“Healed women promote healing.”
This was the message of empowerment at the Sister Care training held in Curitiba, Brazil, in 2015. A decade later, five dedicated women from the Brasília region of the Aliança Evangélica Menonita (AEM, Evangelical Mennonite Alliance), Elizangela Fernandes, Deusilene Milhomem, Marlene Milhomem, Rebeca Milhomem and Rosalina Vasco, are living proof of this truth.
The initial seminar was pivotal for these women, igniting in them a passion to share their transformative journey with women across Brazil.
Carolyn Heggen, a psychotherapist and co-presenter of Sister Care International seminars, and Rhoda Keener Sister Care director at Mennonite Women USA, led the 2015 training, with an international version of the Mennonite Women USA materials. Now available in 22 languages, the manual equips women with tools to support one another to heal wounds and embrace their identities as beloved daughters of God.
Over 1,800 women leaders in 22 countries have participated in trainings led by Heggen and Keener. Elizabeth Soto Albrecht, former moderator for Mennonite Church USA, joined Heggen and Keener to co-present with them twice. Ongoing transformation, as seen in Brazil, occurs when participants disseminate this healing in their own contexts. The Brasília team has reached over 1,800 women in their own country.
Sister Care Brazil uses Galatians 3:28 as a key Bible verse:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
In a culture in which women often occupy secondary roles, this message of equality can be life changing.
“The current reality reveals that many women face emotional, spiritual and social challenges, often without adequate support. In a world where many women feel alone in their struggles, the ministry of Sister Care Brazil is a network of support and encouragement,” wrote the leaders of Sister Care Brazil.
Wounds from past traumas and abuses are common and, if adequate resources and support are not available, these wounds may go unhealed, which can lead to pain, despair and even suicide.
Since its inception, the Brasília team has conducted seminars across Brazil, typically spanning three days. Their seminars include presentations, interactive activities, prayer, worship and a time for sharing personal stories. Mission Network has provided some of the financial support for these gatherings, as well as the creation of Portuguese language materials.
The group has developed two new workshops, which they offer in addition to the original Sister Care material. One workshop explores the fruits of the spirit and the other uses the metaphor of the four seasons to help women make sense of their experiences:
- Fall is a time of loss and hardship, when the end can be out of reach.
- Winter is about hibernation. Deusilene said it’s “a period in which you have time to rest, take care of your body, treat your wounded soul and renew your dejected spirit.”
- Spring is a time for planting new seeds, a time to make preparations and anticipate better things to come.
- Summer is when we are finally able to rejoice in our achievements, when we find fulfillment in our lives and celebrate victory over our challenges.
These workshops provide comfort, by showing that life’s seasons are cyclical, offering hope to those in pain. After one session, a participant approached Deusilene, exclaiming, “This message was for me!”
The beauty of the workshops lies in their ability to connect with each woman, offering a framework for personal healing to process their own stories. Sharing stories is a fundamental part of each Sister Care workshop. It’s a way for participants to process grief and trauma, find their voices, and build a supportive community.
“It is marvelous to see the way God works in each seminar, never in the same way,” said Marlene. “The joy of seeing the transformation and hearing the testimonies of each woman about what Christ has done in their lives is priceless. I praise God for the privilege of being a part of this ministry, because at the close of each seminar, not only the participants, but we too, receive much from God.”
This year, Sister Care Brazil plans to introduce a workshop focused on “Sacred Trust: Boundaries for Leadership in Churches,” a curriculum developed in Spanish by Mennonite church leaders Alix Lozano and Soto Albrecht. Marlene provided the Portuguese translation.
The Brasília team plans to invite leaders from the six regions of the AEM church to a training that will equip them to build Sister Care leadership teams in their own regions. The group hopes to expand into a national network with regional teams. The more women who find healing through these programs, the healthier the church and society will become.
“What is most surprising,” said Elizangela Fernandes, “is, when I tell my own story, I perceive that I have received much more than I’ve given.”
