It’s hard to believe it’s true! IWM has been faithfully wiping tears for 15 years—since 2010. I accepted the call to wipe tears on July 1, 2010. I didn’t even know what it would look like, but I had a vision from the Lord on how to get it started. The Lord graciously gave me a 90-day plan to build a team, host an event, and hold the first meeting. IWM initially started through the vision of Bo Barredo, co-founder of Advancing Native Missions. He was burdened for the wives, widows, and single women on the mission field.
I was going through a season of transition in 2010. God led me from one ministry to nowhere; I was simply waiting for the Lord to guide me. I found myself sitting in Thursday morning Bible Studies, listening to missionaries at Advancing Native Missions. I felt discouraged because the Lord had not revealed my next steps. Being in limbo is very hard when you have a calling on your life, but it’s all part of the growth process that the Lord guides the called through.
Additionally, I had been praying for direction for three months, and my savings account was running low while I was caring for four children as a single mother. I didn’t realize that the Lord would use my brokenness and rejection as a single mom to carry out a global work. It’s hard to imagine God using any of that, but He did.
One Thursday, while listening to missionaries share their stories and hearing giants of the faith talk about their struggles and God’s faithfulness, Bo Barredo asked me a simple question: “Sister Autumn, what would you do with International Women’s Ministries?” He then explained that it was the one area that had never been fully realized. It immediately resonated with me. I knew right then that God had saved that call for me.
I accepted the challenge of the call to raise my own salary—to pursue God’s heart for wiping tears! To bring hope to women working in difficult mission fields. I didn’t realize that my broken heart, my tears, were all preparation for this greater work to be done. God never wastes our tears… but our tears reap a harvest according to the scripture Psalm 226:5-6!
As IWM marks 15 years this month, will you join us in prayer? God has more plans for the ministry to accomplish worldwide. We need more people to help! This isn’t a one-man show, but a team of called individuals working together to spread the gospel globally.
Wping tears until Jesus comes!
Autumn Nims
CEO
