KENYA Azmera Haven Retreat | Solitude

The women who attend our retreats are in the people business. Their days (and evenings) involve building relationships with the people they are here to serve, along with regularly scheduled meetings with their team members. Short-term teams from supporting churches come through as well. Many of our attendees coordinate these meetings and travel plans. And many of these women have families to tend to on top of everything else.

People. Meetings. Problem-solving. Kids' schedules. Church. Work. Running a household.

Repeat.

Is it any wonder that some of our women are stretched so thin at times, that without a little bit of quiet reflection, they may be facing burn-out? One husband knew his wife needed a time of refreshment. And with no apology for a time of intense self-care, Shelah checked into her private room for a time of solitude and peaceful quiet. We wondered if we would see her before the last day of the retreat! We did. Sometimes, all a girl needs is a good night sleep...

Born in Africa to missionary parents, Shelah had stories that delighted us all from her days in boarding school and beyond. One special moment occurred when she discovered her dorm parent from Rift Valley was our speaker, Tracey Hagman. They had not seen each other for twenty-five years.

There is freedom and empathy for our attendees to figure out how to get their physical, emotional and spiritual needs met at our retreats. We want whatever will be the most renewing for their souls--whether it is connecting with their peers, spending time alone in peace or a balanced mix of both.