
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
It’s such an encouragement to see Paraclete associates working together. Our folks are all experienced ministers with a lifetime of ministry relationships, so they don’t often cross paths with other associates. But it happens. Last month Shelly Volkhardt and Jan Orner worked together in Ghana with a partner organization, Thrive, putting on a ladies’ retreat for global workers serving in Africa. Shelly gave the messages and Jan was part of the leadership team.
When they were not teaching the Word, the associates, alongside other volunteers, spent time one-on-one encouraging, counseling and working in the pedicure room where they pampered the ladies.
“I love sitting at their feet, painting their toenails and hearing their hearts,” Shelly says.
One retreat attendee told Thrive: “Thank you so much for seeing this as a need for longevity and wholeness! What a spiritual and emotional uplift – my cup runneth over, and for that, more than just myself will be blessed. Being with fellow sisters has been so medicinal and something that I have longed for!”