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I have had the pleasure to attend the Christian Meditation Silent Overnight Retreat Nov. 24-25.

I am in awe that HWCDSB offers such a beautiful way to receive Religious Renewal.

My students love to meditate and I thought this was a good opportunity to learn more about what and why my students love about Chritian Mediattion and this I did! Everything was very informative and thoughtful.

What surprised me most was what this retreat has done for my own personal prayer life.

What a beautiful gift to be able to disengage from the busyness of life, engage in intentional silence, meet new and wonderful HWCDSB staff, in the scared space warmly set by Jericho House and their wonderful staff.

I am excited to see how CM continues to deepen my faith and relationship with God.

Thank you for offering this amazing experience!!!

Maranatha

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Thank you so much for making this Christian Meditation retreat possible. It has brought meditation into my personal life. I have felt such fulfillment from meditating. I have also continued to bring focus to meditation in the classroom and now apply some techniques I saw being used at the retreat.

Thank you again,

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I was fortunate and am very grateful to have been given the opportunity of taking part in such an enriching retreat.

I felt such positive energy and warmth during the time I spent in Jericho House.

What a wonderful experience overall! With gratitude.

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I attended the Silent Meditation Retreat from Nov 24-25th. It was a beautiful experience which filled my heart and soul with peace and love. God is good! The trainers Carm, Michele and Andy were very informative, helpful and motivating. Thank you for your encouragement and support! The strategies I learned in deepening my relationship with God, I hope to continue to utilize for the rest of my life. Maranatha

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Thank you very much for allowing us the opportunity to experience such a beautiful weekend. It was amazing to take the time to push the pause button on an otherwise chaotic life between balancing all the stresses my class, school and family bring forward. It is wonderful to know that our senior admin team value our mental and spiritual health. It was a very peaceful weekend!

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In Gratitude!

Thank you, for the opportunity to be part of this AWESOME Christian Silent Meditation Overnight Retreat in November 24- 25.

I realized Meditation is a cornerstone of the retreat, which became a powerful tool for me to cultivate clarity and inner peace. Through the techniques of breathing and saying MA RA NA THA, I learned to observe my thoughts without judgment and cultivate a sense of detachment. This practice not only helped in reducing stress and anxiety but also fostered a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of body, mind, and soul. I am eternally  grateful for this opportunity to connect with my God, my creator.

This retreat was well organized by Carm, Andrew, and Michelle, where each of us were given enough time to share, meditate and reflect.

I am eternally Grateful,

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I went to the Retreat in April and it was fantastic. Thank you to the HWCDSB team behind allowing us to gather and learn more about Christian Meditation. Truly a gift to be able to go and spend the day/night to pause, reflect and enhance our connection with the infinite love of God. I am grateful and the practise has already made a difference for my mental health. I plan to continue mediating daily. The book of daily reflections was also much appreciated!

With gratitude and many thanks,

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I would like to express my gratitude to the Silent Meditation Retreat team including the HWCDSB for having me. It was an amazing experience and I learnt a lot. Thank you once again and may God continue to Bless you. I no longer try to stay calm but set time to be and it has been a game changer. May you be peaceful and calm.

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The retreat was such a meaningful experience. The serene environment and the guidance of Carm/Andy/Michelle created a space where I could truly disconnect from the noise of everyday life. This newfound peace allowed me to delve deeper into meditation, extending my practice beyond my usual five-minute morning routine.

I have re-discovered that silence can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and spiritual growth. It has enabled me to approach challenges with a calmer, more centered mindset. I have learned that not every issue requires an immediate response, and that sometimes, the best course of action is to simply listen and reflect.

As I move forward, I will strive to better integrate the practices I learned at the retreat into my daily life. By dedicating more time to meditation and embracing silence, I hope to continue growing as a person and as a leader.

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I am very grateful and appreciative for the opportunity to attend the Christian Meditation Retreat - Nov. 24th and 25th. This has been my third time attending this retreat over the last ten years and with every experience I learn something new. As I reflected on my Spiritual Journey comments from 5 years ago with my current practice - I recognize my own growth and acceptance into a state of being rather than having.

Working with Carm, Andy and Michelle as well as all the amazing staff of the Jericho House - I am blessed to see God working through these humans to support one another and help others embrace their own depth within God's presence. He lives in each of us.

This retreat is a gift to all our HWCDSB members and thank you for continuing to offer this opportunity to ALL our members.

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Thank you to Carm, Michelle and Andy, for all that you do to create an atmosphere of peace and gratitude.  I had the most amazing experience and I feel blessed to have participated in the Christian Meditation Retreat in November. I am learning more and more about this beautiful world we are all in and the people who I meet on my journey.

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I am so grateful to work for a school board that cares so much about it's employees that it is willing not only to support the building of our faith as we renew ourselves through this silent meditation retreat, but also pay for this experience on our behalf. I feel so privileged to have been able to take part in this experience, as I found it helpful in so many ways. I actually learned how to meditate properly, which I didn't fully understand even when being taught by others at my own church. It also taught me the importance of silent reflection and journaling to better understand myself, my life situations, and how to work through tougher times. I also gained a new perspective on time, and see how making some adjustments in my family life may help our family use our time in more beneficial ways. I would like to sincerely thank all of those involved in making this retreat a possibility for me. I am truly grateful.

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Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to participate in the Christian Meditation retreat. It was a perfect opportunity for renewal and peace. Peace professionally and personally in the busy world of education and life beyond work.

The time and space away was especially important in order to practice this prayer and deepen my commitment to CM.

My sincerest gratitude to all members of HWCDSB who support this opportunity for faith formation for all employees.

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I am very thankful for being able to participate in such a beautiful experience. The Christian Meditation Retreat was a wonderful way to receive Religious Renewal. I knew it was going to be an amazing experience, but I truly feel that there are no words to clearly express what this retreat has done for me. The weekend of silence was a beautiful and meaningful way for me to reconnect with God and take the time to just 'be'. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the silence, as it allowed me to reflect on many things. Thank you to Carm, Andy, Michelle, the staff at Jericho House and those at the board who make this phenomenal experience available to us. I am excited to continue my journey with Christian Meditation and continue my faith journey.

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Thank you, for the wonderful opportunity to attend Jericho House for a meditation retreat. Jericho House and it's people are very special. I feel blessed to have been apart of the experience.

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Thank you to the Board and most especially Carm, Andy and Michelle! I attended the Christian Meditation Retreat in February 2025 and it was a life changing experience. I am more aware of God's presence in my life and I feel like I have achieved greater inner peace. I am seeing my greater inner peace translate into deeper connections with family and friends as well as greater patience in the classroom. Thank you again!

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Thank you for this beautiful opportunity to be silent, still, and find God. Because of these wonderful opportunities, God's Purpose for each and every single one of us flourishes to others during the retreat and of course, today! May all of you continue to find God everywhere and be HIS Voice to everyone you meet. God is Good! All the Time!

Blessings, MJ

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Thank you to everyone who made this Silent Retreat possible. Because of you, we were able to flourish and do God's Purpose during the retreat and of course, today! May each of you continue to be blessed. Be God's Voice and do HIS Will today and always!

Blessings to you.....

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I had the wonderful privilege of attending the Christian Meditation Retreat at the Jericho House, run by Carm, Andy and Michelle in February.  This experience will be one that I will never forget (and one that I hope I get to experience again in the future years.) I am so extremely grateful that our school board provides its employees with this beautiful opportunity to strengthen and reconnect with God and one's faith. Since my experience at the retreat, I have recommended this experience to many colleagues. I truly hope that this incredible opportunity continues to be offered year after year.

Thank you HWCDSB and thank you to our wonderful facilitators, Carm, Andy and Michelle.

"Be still and know that I am God."

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I wish to offer a sincere thank you to the facilitators of my Christian Meditation Retreat: Carm, Andy, Michelle, and Tim. Thank you as well to Paul for his work with the team. As always, this was a profound experience of rebirth and awakening. The retreat may be considered a compass that directs us back on our Christ-given path. Thank you to the Board of Trustees and Senior Administration for supporting this most worthy form of religious renewal.