1. Walking in Solidarity with Our Global Sisters Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering Workshop July 16, 2011

2. Faithful Midwife, As you delivered the Hebrews safely Our of the long labor of slavery, So, morning by morning, You draw us forth into the new day. Surround us with a cloud of witnesses, and sustain us by your powerful word, That, in the night of loneliness and fear, We, being weary, may not lose heart But push toward the joy that is to come, Laboring with Christ To give birth to your promised kindom. Amen Reporduced from Revised common Lectionary Prayers copyright 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress

3. A Walk to Beautiful

4. What is Fistula? Illustrations courtesy of One by One, http://www.fightfistula.org/fistula_faq.asp

5. Why fistula? What causes fistula? What systems of oppression and domination does fistula reveal? What other issues are related to fistula and maternal health?

6. How does this relate to us? How can we get involved? www.FistulaStories.org

7. Mark 5:21-43 The Woman with a Hemorrhage and Jairus’ Daughter

8. What similarities and differences do you notice between the two unnamed, healed women? We easily make an analogy between the healed women and “the woman with a fistula.” What does this reveal about our perceptions of them? Notice the way the “extras” in this story react. What do they do?

9. Who do we ignore? When do we laugh? What do we regard as lost causes? It is not as easy to identify ourselves in this story as it was to find “the woman with a fistula.” Where are the UN, the United States, WELCA, your church, or you, in this story?

10. Maternal Health in the U.S Maternal Mortality in U.S. worst of top 40 industrialized nations Women of color, poor women, and women living in rural areas impacted vastly more Increasing costs of health care making the problem worse

11. God in a Mother’s Womb: The Importance of Maternal Health to Christians No Room at the Inn: Maternal Health in our Country and World Rachel Weeping for her Children: U.S. Maternal Health and Race God, look with favor! Calling for action on U.S. Maternal Health

12. Take Action! www.FistulaStories.org/ActionIdeas Fistula Stories Curriculum, Advent Study, Multi-Faith Perspectives Prayer Raise awareness Giving Circles Learn about Maternal Health in your community

13. WELCA resources http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Ministry/Women-of-the-ELCA/All- our-resources/Promoting-Healing-and-Wholeness.aspx

14. Recommended Reading The Hospital by the Rivier: A Story of Hope, Catherine Hamlin and John Little Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Around the World, Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn Slavery Today, Kevin Bales and Rebecca Cornell

15. Expanding our Reach: Legislation for Women IVAWA and VAWA –International Violence Against Women Act –Violence Against Women Act –www.ncccusa.org/news/110519justiceforwomentoIEPC.htmlwww.ncccusa.org/news/110519justiceforwomentoIEPC.html CEDAW –United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women –www.cedaw2011.orgwww.cedaw2011.org

16. God who makes all things possible, We remember the rich young man Who asked you what he needed to do But lacked the courage to follow. We remember the woman with a hemorrhage Who did not ask, and was healed. Give us courage, O God, For the action and witness that lay before us. Amen.

17. Meagan Manas 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 800 New York, NY 10115 mmanas@ncccusa.org 212-870-2738 www.FistulaStories.org