Waterbury women gather for retreat to encourage one another in loss and the faithfulness of God
"Our retreat was full of laughter, crying, praising, and praying," said Margaret, an attendee at the 2nd annual women's retreat for the ladies of Waterbury Baptist Ministries in Waterbury, CT.
Spearheaded by Tamika Goldson, the September retreat occurred at the Rice Lodge, next to the BCNE building.
"We started this in 2019, expecting to do it the following years, but we all know what happened with COVID. The Lord placed it on my heart to get our women together again so we could take a pause and focus on Him," Tamika said.
Fifteen women attended, ranging in ages "from high school to more mature ladies," focusing on the theme of God's faithfulness from Lamentations 3:22-23. Allyson Clark taught the adult women, and a young adult leader from the church led the high schoolers during small group times.
Marianne reflected on the retreat saying, "I feel better connected with the women in the church, and a renewed desire to go deeper in my faith. It was a blessing to pause from the busy schedule of daily life and spend time with other believers. I enjoyed the craft activities and games! It was good to laugh together! I was especially grateful for the small group sharing, pouring out our hearts to each other. We all have experienced loss in the past or present, and we were able to discuss and help each other, drawing from our own experiences and God being there through it all."
Another attendee, Brenda, described the loss she experienced and her response to the retreat: "A year ago, on September 15, 2021, a very close friend of mine, I called her mom, was called home to God unexpectedly to us family and friends, not God. And I questioned God, 'Why?' I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. I always told her I loved her but wasn't ready for her to go. This weekend opened my eyes and mended the hole in my heart when talking and hearing from others that have lost a loved one. Now I think of her and smile, no more sadness."
"We had a lesson from 2 Chronicles 20:1-37 about Jehoshaphat's prayer. The one verse that is still in the forefront is verse 12b. 'We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.' No matter what we go through, we must turn our eyes on Jesus," said Margaret.
Along with the group and teaching times, the women had time to "worship, share testimonies and enjoy fellowship. We did a paint night, made necklaces, cooked together, and prayer-walked," said Tamika.
"The time spent together impacted all the ladies, and I was blessed to be a part of God's plan. I can't wait to see what God continues to do until next year."
Renee Ghobrial serves as the communications director of the Baptist Churches of New England.
