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…And Still We Rise!!!
The 2010 Women’s Retreat held in Hesston, Kan. was hosted by a combination of churches: Quinter, Messiah, and First Central—GOOD JOB LADIES!! The theme of the retreat was based on a poem by Maya Angelou entitled “And Still I Rise.” All of the sessions dealt with how we can rise from the ashes of the past to emerge as beautiful new creations—a lesson we can learn from others who have touched our lives. We were encouraged upon registering to bring a photo of that very special lady who was an inspiration to us, and we ended up with a whole table of those special photos, as one by one we shared their stories. Next we learned about how women in the Bible had adverse situations and how we can learn from these examples.
We were also asked to bring household/personal items or supplies to help the residents in an abused women’s shelter in McPherson called “Mt. Hope Sanctuary.” There were several ladies from this Christian organization who shared about the facilities and its function. A former resident also shared her struggle to overcome abusive treatment from her husband and how she was now stabilized and able to begin a new life of peace and financial security because of what Mt. Hope did for her. She helped me realize that sometimes we need a helping hand, and through this we can be empowered to help others who are struggling. It is through our relationships that we hear God speak, first through our relationship with Him and then through those around us. Our journey begins by discovering and awakening to God’s presence that unfolds before us in each circumstance of life. God wants us to turn to Him first to ask what it is that He wants us to learn and how He wants us to respond. That is Transformation: surrendering to God all that we are—to receive all that God has for us!
This was the first time that the Women’s Retreat was scheduled as a two-night stay. It was very much needed so that all of the different aspects of worship, prayer, and storytelling could have adequate time. Our fellowship was enhanced in the arts and crafts sessions, as we were given art lesions by our own Connie Rhodes, and as usual, she had us “rolling in the aisles” with her humorous stories as she shared her artistic creations with us. We also walked through the nature prayer trail and meditated upon our wonderful Lord; we worshipped as special ladies sang special songs; and we cannot leave out the wonderful food that was served. When time was running out, we were able to get the United Effort of our Creativity all together in a wonderful Giant Rising Mobile, symbolic of our trust in a RISEN Savior and because of this our Hopes are Rising to New Heights!
Cathering Price, on behalf of the District Nurture Committee
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