The Retreat: A Time of Healing and Hope

Our retreat for the women of Refuge and Hope grew out of concerns identified during our last trip to Uganda just two and a half years ago. The original plan was to invite someone who could address reproductive health. But when an Ebola outbreak occurred last January, the trip was postponed—and that person was no longer able to participate. So, what to do?

Around that time, I had completed a training called Strengthening Families. The course teaches skills that help parents and children deal with stress and trauma experienced along the refugee highway. With that in mind, the retreat took shape around four key areas: coping with stress and trauma, helping parents equip their children for success, using a craft to process and focus, and spiritual formation. The spiritual formation component included women from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds.

It’s hard to put into words how precious and fulfilling this time with 21 women truly was. What did I love most? How they changed the words of a song to express that, as women, they are beloved by God. How they concentrated so intently on their macramé craft. How they opened up—allowing themselves to be vulnerable as they learned to face trauma and hardship. How they sang in harmony. How they delighted in learning to breathe and pray. How they immediately began practicing what they’d learned about helping their children succeed, even in difficult circumstances. How they hugged. How they loved on one another. How they loved on us!

You never quite know what to expect when leading a cross-cultural retreat like this one. But we learned so much from these amazing women—about coping, loving, persevering, hoping, and believing.

I don’t know what the remainder of this trip holds, but if it’s anything like the past two days, it will be life-changing.