Kim’s Retreat Experience

Four months after my second consecutive missed miscarriage, I had the privilege of attending a Hope Mommies retreat. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, but I could tell from the carefully worded and tender-hearted emails that were sent prior to the retreat that it was going to be a positive experience.

The amount of thoughtful care and attention to detail that the retreat organizers put into their planning was evident all weekend long, from the numerous gifts we received throughout the weekend to the verse cards placed throughout the venue, to the decorations completely covering up the baby changing station in the bathroom so we didn’t even know it was there (until the decorations started coming down after the retreat was over). The environment was peaceful, comforting, and pleasant.

The first night, I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by the number of places that I saw my babies’ names written down—on my name tag, in the back of our booklet, in the prayer room, painted on cardstock in my room, on a gift we were given later in the retreat. It felt amazing to be in a place where my babies were acknowledged and honored by the retreat hosts as well as the other attendees. It felt freeing to be able to openly talk about my Hope Babies without fearing judgment, misunderstanding, or hurtful responses. Everyone there was kind, compassionate, and gentle—truly Jesus’ hands and feet to those of us who were in the depths of grief.

Prior to attending the retreat, I was struggling to get by day to day. I was depressed, despairing, and lacking direction. I was desperate for hope. I was hoping that the retreat would give me direction and a sort of boost in processing my grief. Between our small group sessions, listening to our speaker, singing worship together, sharing little moments with other Hope Moms, journaling, and spending time walking around the camp, I truly became refreshed and felt revived by the end of the weekend. Part of me wished it could go on longer, but I knew that this was just a stepping stone toward further healing, and that I had to continue on to further process my grief.

The Hope Mommies retreat was a turning point for me in my grief journey. I arrived feeling depleted and weary, but I left feeling renewed and revitalized, encouraged to continue processing my grief and holding onto God’s Word as my anchor. Thank you, Hope Mommies retreat team, from the bottom of my heart!

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Kim is a wife of 12 years and a homeschooling mom of four beautiful children on earth and two beloved babies in heaven, Quinn, Caleb, and Ruben. When she’s not taking care of the needs of her family, you will most likely find Kim journaling, singing, taking a walk, or encouraging other mamas. She especially loves to play in the rain barefoot and listen to morning bird songs.

Hope Mommies is offering an in-person retreat again in 2022:
April 8-10, 2022
Registration begins December 1. Find out more HERE

Will you share with us a testimony of how God has worked in your life through Hope Mommies in a Hope Group, a local chapter, an annual retreat, a Hope Box fundraiser or gathering, or your October 15 event? You can learn more and submit your testimony here.

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