Julie's Lamplighter Weekend

My friend, Lori, sponsored me to attend a Lamplighter retreat this weekend.  Lamplighter is similar to the Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, Via De Cristo, and Great Banquet retreats.  The purpose of the Lamplighter weekend is to give guests the opportunity to grow in their Christian faith.  Dan attended a men's Lamplighter weekend back in November and was excited for me to attend this women's weekend.  Since the schedule includes some surprises, those who have attended in the past are very secretive about what happens and when during the weekend.  So, I didn't really know what to expect, but knew that it had an uplifting impact on Dan and our other friends who had been guests at previous Lamplighter retreats.  I am thankful that I got to see Ryan take several consecutive steps Friday evening just before I left for the retreat because he (quickly) became a much more confident walker in just the two days that I was gone from home.  We were not permitted to have cell phones, watches, or computer access during the retreat, and it was nice to just "unplug" for awhile.  I won't disclose too much since Dan and I plan to sponsor more friends to attend and want to keep the weekend's activities a surprise, but I can say that I really enjoyed it and learned a lot too.  It was also evident that God had a hand in who was placed at which tables (the attendees were divided into small groups), as the members of the small groups bonded very well with one another.  I really enjoyed meeting all of the ladies at my table and especially connected with one in particular who I am sure will be a life-long friend.  And, a huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported and encouraged me during the weekend- I really appreciate you!  I would encourage any of my friends and family to attend a retreat like Lamplighter.