“It wasn’t what I was expecting”. ‘That’s what you’ve said about every Maranatha retreat or conference you’ve been on’ I was told by a friend. Maybe that’s because it sums up very well what a Maranatha Weekend is all about – allowing God to do what He wants, being willing to listen to what He’s saying and to allow the structure and content to fit in with His agenda.

“The Silence of the Desert” weekend at the beautiful Beachwood Court in Conwy was no different. I arrived just before tea on the Friday evening looking forward to a weekend of mainly silence and quietness similar to the Light out of Darkness Retreat I had taken earlier in the year, but this weekend was different. Although there were periods of silence together, quite a bit of time made available to go off on one’s own, and it was quieter than many other Maranatha weekends, there was opportunity to chat over meals and other times. There were a number of planned sessions on contemplative prayer, with excellent input from our two leaders Ann and Karin. In fact there was a good balance between learning about this kind of praying and actually doing it. The times spent worshipping together, and the early morning prayers, were also highlights.

For me the weekend was a time of affirmation to what God has been doing in me over the past months and a challenge to continue to meet him, both in silence alone, and as a member of his family. A good weekend!

Heather (from Manchester)