Two Weekends - Two Retreats

Over 100 women from teenagers to grandmas gathered last weekend for the first women's retreat for the Grace Brethren Church in Brazil. Over two days they enjoyed studies about the women at the well, living water and studying the stories of the Bible. They enjoyed spa treatments for their hands, feet and face. They spent time playing games together, singing, praying and worshiping together and sharing with one another, ending their time together with a communion service. Some of the ladies comments were....

'Thank-you for this opportunity to minister.”
“It was helpful and encouraging to be able to learn from and share with women from other churches.”
“I really enjoyed the studies and learned something.”
“I had a special time.”
“It was our first time at a women's meeting, we didn't know how it would be, but we really enjoyed it.”
“I was encouraged.”Some of the cost of the retreat was covered by a GBIM ministry grant. Thank-you for making this opportunity available to the women of Brazil. Thank-you to Sue Mathes of Centerville GBC for helping with the retreat and Centerville church for providing supplies for the spa and gifts for each women. Thanks to Sue's husband Denny for his behind the scenes help.


The weekend before some of the high school missionary girls from Amazon Valley Academy (AVA) and their mothers spent two special days together on a mother daughter retreat. They also enjoyed spa treatments and studied the women at the well led by Sue Mathes. Each one made a special gift or card for their mother or daughter. All enjoyed the mother-daughter times together and the makings for s'mores from the USA. Each mother and daughter received the book Closer, donated by Focus on the Family. Missionary Kid Lydia Patton who is a sophomore at AVA came up with the idea, planned the retreat and helped raise some funds to offset the cost.



What did the moms and daughters say?....

“We have to plan so much for others, it was nice to have someone plan something for us.”
“It was a lot of fun and a really worthwhile time for us.”
“It was great to be able to get away and spend time together, it was good to have time together to talk and pray.”
“If someone told us to sit down and have a mother daughter time together it would be awkward, but it was special to be able to get away from being busy and spend this time together talking about some things that needed to be talked about.”

Pictures
(1)Greeting each other in different ways at the women's retreat.
(2)Having fun with a foot rub and treatment.
(3)What would your team yell for women be?
(4)Sue and Lydia wrap surprises and glue Bible verses on Hershey kisses for the mother daughter retreat.
(5)Moms and Daughters
(6)Two of the daughters perform a modern day versions the of the women at the well.