Memories of Heather-Dawn Small


                I first met Heather-Dawn Small in the summer of 2002 when she came to Germany with Ardis Stenbakken for a Women’s Ministries advisory for the German-speaking countries. At that time the department had developed the concept of continuing education courses for women. They presented the material and held some of the seminars.

 Then, a couple of years later, Heather-Dawn was invited as the speaker to a large women’s retreat in Burg Wernfels, a castle in southern Germany. The topic was “Don’t let anyone steal your joy!” It was the most memorable retreat I have ever attended, with the women soaking up her message like a sponge, laughing and crying with her as she related her life’s story. Her authenticity and openness, vulnerability, and heart-felt love helped us understand how she could cling to her motto of Joy despite all the difficulties she had met in her life. We were encouraged to hold fast to joy in our lives as well.

At the opening of this retreat, we wanted to welcome Heather-Dawn with a special gesture. I had sewed a large flag of Trinidad & Tobago and as the national anthem was playing, the open flag was carried from the back of the hall to the front by several women. As soon as the first tones of the anthem started, Heather-Dawn stood up from her seat and watched the approaching flag with her right hand on her heart. The flag was then draped on the grand piano for the whole retreat. She never forgot this gesture and for us, it was a special pleasure to honor her home country. She may still have kept the flag as a souvenir.

Considering that Heather-Dawn traveled around the world for more than 20 years, meeting so many women everywhere, I was always astonished at how she would remember so many people. She made everybody feel special. We were her friends and sisters. It was always a joy to meet her. It was a great surprise when she wrote to me that I would be one of the recipients of the Women of the Year Award for 2019. I appreciated the gesture, taking it as an acknowledgment of the work of the many women who, like me, work for the Church as volunteers.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see her in October 2023 at the Adventist Women in History Conference in Washington. She was radiant, as ever. Her big smile and hug and the conversations we had will remain with me as a fond memory of a dear friend. She graciously accepted to do a short impromptu video interview. Thinking of all the women we had heard about at the conference, she closed with the words: “It is amazing how God has led us women through the history of our church. Not only in Women’s Ministries, but in the many ways women have served our church. Those ladies who are serving now in leadership positions in Women’s Ministries, you are also making a way for the other younger women who would come behind you. One day soon, we will be history if Jesus doesn’t come. But let us make sure that the history we leave is history that points to Jesus.” The conference closed with a keynote address stressing the legacy that women leave to others. Heather-Dawns legacy is huge.

Others will analyze the impact Heather-Dawn had in developing the initiatives of the Women’s Ministries Department that she led for almost 20 years. I am proud of the foundation based on the Declaration of Human Rights and in accordance with the Beijing Declaration of Women’s Rights. Acknowledging the challenges that women face, she directed the projects and initiatives to benefit the lives of women around the world. She always had the big picture in mind.

Ever since receiving the news of her passing on January 2, I have been thinking of this great woman with gratitude, sadness, and yes, the joy that was so important to her. The joy of having known her as a friend, and looking forward to a joyful reunion when all things are made new.

 Hannele Ottschofski, EUD WM News Editor

Photo: Michael W.Campbell (facebook)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Passing of a Great Woman

It has been my privilege to be involved in Women's Ministries ever since the Department was (re)created in 1995/6. I have met many wonderful and devoted women who were trailblazers and developed a ministry that makes an impact in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church around the world. So many women's lives have been enriched, and empowered and so many have been reached out to. I have been inspired by every woman who has served as Director of this department and I am deeply thankful for their example, love, and friendship. It has always been a special joy to meet these women who have devoted their lives to mentoring and sharing their expertise, experience, and spiritual insights with their sisters around the world. Women's Ministries has become a veritable sisterhood to which every woman can belong. Last October I had the opportunity to attend the North American Division conference on Adventist Women's History in Washington, DC. It was so good to see one of our pioneers, Ar
Read more

We Have Messed Up the Earth

Image
Living in a temperate climate, I have been used to having cold winters and warm summers. We never thought we would need air conditioning. But things have changed. We are in the middle of climate change and scientists are saying that we have almost passed the point of no return. The last two summers were extremely dry and hot. This summer we are having a mixture of heat and thunderstorms causing vast amounts of rain, and flooding. Hail is clogging the sewers and destroying crops. Streets are transformed into fast-flowing rivers, houses are flooded and even collapsing. Rivers and lakes overflow their banks. Rescue services are working at capacity and still, we hear of people drowning or not being accounted for. I am shocked at the news reports of calamities from all over. Many have lost everything to the flood. Even in areas that are used to flooding, people say that they have never experienced anything like this. In other parts of the world, the problem is extreme heat. When polar regi
Read more

Adventist Women Missionaries

Image
 Women’s History Month 2024 As I was browsing through the Adventist Encyclopedia, looking for women to be presented during Women’s History Month 2024, concentrating on missionaries, I found many women who had accompanied their husbands to foreign lands. Most of these women were mentioned as being part of a missionary team, working together to bring the Advent message to the area they were sent to. Both, husband and wife, were important, and both gave their all to serve God and the church they loved. Many even gave their health and life in the process. I also found single women who pioneered in unentered areas, reaching out, particularly to the women in these countries who would otherwise not have been reached. They were intrepid women who showed courage and initiative in bringing the message of salvation to the people they served. Then there were the women whose efforts were listed first, although they had a husband because their work seemed to merit special mention, like Priscil
Read more