Twenty participants from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod Women of the ELCA attended the Seventh Triennial Gathering held July 10-13, 2008, in Salt Lake City, UT.

The Gathering theme, Come to the Waters, focused on the celebration of baptism through Bible study, speakers, workshops, community service, and worship.

Approximately 2,000 participants in the Women of the ELCA nationwide converged on Salt Lake City, which was a welcoming place with perfect weather and no taxi fumes. Participants at the Gathering had an opportunity to take sightseeing trips to the Great Salt Lake, Kennecott Copper Mine, Sundance, and Park City. Many enjoyed an evening with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in rehearsal.

Women worked miracles with in-kind gifts, as boxes of fabric, fleece, and yarn, piles of toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo bottles, and mounds of pencils were transformed into quilts (84), baby hats (899), health kits (241), and school kits (364) that will help people in need. Fleece blankets (89) are going to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and quilts will go to Lutheran World Relief. Some women purchased lovely clothing from ASANTE Network, originals, made by women in East Africa.

Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director of the Women of the ELCA, said “the outpouring of giving was extraordinary.” Gift, grocery cards, and phone cards were donated by many of the two thousand participants. Phone cards totaled 55,470 minutes; gift and grocery cards totaled $13,284. Some of the local agencies in the Salt Lake City area that benefited from the generous donations included programs that serve children in the low income populations, shelters for the homeless, YWCA, Utah Food Bank, Primary Children’s Hospital, and Navajos Santa.

More than $25,000 was raised in the Second Run, Walk, ‘n’ Roll, as 400 women and girls wound their way through Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. The funds will be used to support the Women of the ELCA ongoing health commitment to women and girls, such as the Healthy Heart Fair, Stations of the Healthy Heart, and Living from the Heart of God — A Journal for Life’s Stages. Zoe Zieter, 11, of Green Bay WI, raised $500 in pledges and said she considers herself a participant of the Women of the ELCA.

The mission of the Women of the ELCA is to mobilize women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ. If you are ready to join your Lutheran sisters in worship, song, prayer, learning, and hands-on-service, visit online at www.womenoftheelca.org or call 570-265-8045 for information on how your church women can start a congregational unit.