Photo Courtesy of Gail Mckenzie
Photo courtesy of Gail Mckenzie
Photo Courtesy of Gail Mckenzie
Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:24, “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”
No one could ever have imagined how God would bring women from Kentucky and Tennessee across the Atlantic Ocean to join women in northern Ireland for a special women’s retreat. The connection between this unique group started back in May of 2021, when Pam Petersen, missionary in northern Ireland, contacted Gail McKenzie, Conference women’s ministries director, to speak at a virtual retreat with the Irish women. The original assigned speaker had canceled, and McKenzie was happy to fill in.
Together, the group chose the theme, “Higher Up and Deeper In,” a study encouraging members to dive deeper into the Bible with the goal of understanding better the true picture of God. The women were excited and requested to continue the virtual Bible study, which they did in the fall of 2021.
McKenzie and Petersen were grateful for the forging of new friendships and started considering the possibility of bringing the women to a retreat at Castlewellan, Ireland, in June 2022. There had not been a women’s retreat in northern Ireland for more than 20 years, so Petersen realized this would be a wonderful opportunity for the Irish women to connect with other Adventist women and be encouraged in their walk with God.
As enthusiasm grew about the potential of what God could do, it was decided to let God lead, and He did!
Thirty-six women from Kentucky -Tennessee flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Dublin, Ireland, on June 15, 2022. From there, they began their trip to Castlewellan for the retreat. They enjoyed delicious vegan and vegetarian meals, which was always accompanied with tea, potatoes, and good Irish bread.
Surrounded by unimaginable beauty and the splendor of Ireland’s green land, God did something that could not have possibly been fully anticipated. He blended the hearts and lives of the 30 gracious and loving Irish women with the 36 women from Kentucky-Tennessee. The group spent their days singing, praying, sharing, hugging, and laughing. Genuine love grew and flourished in the few short days they spent together.
Among other activities, the women also spent their week learning how to make Irish soda bread, taking tours, going on hikes, and visiting a wool factory. They spent the last Sabbath at the Derry Church in Londonderry, Ireland. The women filled seats and presented the worship service, which forever sealed hearts in anticipation of what Heaven will be like.
The impact that the American and Irish women had on each other cannot be fully described in words, but in actions. Plans are in place to continue to connect through Bible study, social media, and a possible return trip to Ireland in May of 2023. The most thrilling outcome is a plan to bring the women of northern Ireland, and a few of their husbands, to the 2023 Conference women’s retreat. God called, was faithful, and He did it!
Kentucky-Tennessee | October 2022
Comments are closed.