Introducing Women Today Staff

Audio and Video:

Editor: Masha Lyashenko

Маsha Lyashenko has been a Christian since 1993. She got baptized in Odessa, Ukraine; the first baptism. She is married to Ivan Lyashenko, who is a deacon of worship in the Kiev Church. They have a wonderful daughter, Arina, 8. Masha is a gifted woman who has a strong desire to use all her talents for God's Kingdom. Together with her husband they now serve in Kiev Church, Ukraine, in youth and family ministry and in worship.

In 2009, at the 17th anniversary of the church in Kiev, Masha was appointed a deaconess of Media ministry for Kiev Church of Christ.

Inside Out:

Assistant editors: Dawn Ferry and Sandy Anjilivelil

Dawn Goodman Ferry became a disciple of Jesus in 1990 at Duke University. She entered the ministry full-time while completing her Masters in International Affairs at George Washington University. She has served, with her husband Rob, in the churches in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and on the foreign mission field in Auckland, New Zealand. The Ferrys relocated to the Denver area in the summer of 2006 and currently serve as Evangelist and Women's Ministry Leader for the Southeast Region of the Denver Church of Christ. They have three young children--Hunter (9), Grant (8), and Skylar (6)--who keep them busy and fill them with great joy. In her spare time Dawn enjoys running, photography, spending time with friends, and the adventurous lifestyle of the Rocky Mountain West.

Sandy (Sparks) Anjilivelil was born, and born again in Boston in 1983, and was immediately drawn to foreign missions. (The year leading up to her baptism was spent traveling in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.) After short spurts in London and Bombay, she was eager to serve God wherever He would lead her. As God would orchestrate, she married Matt, an Indian national raised in the Middle East, moved to Los Angeles for training, and with their two young children and one single sister, planted the church in Kuwait City in 1999. They served there for seven years, while holding secular jobs. Sandy loves working with women and watching how God uses her mixed marriage, experiences, and travels to reach out and impact people from all nations. Matt and Sandy now lead a family group in the North River church in Atlanta and continue to support Middle East missions. Married for 15 years, they have two children, Camille (13) and Aaron (11).

News and Profiles in Courage:

Assistant editors: Esther Templer and Meghna Lal

Esther Sonali Templer is seventeen years old and has been a Christian for three and a half years. Like many teens these days, she is very competent with computers. Esther lives in New Delhi, India, and is a junior in high school. She loves reading inspiring stories of women and watching movies. She is also an accomplished athlete.

Having witnessed God’s wonderful miracles in her personal life (Esther was adopted as a baby) and around the world as she has traveled extensively with her missionary parents Esther is eager to help with the Profiles in Courage and Good News sections of Women Today.

Meghna Lal, from South India grew up all over the country of India as her parents were both army officers. Meghna was in New Delhi pursuing her bachelor’s degree in computers when she decided she wanted to join the Air Force.

However, God had other plans for her life. After being invited to church and studying the Bible, she was baptized in June of 2001. In March of 2004 she entered the full time ministry, serving the sisters in New Delhi, particularly the teens and single sisters. She recently married Amit, and they now serve the church together as a married couple.

Lessons for Leaders:

Assistant editor: Deanne de Vries

Ever since she was a little girl, Deanne wanted to live in Timbuktu and the jungles of Africa, learn the local language, translate the Bible, and teach people to read (the Bible among other books) and write with languages. Five years after college Deanne was baptized in New York City and nine months later traded in her job on Wall Street to go on the mission team to Nairobi, Kenya.

In her twenty years as a disciple she has served God in 10 cities on 3 continents through her work in the business world. Throughout this time she has helped many people to become Christians and benefited the churches she has been able to be part of by serving in such ways as handling the administrative duties of a church, coordinating the children’s ministry, having the sisters over for sleepovers, and even hosting the church in her apartment as they do in Kuwait! Deanne has spoken at numerous women’s events when her job takes her on business trips to other cities and was the keynote speaker to 1600 women at the annual conference of the National Association of Women MBAs in Washington, DC, October, 2007. (Where she also serves on their Board of Directors.)

Articles, Studies and Devotionals, Dear Lydia, and Reviews:

Assistant editor: Sharon Metzger

Sharon Metzger grew up in the church, and was baptized in the Boston campus ministry in 1986. She has an undergraduate degree in technical writing and math, and a master’s degree in technical and professional writing. In her professional life, she writes software documentation for Nuance Communications. She loves to use her writing and editing skills in service to the kingdom. If you’ve been a disciple with email since before the web was ubiquitous, you may remember Sharon (Belville) as the editor of the KNET (Kingdom Network) Journal. She is also a bulletin editor and occasional freelance editor for DPI, as well as an editor for her PTO newsletter or any email list that needs a hand. Sharon spent four years in the MIT campus ministry, ten years in the Boston singles, and has now been married for ten years. She and Michael live in the northwest suburbs of Boston, and have two children, Benjamin (7) and Christopher (5). Sharon is currently enjoying a part time work schedule.