IT is a Hebrew word. Two syllables. And yet when 121 women gathered at the Yangoru Church grounds last weekend, those two syllables carried the weight of a lifetime of faith. “Henani.” Here am I.
The women’s retreat, held under the theme “Henani — Here Am I,” drew representatives from eight organised churches across Kubalia and Yangoru districts, with four churches from each district in attendance. Among the participants were the female staff of Nagum SDA Secondary School, accompanied by their daughters — a multi-generational gathering that gave the retreat much of its spirit and warmth.
NOT QUALIFIED — BUT CALLED
The messages delivered throughout the retreat cut against one of the most common reasons people hold back from answering God’s call: the belief that they are not qualified enough. The speakers challenged that assumption directly, reminding the women that wisdom and knowledge for serving God do not come from certificates or credentials. They come from God Himself, freely given to those who are committed and surrendered to His service.
For many of the women present — mothers, teachers, church leaders, daughters — it was a message that met them exactly where they were. The retreat did not ask them to become something different. It asked them to respond to what God had already placed within them, with the same words Isaiah used, the same words Samuel used, the same two words that have always preceded a life of faithful service: “Henani. Here am I.”
SUNDAY MORNING: HEALTH CHECKS BEFORE BREAKING CAMP
On Sunday morning, before the group broke camp and returned to their home districts, health checks were conducted for all attendees — a practical expression of the church’s commitment to the whole person. The retreat closed as it had opened: with care, with purpose, and with a theme that lingered long after the camp was packed away.
