February 2021 ACCTS Newsletter

Dear family and friends,

January and February are generally months where ACCTS and AWT are busy planning and preparing for the year's activities. In this newsletter, you'll read about some of the things we are currently gearing up for, such as AWT's campaign that will launch on March 8. Following that, we will launch our first women’s leadership training, “Authentic Leadership.” We ask you to join us in prayer for God's hand to be upon all the details involved, especially since people in our office in Jordan have recently battled COVID-19.

Ruba and I will be in the US until March 22. We would love to see you if the opportunity allows. If you would like to meet up between now and then, send us an email so we can connect. We pray God's continued blessings upon you during this season.

Our heart is encouraged with the word of God in Colossians 3:1, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”

“It Is Not a Shame”

Throughout February, the AWT team has been preparing for our upcoming campaign entitled "It Is Not a Shame." Honor and shame are deeply engrained in the hearts and minds of people in the Arab world. The campaign's idea stemmed from the Honor and Shame workshop that members of ACCTS and AWT participated in back in November. It included several social media components including posts with the hashtag #honoringwomenandgirls.

The “It Is Not a Shame” campaign will be held from March 8th – 18th and is centered around International Women's Day, which is on March 8th. This campaign aims to ignite women’s self-confidence and assertiveness in their pursuit to live their true selves in peace and with dignity.

1. To emphasize the original and true identity of the woman.

2. To examine and challenge the current perception of honor and shame in Arab societies and correct toxic misconceptions.

3. To help women realize their view of themselves and take steps towards stopping wrongful thoughts and practices that undermine their value.

4. To provide support and assistance to women who want to be reconciled with God and themselves.

Because of you, women will learn the truth about honor and shame in a way that can have an impact on their lives. We look forward to updating you with feedback and the fruit resulting from the campaign.

The Youth Department

The ACCTS Youth Department has recently produced short clip videos about freedom and discipline. The video clips were distributed to participants in previous activities. During January and February, the Youth Department was diligently planning for this year's events and activities for the rest of the year. We look forward to sharing more about them in the near future.

Encouraging Feedback

We are sincerely grateful for the feedback we get from the people we connect with through our programs and events or on our website. The testimonies and comments help us know what is on women's hearts and minds and allow us to note the impact on their lives from the resources we are able to make available to them. Recently we received the following feedback on our Arab Woman Today page from two women:

“I am a fresh graduate from law school, but my personality is weak and I always have fear of other people. I have a strong desire to advocate for and defend women’s rights. By communicating with you and the counselor in your organization and her encouragement to me to write articles on violence against women, I started writing and will publish my writings on a private page. I feel that I have started a new life and have strength and confidence in myself.”

“You helped me to respect myself and find motivation for my life and achievements. The way I viewed myself became very dignified, and I started to succeed in my university courses. I got rid of many negative feelings due to a painful past. I began to see it with new eyes, and joy and peace entered my heart.”

Reaching Milestones

You may remember that between 2018 and 2019, Ruba Abbassi participated in the Bush Institute's WE Lead program, an initiative of former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush. Recently, The WE Lead program asked former participants about the milestones in order to put them in their newsletter. They chose to report on the Honor and Shame workshop we did in November in collaboration with Empower Women Media. The bonding and networking with the leadership of the program and fellow colleagues is deep and growing.

“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” Numbers 6:25