Brigite Hetsch invited me, as the Area President, to participate the “Weekend of the Methodist Francophone Women” in Montelimar. France.
I was pleased to find at that meeting a very active group of women representing most of the different areas in France.
Four minibuses were organized to bring participants to the meeting: three from the north and one from the west part of the country. Some came from Paris and even some from as far away as the Pyrenees area either by train or car. The “yellow jackets” demonstration that started that weekend prevented some sisters from coming.
We were hosted by the Methodist Church in Montelimar and for the whole time of our stay the community prepared all the meals and made sure we were well taken care of.
The program was divided in three parts: Friday evening after supper Brigite welcomed all the participants and presented the program for Saturday and Sunday. Afterwards we had time to meet together to share our various experiences, in our churches, in our involvement in the community and in our personal lives.
Saturday afternoon was set apart for a special speaker, Clair-Elise Melssner-Schmidt, pastor de l’Eglise Evangelique Methodist et conselièr accréditée on relations of help.
With the themes: “The needs: those impulses of life that animate us” and “How Jesus cared for his vitality when he met the needs of others” and for last “Let us meet with the Lord … one more step” she led us to understand what is important in our life and follow Jesus’s teachings to be able to meet the Lord in our life and…one more step.
Sunday the meeting was closed with a worship service. It was a joy seeing the participation of so many young families with their children. There was also a band to accompany the singing and all together it was an inspiring experience.
We spent three days of real friendship both in moments of the regular program as in free time. The meals together with the local community were moments very important for knowing each other and learning to accept differences.
From my point of view Brigite is doing a very good job organizing, each year, meetings in different parts of France in a way that everybody has the chance to participate.
Lidia Ribet
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