Imagine you are stepping into one of our Siafu Women’s Retreat sessions. You may be surprised by what you see and hear. If you were picturing a quiet and reserved group of ladies, you’d be mistaken! We are LOUD as we praise the Lord – we clap our hands and shout “Amen!” We are REAL. We laugh and cry and hug each other, even if we only met for the first time 24 hours before. We are EMPOWERED. We do not gather to simply socialize. We are soldiers preparing to fight the battle. We are prisoners set free. We are kingdom-minded.
For the past few years, we have chosen “Rosie the Riveter” to represent our empowerment through Christ Jesus. More than a pretty picture, Rosie encapsulates the spirit of empowerment and of strength. We emphasize that “we can do it” only through the power of Christ. Over the years, we have tweaked the Rosie image. We have changed her skin color and hair texture to reflect the different ethnicities of the women who attend. We have changed her clothes and slogan to reflect our specific themes. This year’s theme is: RELEASED: Empowered to Live Free. Our focus is on how to live free in Christ and throw off the sin that so easily entangles. Our Rosie traded in her coveralls for a prison uniform and around her wrist is a pair of shackles breaking free. This image represents that we all have been in prison to sin and need the power of the Holy Spirit to set us free.
This is an exciting year for our Midwest women’s retreat movement. We now have three women’s retreats taking place in the month of April. We have our English-speaking retreat and our Spanish-speaking retreat (both at Morning Star Ranch) and now our Dallas ministry is hosting their own retreat using the same theme and resources! Our team is thrilled to be working with Shaun Estrada as she leads this retreat. Our goal is to continue to reproduce these retreats throughout the Midwest – all led by indigenous leaders.
The Lord continues to bless our efforts. Each year, more women attend. They come from all over and with them they each bring their unique calling and gifts. We love to empower women from our churches and Siafu groups to help lead worship, facilitate prayer times and share testimonies of God working in their lives. It is awe-inspiring to see these women use their gifts for God’s glory.
When I look at Rosie, I no longer see a WWII icon. I see the faces of the ladies at our retreats. I see godly women rolling up their sleeves to minister to the hurting and broken. I see women who aren’t afraid to visit jail cells or prayer walk in dangerous neighborhoods. I see women raising their children to love Jesus. When I look at Rosie, I see women teaching, leading and discipling so that the Church may grow and God’s kingdom expand.
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