CEE Story From The Mission Field
A Drawing Aside
March 2002
Where do those who minister go when they need ministering to? In October 2001, those in Central and Eastern Europe came to Prague, Czech Republic. For one week, 128 missionary women from across the region drew aside together to meet with the Lord and be refreshed in vision and purpose. God gladly agreed to meet them there! "Awesome!" "Wonderful!" "Blessed!" "Just what I needed!" These were the ways that the women of CEE described the October Ladies Retreat!
This retreat had been in the mind and heart of Debbie Hammer--the wife of CEE Regional Leader, Rodney Hammer--for over a year before it took place. She led the women of CEE to pray and expect great things of God. The region had to trust Him alone for all the finances needed. God was clear about the objectives for this retreat: worship, prayer, fellowship, and hearing from God. God wanted the missionary women of Central and Eastern Europe to have time to experience renewal and growth in their walks with Him, as well as encouragement, challenge and blessing from their time at this retreat. He provided just that. Through the spiritual leadership of Debbie and the Practical leadership of Retreat Coordinator Glenda Terrill, God led the women of CEE in a great time of drawing aside.
The dependence on prayer that laid the foundation for planning the retreat, did indeed play a major role as much time was spent in prayer: corporately, individually, by field, in small groups, and before each session. Everyone also participated in one of several prayer walks through different sectors of Prague. In addition to this, God led a team of volunteers to serve as a prayer team before, during and after each session. Through the placement of a "prayer table" where women could write down prayer needs, God enabled this team to pray for individual needs as well as needs of the retreat as it was in progress.
As one missionary woman prayed later, "Thank you, God, for teaching the women of CEE to have deeper hearts for prayer. You've shown us at this retreat how very important that is to You."
Drawing aside with the missionaries were those who came to minister to them, even paying their own way from the States in order to be there. Volunteers included the prayer team, a childcare team, and a doctor from Georgia who lead two seminars on family healthcare, in addition to immunizing babies, caring for the sick, and providing medicine. These were in addition to the two speakers who were truly appointed and anointed by God. Amy Stewart, a pastor's wife from Richmond, VA, spoke in each evening session on the topics of Forgiveness, Healing, Hope, and Freedom; Bobbye Rankin, wife of International Mission Board president, spoke in each morning session from the Book of Esther. Other teaching was provided by several of the missionary women themselves who led in seminar times, and many testimony and praise times filled out the days and evenings that touched so many and transformed lives.
One lady at the retreat summed it up well. "We will all go away changed," she said, and they all did.
View the photo essay of "A Drawing Aside."