SHEHAQUA FAMILY NEWS

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Shehaqua Family Winter Retreat 2012

Report by Winter Retreat 2012 Director Victor Servito

The Shehaqua Family Winter Retreat provided a wonderful opportunity to close an eventful year and "Start Fresh" for the New Year! Over 110 parents, children, and young adults gathered at Camp Innabah in Spring City, PA, for four days of fun and games, spiritual nourishment, and relaxation with friends and family.

Families from seven different East Coast states arrived on a snowy Saturday to get settled into camp. Elementary, middle school, high school, and young adult age groups enjoyed icebreakers and got to know each other. Each presenter of the educational sessions shared various topics to provide guidance and facilitate discussion to support the theme of "Start Fresh." Many thanks to our educators- Laurel Nakai, Igraine Convery, Crescentia DeGoede, Wayne Miller, Geoffrey Hinkle, and Gerard Servito- for sharing valuable internal guidance with our young and elder Second Generation. Also special thanks to Gregg Noll and Yung Chia for directing the adult education program, "The Joy that Comes from Being Healthy: A Divine Principle Perspective on Health and Wellness." Headed by Education Director Crescentia DeGoede, this year's Winter Retreat education provided wonderful spiritual nourishment for young and old!

"Meeting great people who share the love for God and being able to enjoy myself in a positive environment was a good opportunity to be genuinely human." – Young adult participant

Activities Director Clara Brunkhorst and her team put together fun and games for the whole family. During Family Challenge, mixed teams of families competed with each other in silly relay races and other unorthodox competitions of mental and physical fortitude! During the annual Inter-Generational Volleyball Tournament the teams bumped, set, and spiked their way through tournament play. The final evening of the workshop saw a very original "Structures" competition were teams were tasked with building structures of their choice using toothpicks, cotton swabs, and other random household items. They became very creative; building rocket ships, skyscrapers, and even a Blessing scene. It was a blast! There was also plenty of free time throughout the days to take advantage of the gym, board games, arts and crafts, organized hikes, or simply to kick back, relax, and spend quality time with each other.

"It is always good to have the time to meet with and reinforce relationships with brothers and sisters at this time of the year. The Health Retreat was very informative and provides some important direction for the New Year" – First Generation participant

"The activities, they were a lot of fun. The lectures were interesting too. I really liked the reflections on New Years Eve. I got to take a nice walk with a family member and it was nice." – Middle school participant

The workshop ended on New Year's Eve. After another delicious and healthy dinner by Shehaqua Family's iconic chef Elke Noll, Otmar Weinman and his song team created a reflective atmosphere for the camp with deep songs of beauty and grace. Inspirational testimonies of life-turning events followed and prepared participants for an hour of reflection time. The camp went silent as people talked to God, looked back on the past year, and created New Year's resolutions to move forward towards God's Heart. At midnight, Gregg Noll, Shehaqua Family Executive Director, delivered a New Year's prayer at a bonfire.

We thank God for the wonderful opportunity He provides for our community to be in each other's company. Thank you to the Core Staff and each and every person in this Shehaqua Family for making this Winter Workshop a great success. We will see you all in May for the Shehaqua Family Spring Gathering. Amen and Aju!!!