Women's conference a hit

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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - Mossel Bay’s Berenice Kogana Paulson - a 2021 Mrs SA semi-finalist, radio show host and founder of The Myrtle Tree NPO - has held yet another highly successful women’s conference.

The conference venue at the Diaz Hotel was packed out.

PHOTO GALLERY: Highly successful women's conference

Berenice has been organising these events for eight years.

On Saturday, attendees pulled out all the stops, dressing to the nines, mainly in flowing, colourful, floral dresses.

PHOTO GALLERY: Berenice Kogana Paulson holds a successful event

As one stepped into the hall, one was struck by the profusion of bright colours.

There were two guest speakers – Notukela Makohliso, formerly married to Mossel Bay singer Gift Gwe, who came second in Idols SA in 2005, and Mossel Bay local, Apostle Debbie Benjamin.

Berenice said that during her prayer, fasting and isolating before the event, she kept seeing green pastures.

She quoted from Psalm 23.2: ”He makes me lie down in green pastures,” and said the Lord is giving people rest in 2023.

Sheep

It was not often that a sheep lay down, Berenice said, but in order for it to lie down, it needed three things: preparation, provision and protection. These the Lord would supply.

She noted that besides locals, there were ladies from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, George, Plettenberg Bay and Albertinia in the audience.

Local pastor Kanyi Gadu ministered through a dance item and local singers Edinia Citwa and Vusani Jonathan entertained. Vusani had just returned from a visit to Spain.

Pastor Debbie Benjamin’s address was titled, Bloom where you are planted. She encouraged the women to bloom and be fruitful, even if conditions were difficult, such as there being no water or the soil not always being soft. She said there may be tears, pain, rejection and back-stabbing, but: “If life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Make the best of life and do what’s right, even when it’s hard.”

The tears flowed after her address. Women felt it was a safe space to be vulnerable and share their pain.

Notukela, who is a wheelchair user, told of her two near-death experiences: one when she woke up in hospital in Mossel Bay after a suicide attempt and the other when she was in Cape Town and had a motor accident and doctors told her family she was unlikely to survive and that they might have to “switch off the machines”.

Wheelchair user

It was the accident which rendered her a wheelchair user and affected her voice. She speaks slowly and has to breathe often while speaking. But she said the challenge meant she “must take time” and it made her “very intentional”.

Despite the impact of her accident which included her business closing down, “God turned what should have ended my life into good.”

Quoting Ephesians 2:10, she said: “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Notukela said: “Why should I cry that I can’t walk, I’m in a wheelchair. I have work to do. You have work to do.”

She noted that she is part of a Tengu royal bloodline and people call her Nkosasana (princess), but beyond that, “I’ve been commissioned to populate heaven. I am a member of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).”

She has been a single mom for a number of years. Notukela said. “I love having multiple streams of income.” But these stopped after the motor accident. She said, however: “God is wealthy; He does not want us to lack. He wanted to switch off avenues to show us He can provide.”

Lost income

Although she lost her income after the accident, her children remained in private schools. “We call our house the house of manna,” she said. “We have everything we need and even some of what we want. We must wait on God.

“You don’t get through hard times, you grow through them. Hard times also show you the grace of God.”

Notukela said she went from being headhunted to having no employer. God taught humility and getting pride out of the way.

She used to be a lecturer before the accident, but no longer lectures. “But I’m here, talking to you, still the educator,” she pointed out.

She started the Notukela Foundation Institute in 2019, which aims to motivate and inspire vulnerable people in communities and give them a voice. The foundation offers motivational talks, coaching, mentoring and training nationally.

Good, strong voice

Her son, Khanya Gwe (16) sang at the event, showing off his good, strong voice.

In closing, Berenice said, quoting Genesis, that in the beginning there was formlessness, emptiness and darkness.

She noted that in the six days of creation, God “said and saw”. He spoke things into being and he saw that they were good. She encouraged the audience to speak over their situations and circumstances, as God had, saying they had the dominion and authority to do so.

“No more crying, self-pity or ‘poor me’. Take authority.”