We are currently wrapping up an incredible week of life giving words at our virtual Beautifully Flawed retreat. This year’s retreat was one for the books, and because it was virtual, we were able to have close to 100 girls in attendance. That is five times the normal size of our retreats! We typically keep them to about 20 attendees because we have found this number conducive to being small enough where the attendees feel safe and welcomed. The hard part is that it also limits our reach, which is never easy!

Our team reached out to the girls who were supposed to attend this year’s retreat in person, and invited them to join our private Facebook group. This group was established after our first ever Beautifully Flawed retreat and includes our past attendees. It is a community for the girls to share what is going on in their lives, the struggles they might be facing, and is also a place for prayer when times are trying. So to be able to host the retreat on the group page opened it up for all of the girls to connect, be encouraged and motivated.

We had an incredible line up of speakers who each brought words of encouragement to the girls. We also had one of our past attendees share, Callie Colwick. Callie first attended our 2018 retreat after being released earlier that year from the hospital, where she spent nearly a year and a half. After experiencing pregnancy complications which resulted in septic shock, Callie lost both of her legs below the knee, two fingers on her left hand, and her son Quinn. She first heard about the retreat from one of our attendees turned leader, Amy, who is also a survivor of sepsis and lost both her legs and arms as a result. This is a beautiful picture of how important our retreats are! Attendees find healing, power, purpose, and a voice to inspire others.

“My value isn’t placed on my physical limitations or how the world views me because Christ ultimately views me as perfect. He takes our fear, failure, doubts, and all the pain that this world is, and he turns it around and makes it good and for His glory.”

-Callie Colwick (BF virtual)

We can’t help but be thankful for the important work we are doing. We are helping those whose lives might feel all but lost, to find the courage to get back up. That was certainly true with Callie. After attending our retreat in 2018, she found the motivation to fight her way out of being stuck in bed consumed by all she had lost. She went home and made a goal that she would walk again, and do it at our 2019 retreat. Callie worked extremely hard, and accomplished that goal. She is an example to us all that in spite of 2020 not being easy, when life knocks you down you fight with all you have to get back up! We are praying that over each of you!

As we gear up for our largest year ever in 2021 with three retreats (a huge step of faith for us), we ask that you consider sponsoring the FOBH Foundation. As a small non-profit, we cannot do this work of seeing stories come to life without your help! We have several ways you can give to make it easy for everyone, so check out our Donate page for that. Thank you all for your love and support over the years, it has been such an honor to see the growth we have had because of you!