Michigan—First, a relaxing weekend at Camp Au Sable, then back to the reality of a houseful of children and a husband to feed, or a lonely apartment where a single woman lives alone or has children to care for. That is the reality for many of the 590 women who attended one of three women’s retreats in Apr. Women who attend come for many reasons, but Christian fellowship is what many of them write on their evaluations at the end of the weekend.

This year’s attendees included many first-timers and friends who are not members of the Adventist church. Many were brought by Adventist friends or are newly-baptized members from church plants throughout Michigan.

Carolyn Sutton, a retired educator, missionary, and former editor of Guide magazine, was guest speaker for the three weekends. She kept the women’s attention with colorful anecdotes and relevant Bible teaching. She highlighted God’s goodness, His healing, and Kingdom principles designed to enable women to cope with life’s challenges.

Although some who came had seemingly insurmountable struggles, many others were there to support and help them along in their Christian walk. One woman wrote on her evaluation that the weekend had given her “a more meaningful relationship with my Lord and tools to take home to help others walk closer to the Lord.”

Weekend seminars included "Strengthening Marriage Relationships," "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People," "Living a Healthy Lifestyle," "Making Sense with Clothes and Color," and a special leadership sharing time for leaders and prospective leaders who keep women’s ministries alive in their home churches.

The women take up an offering for a special project each year on Sabbath morning. This year’s offering focused on women and children living on the tea plantations in Sri Lanka. Funds raised will be used by Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to provide medical assistance to women who work on the plantations and sometimes deliver their babies while they are working in the fields. Since they have not had prenatal care, many women and their children die during childbirth.

This year’s offering is the largest taken so far, amounting to $7,738, and is enough to give more than 500 women prenatal care and assistance for their children.

Marj Snyder, Michigan Conference women's ministries correspondent