We Remember You - A Day of Hope and Healing

You've seen our fliers.

You've watched our video.

http://vimeo.com/83794360

You've heard about our box ministry.

You've read our requests for help and prayer.

So what's this all about?

This is our dream.  This is our hope.  Our mission.

The first step was our box ministry.  Our vision was that through the church, any woman who knew of a friend, family member, neighbor, or perhaps even herself, in need of comfort and encouragement because of a miscarriage, late loss, stillbirth, or early infant loss could get a small box of comfort items and to her know that both she and her baby were remembered and loved.  And to date:

-50 total boxes are ready to go

-8 boxes have gone out

-1 box went to a family who just lost their baby boy on Christmas Eve

-2 of those boxes have gone to two different churches in Oklahoma--those two pastors are now planning to work with us to help them build their own FMN ministries at their churches

-many MANY conversations about FMN and thus about Jesus have transpired between those of us in the ministry and others--some of which have been perfect strangers (strange things can happen at the Jo-Anne's cut counter, ok?!)

And the second step is really what this post is all about. 

We Remember You is a day of healing for women affected by pregnancy loss, abortion, or infertility.   We invite you to attend this special seminar on Saturday, January 18th, 2014 in the Education Center at Palmcroft,  9am- 1pm with a light brunch beginning at 8:30 am.  If you are able, the suggested donation is $5.  Palmcroft is located at 15825 N. 35th Ave.

Click here for event flier

In exactly two weeks, we will be holding this, our first kickoff event.  This is likely the part you have seen us advertising whenever and wherever we can, but you're probably still asking yourself, "what is it??"

Want to know if this event is for you?  Or who you should consider inviting?  So here's the scoop.  This Saturday morning event is going to be run like a workshop.  In fact, here are some details that we haven't previously released:

Healing From Pregnancy Loss (Workshop 1)

This session will be directed toward women who have experienced any type of pregnancy loss including early miscarriage, late loss, stillbirth, and abortion.  Questions and topics discussed will include:

• Will I see my baby again?
• How do I deal with the emotions that follow loss for months and years to come?
• Why is God letting this happen to me?
• Why do other women get a healthy baby while I do not?
• If I had an abortion, does God forgive me and how do I deal with guilt and grief?  Will I see my baby again?
• If I had an abortion, how do I talk about that with other Christian women?  Won’t they look at me differently?

The Struggle of Infertility (Workshop 2)

This session will be directed toward women who have experienced or are experiencing difficulty in conceiving.  Questions and topics discussed will include:

• Why is God allowing this struggle in my life?
• Why do other women who get a baby while I don’t?
• If I take advantage of modern medicine to try and conceive, am I “playing God?”
• How do I maintain romance and connection with my husband in the midst of this journey?
• What does the Bible say about infertility?
• What does the Bible say about IVF and other options for conception?
• Why should I/shouldn’t I consider adoption?

Pregnancy, Parenting, and Maintaining a Godly Marriage in the Midst of Grief (Workshop 3)

This session will be directed toward women who are married and experiencing the stressors of pregnancy loss or infertility, women who might experience pregnancy again after loss, and women who are parenting other children through/after a loss.  Questions and topic discussed will include:

• How do I reconnect with my husband after loss?
• How do I reconnect with my husband during our infertility struggle?
• How do we find romance and hope in our marriage in the midst of grief?
• How do I deal with a husband who doesn't know how to be supportive of my loss and/or infertility?
• Does my husband grieve differently?  How?
• What are some practical ways that I can protect my marriage during this time?
• How do I deal with the paralyzing fear that comes with pregnancy after loss (or that comes after watching my friends experience losses?)  
• How do I explain my loss(es) to my other children?  

Supporting a Grieving Loved One (Workshop 4)

This session will be directed toward women who have walked the road of grief as a result of pregnancy loss or infertility with a family member or friend.  Questions and topics discussed will include:

• How can I show love to her during this time?
• What should I say?  What should I not say?
• How do I support her while I grieve the loss and/or unmet desire too (as grandmother, aunt, etc.)?
• How can I love a friend/family member who is hurting from abortion?
• What are some practical things that I can do to help?

Each woman in attendance will be able to choose 2 of the 4 workshops to attend.  Each of these workshops will be led by a pair of very brave women who will be sharing from their own personal life experiences in these areas.  It will be vulnerable and real.  

Think you want to attend but feel like maybe only one session is a good fit for you?  No problem.  While all of these workshops are going on, so will our "Memory Making" session.  This is an informal session in which any woman who attends will be able to make a small craft, like a bracelet, keychain, or Christmas ornament by which to remember their loved little one who is no longer with us.  We will also have the materials to make a beautiful little journal to take home if your struggle is more related to infertility, or if you are attending in support of another woman and wish to make something for her.  

And if the thought of putting together a craft project totally stresses you out (not everyone's favorite color is glitter!!), then we will have places where you can hang out, grab a bite to eat, and even a quiet room where you can go to think, pray, or talk with one of our trained mentors.

We will also be "planting" our Garden of Remembrance.  "What's that??" you ask.  Come join us and find out.  In fact, we can't wait to show you.  We think that it will be a beautiful visual representation of the little ones that we will meet again and of the countless who struggle to ever even conceive.  

We have tried very hard to make sure that there will be something for every woman who attends.

The bottom line we want to make sure that you understand about this event with which we have been bombarding your Facebook newsfeed as of late?

In order to attend this event it is not necessary to have personally had an experience with pregnancy loss, abortion, or infertility.  It is only necessary to have a desire to want to reach out and minister to other women who are hurting in these areas.  And if you're reading this post?  Then you already know one.

We will be announcing our plans for support groups, box packing parties and more at this event.  Please.  Come join us.  We would love to have you.  We hope that this is just the beginning.

Please let us know if you have any questions at all or would like more information or some fliers for your own distribution.

becky.forgetmenot@gmail.com
karen.forgetmenot@gmail.com

Thank you for reading this lengthy post and we hope to see you there.  

If you choose to come?  You will be amongst friends.  Friends who love you, support you, and understand the road you walk.  We don't want you to suffer in isolating silence anymore.