Kristin Straeuli, Greytown
Upon the conclusion of the 91st Posaunenfest in Kirchdorf, the FELSISA pastors and their families remained in Wartburg to enjoy a few days of relaxing and reconnecting. This Pastors’ Family Retreat always follows the Jugendtag / Posaunenfest weekend and provides a fellowship opportunity for the pastors’ families, who might not often get to visit with each other due to serving on Sundays in their various towns. Begun some 20 years ago, it continues to be a blessing to all who attend. The adults get a chance to catch up with each other and share about their situations, and the children to get to know and play with one another. Although the group always changes a little based on who can make it, this year, the amount of kids matched the number of adults!
Our retreat was held at the Wartburg-Kirchdorf Hostel, where we had ample space to eat delicious meals, play or enjoy a nice coffee outside, and sit around a warm fire at night. The kids quickly (re)acquainted themselves with each other while finding all sorts of things to do: from playing pool, shooting hoops, and jumping on the trampoline, to playing the piano and of course the occasional Paw Patrol viewing when they needed to recharge. The babies of the group also had it good with plenty of babysitters who were glad to look after them!
On Monday, we packed a picnic and headed out to Fountainhill Estate, just outside of town. We enjoyed seeing some animals on a short game drive, then set up our picnic overlooking the gorge. The highlight of the day was hiking down to the waterfall on the other side! After scaling along the pretty steep path (an impressive feat for all those little legs… also for the parents carrying kiddos!), we were nestled behind the waterfall in the cool side of the cliff. For the rest of the outing, some stayed at the picnic site, while others hiked farther along the side of the gorge, getting a closer look at a giraffe up on the hillside. In just a few hours, we experienced such a variety of God’s creation!
Our time together concluded on Tuesday morning, after breakfast and devotions. Some families traveled home, while others carried on with their holidays. A big thanks to all who organised, helped, and attended this retreat. The time, conversations, devotions, and play together were truly a blessing to each other!
