Notes from Yukiko’s Desk

Kia ora e te whānau a te Karaiti

   
    <p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Thanks to your support and prayers, I had a wonderful 2-night retreat at St. Mary Mackillop retreat Centre in Mission Bay last weekend.   Though the retreat was facilitated by a spiritual director with eight retreatants, it was taken in silence most of the time (apart from talking with a spiritual director one on one). </p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">A weekend of silence? You may wonder. A retreat is simply time away with God. A break from routine. Getting out of our normal rut and finding a quiet time and place to slow down with God.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Going on silent retreat is an essential spiritual discipline for me, but I had not done for several years. As the retreat went on, I came to realise it was much needed. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">It was a wonderful  opportunity to spend time with God alone in a beautiful setting. (The photo in the cover letter is a sunrise view from the room I was in. Other photos in this page were also taken at the retreat).</p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">I refreshed, renewed, transformed  – not quite the same as I arrived.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Thankfully His</p><p><em style="font-weight: inherit; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5); color: var(--ast-global-color-3);">Yukiko</em></p>      
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