Some participant comments after recent weekend Project Rachel retreats
“I thought I was doing OK with my memories and feelings about the abortion. I could work, I was healthy and I had friends. I didn’t cry much. But I knew that just functioning wasn’t enough. The retreat brought my soul to life. I could risk loving my baby and saying goodbye. The love that surrounded me here made this possible.”
“After carrying the burden of abortion for so many decades I decided I needed help to put it down and go on with my life. I never thought I could be forgiven for my abortion. What I learned and experienced on the retreat was that I needed to accept God’s forgiveness. The retreat provided the perfect nurturing place to do the work I longed but feared to do. They guided me, supported me and provided a loving environment I needed to put the burden down and release me from all the years of guilt and remorse, while gently moving me to experience life a new way.”
“After the abortion, I never would have believed things could get better. But, amazingly, since my post-abortion counseling I have experienced hope and healing and self-forgiveness.”
“I can now look at my one and a half year old daughter without feeling the pangs of guilt, remorse, regret and sorrow.”
“Years after my abortion, I was married and became pregnant with my son. Carrying this baby was a painful reminder of my first child that never was allowed to live. But somehow, through this birth came reconciliation and resolution.”
“Healing for me has not been forgetting the abortion completely, but integrating it into my life, using this experience as an opportunity for growth and working towards bringing some closure.”
“I don’t think I can ever express how much that retreat meant to me. . . . I was finally able to begin to feel whole. The sacrament of Reconciliation was such a freeing moment for me . . . . I am able to see God in my life, and it makes me smile. I feel worthy to be among God’s people, and to be the best mother to my three children . . . . And while I still have a long way to go, I feel like I finally have taken those first steps. Thank you so much.”
“When I arrived at the retreat, I felt so depressed and remorseful at having two past abortions. It was in this beautiful sanctuary that I found the love, compassion, and forgiveness from a most merciful God and I know it was His grace that brought me there. This experience will stay with me forever. I’m at peace now because I know my two children are with God. . . . ”
“For 25 years I have suffered the pain of regret, shame and guilt. One month ago I attended a retreat and for the first time, realized I was not alone in my pain. . . . we experienced the healing power of God’s forgiveness and love. The shame and guilt were lifted, and as a result, I have come to appreciate what a freedom it is to be free of that pain. I thank God and the church for reaching out to the women like me.”
“My spirit was broken and as far as I knew, beyond repair. . . . I was haunted by the choice and consumed with feelings of remorse. During the retreat, I realized the lasting impact of forgiveness. . . . It was only then that I had hope. . . . I knew God had forgiven me, and now I needed to forgive myself. For the first time in 34 years of living, I sat in the chapel and felt connected to God. Through the depth of my pain, I began a lasting relationship with God.”