Women from the Northwest attended the Oregon Christian Women’s Retreat Oct. 12–14, 2018, at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Ore.
“Up From the Ordinary” was the theme for this year’s retreat with Jean Boonstra, Voice of Prophecy associate speaker, as the keynote speaker telling stories of unordinary women in the Bible who were used by God to do extraordinary missions.
Erica Jones, North American Division women's ministries associate director, talked to 17 teens about self-image, dating and deepening their walk with the Lord. The teens found Jones a passionate and engaging speaker who held nothing back as she discussed some of her own struggles and missteps in life.
There was something for everyone during the weekend with breakout speakers Joyce Choe, Jana Lee and Deborah Turner and the third annual 5K run/walk with Rachel Griebel.
Oregon women’s ministries for the third year has chosen to partner with Impact Hope, founded by Hans and Mindy Thygeson, by taking an offering to help Congolese high school girls living in Rwandan refugee camps to attend Adventist boarding academies to obtain a high school diploma while learning a vocational trade.
Mindy Thygeson and Terrie Leen Griebel presented a current slide show/report of their trip to Rwanda in December 2017 and January 2018, showing the 60 sewing machines the women's ministries offerings in 2017 provided for the new vocational training school. The previous year, 2016, more than $54,000 was raised to send 98 Congolese high school girls to school. Each year there is a need to continue support to keep these girls in school.
This year $31,000 was collected at the retreat. With a $20,000 matching donation, $51,000 was raised to send at least 85 refugee girls to school.
It was a wonderful spiritual weekend with testimonies and women praying together and sharing their stories.
If you missed the retreat you can watch the livestream recordings by going to orgcwomen.netadvent.org or facebook.com/WomansMinistries/notifications/ to see this year's retreat.
Be sure and check out a blog designed for young women, called gorgeous2god, at gorgeous2god.org, where young women can anonymously ask any questions on life issues.
Next year’s retreat will be Oct. 4–6, 2019. For more information on women's ministries, email Terrie Leen Griebel.
Jean Boonstra was the keynote speaker at the Oregon Christian Women's Retreat.
Mindy Thygeson (right) and Terrie Leen Griebel with Impact Hope.
