Today the attendees said, “ Goodbye!” What did God do this week?

Through extended times of worship and excellent Bible teaching, God is able to do amazing things in a short time. A almost didn’t come to this retreat. She learned some women she knew from another organization would be attending. A had experienced great hurt from some of them and wanted to avoid them completely. (Yes, even global workers experience relational conflict and can carry a grudge). She didn’t even ask people to pray about this because she didn’t want to. But during the first few sessions, God grabbed her heart and encouraged her to forgive. She mustered the courage to speak, and she was able to offer forgiveness and experience healing for this burden she’d carried for a long time. She felt significantly better the next day, knowing that a huge burden had been lifted. She was prompted to examine other relationships in her life where she may be harboring unforgiveness.

Single women can feel lonely and isolated anywhere, but especially in a cross-cultural situation. D discovered that M lived a short, 10-minute walk from her house. These two women had not even met before, but now each has a new friend.

Multiple women explained how refreshing and renewing it was to “not be needed” by ministry demands, husbands, or children. They were given the freedom to just relax and “be”. Many were able to gain a new perspective on their ministry just by talking through it with a new friend outside their own circle.

As these precious daughters of the King left to return home, there were tears of sadness over the separation and ending, yet tears of joy as they rejoiced in all that God had done in bringing healing, refreshment, and new friends.