This June, the island of Saipan in Micronesia hosted a women’s retreat. Led by Laura Smith, the event was attended by 11 women. Using the theme of “Seaside Escape,” the focus of the retreat was on taking rest in God. The key verse for the event was therefore Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” The retreat was planned as a simplistic time together, allowing people to focus attention on God and learn to rest. The studies for the event revolved around Genesis 12-21, focusing on the faithfulness of Sarai and how to apply her story to that of women in Saipan.

Angela Taflinger, who with her husband Chad and three children are ministering in Saipan, had this to say on the event: “Sometimes women and mothers have so much responsibility, and we forget to be still.  We make decisions and take control of challenging situations, and often that leads to us neglecting to rest and rely on God.” The Taflingers know firsthand the challenges and demands of ministry, having landed in Saipan hours before the retreat started. “We did several activities that brought up great conversations and helped us practice slowing down.”