Area 3 Encounter Retreat April 18-19, 2009     I am so grateful and thankful for the work that God has done in my life during the Encounter Retreat on April 18 & 19 of 2009. My teenage life was filled with painful memories.  I left my parents at the age of 13 to migrate in Canada.  In order for me to migrate, I had to be adopted by my mom’s sister. Being absent from home, I was hoping that my Aunts and Uncles would love me as much as my parents did or perhaps more but my expectations of love failed.  Instead, I’ve experienced resentment, rejection and rebellion during my teenage life.  Anything I did was not good enough because I was always compared by another member of the family.  Simple things I wanted were rarely granted. All along I thought my painful memories were over because as I got older I learned to build a healthier relationship with them.  Little did I know my agonies were still living in me and it was during the “Inner Healing” session where God brought me back to my past?  As I closed my eyes to pray, God all of a sudden revealed a little boy reaching out his hands towards me.  It was my oldest son reaching out for love.  I didn’t realize I was treating him the way I was treated.  I love my son dearly however my role as a mother was not sufficient enough.  I was so hard on him and I was always on his case even with the smallest thing that didn’t matter in life.  At that moment, God spoke to me and said “Surrender all your pains and sufferings & start building a more loving relationship with your son”.  Right there and then, my entire burdens were taken away and this is by far the best ride of my life because God not only freed me from all my distress but completely healed my inner being. Towards the end of the sessions I once again felt the presence of the Lord?  God placed his hand on my right shoulder.  His hand was so light and gentle as if a bag of feathers were resting on my shoulder.   I felt renewed, revived and bursting of His love and it was the most amazing indescribable feeling I have ever experienced. As promised, my life is utterly surrendered to God and it is now my turn to bless the Lord.  In the book of Joshua 24:15 it says, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”.  To God be the glory. In Christ, Sis Cathy from JIL Edmonton