Midwest Ladies’ Retreat

September 18-20, 2009

The setting was beautiful and the weather perfect for the Midwest Ladies’ Retreat at the River House Bed and Breakfast in Rockford, Illinois. Twenty-three ladies from the Midwest Apostolic Faith churches gathered to enjoy a weekend of fellowship, great food, laughter, and inspiration.

The weekend began with dinner at a Mexican restaurant, after which Margaret King, from Chicago, led the group in a devotional. She asked the ladies to select female Bible characters and relate how they can identify with them. Several godly women were mentioned, with Ruth being a popular choice. The ladies were then encouraged to emulate these examples from the Bible. After the devotional, a bountiful supply of homemade snacks were laid out for all to enjoy, followed by a fun game of Pictionary before it was time to retire for the night.

Saturday dawned another beautiful day, and some of the ladies enjoyed coffee and homemade goodies on the deck to start their day. Roxie Rael, from Los Angeles, California, was the guest speaker, and she highlighted the retreat theme, “God’s Design for Women,” using Psalm 139:14, which says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Roxie brought out that women are uniquely designed, and God has a very special place for them to fill.

After the first session, the ladies went into town for a good country meal at a Midwest-style restaurant, after which they had fun browsing and shopping in the restaurant gift shop. In the next session, Roxie talked about the special gifts given to women, including the gift of their words, which can be used for either good or bad. One of the Scriptures she referenced was Proverbs 14:1, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Roxie reminded the ladies that they can either build up or tear down with their words, and she asked the ladies for suggestions of ways they could use their words for good. The suggestions included: encouragement, testimony, compliments, teaching, kindness, worship, praise, asking or giving forgiveness, and praying. Roxie concluded the session by encouraging the ladies to take this special gift of “words” that God has given them, and give it back to Him for His glory.

The ladies were then entertained with a couple of group games. The first game was to see which team had the most items from a list in their purses—the winning team had twenty-six items! The other game was a relay, in which each lady attempted to carry popcorn on a spoon across the room and place it in a bowl. For the rest of the afternoon, some of the ladies played badminton, while others just relaxed, visited, and enjoyed the beautiful view.

On Saturday evening, the ladies gathered around a roaring bonfire to roast hotdogs and marshmallows for s’mores. The group then lifted their voices in singing favorite songs, and even the owner of the inn came and listened to the “peaceful music” for a time. Before heading to bed, there was another rousing game of Pictionary in which the ladies shared a lot of laughs.

Sunday morning was a special highlight of the weekend. After breakfast, the ladies gathered in a circle and began to sing. The Spirit of the Lord was very near, and soon the tears began to flow. Janelle Parker, visiting from Los Angeles, gave the devotional and shared a little of her personal testimony about when she and her husband lost their infant daughter. She said they had consecrated her to God when she was born, but when God required that consecration, they still had to follow through with trust. Janelle emphasized the importance of prayer, which helps Christians submit and put their trust in God. She brought out that there may be times, like with Hannah in the Bible, when it is hard to form the cry of the heart into words, yet God still understands that kind of prayer. During the devotional there was a beautiful and melting spirit, and it was followed with an opportunity for the ladies to convey how the weekend had been a blessing and share prayer requests that were on their hearts.

By noon it was time for the ladies to go their separate ways, and hugs and goodbyes were shared among those who had formed new friendships and growncloser to long-time acquaintances. The retreat had been everything it was meant to be, and the ladies were now ready to return to their posts and advance in their Christian walks and callings.