, children's underwear and socks and health kits to be given to agencies in the Tampa area. These items will need to be sorted, packed and labeled so the agencies can pick them up on Saturday. This is a big job and will need lots of willing hands. The LWML Human Care Committee is in need of volunteers to get this labor of love completed. If you are planning to attend the convention, please consider volunteering some of your time to help with this job. Many hands will make the job easier and help to get it done quickly. Watch the Human Care Web page for more information on how and when you can help. THE LUTHERAN WOMEN'S MISSIONARY LEAGUE The Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML), with a membership of over 250,000, is the official women's auxiliary of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The LWML focuses on affirming each woman in her relationship with Christ to enable her to be in ministry among the people of the world. For over 60 years the LWML has been encouraging and equipping women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries and to financially support global mission. The first issues of LWML e-News are available as text documents; click here: http://www.lwml.org/e_news.html. To subscribe, click the link below and follow instructions to add your email to the LWML subscription list under "Mission and Ministry." "Full Text Version" will include LWML graphics and logo. The "Weekly Summary" version comes on Friday in a weekly abbreviated version with links to the entire text without graphics. Refer to your Internet provider about enabling images and links embedded in email.