Mira Chun

I am a Pastor's wife and church planter in San Francisco, CA. I found NEWIM as I was searching for a place for Pastor's wives to find rest and be restored as I myself had just begun my own sabbatical from ministry.

My husband had suffered from a benign tumor for 3 years along with the challenging times of leading a church during the pandemic that left both him and I weary and in need of a break. I was led to NEWIM when I discovered that this ministry provided different types of retreats for pastor's wives and ministry leaders. My husband nominated me for the Pastor's wives retreat but it was at capacity so I wasn't able to attend. I browsed on the site and found they also held silent retreats so I decided to sign up and was able to attend this past February.

I did not know what to expect but I knew in faith that I would be blessed somehow. From the moment I arrived I could tell the staff had prayed and prepared the space for each woman to encounter God's love. I could see the care in the details of the signage, booklets, chapel times and everything in between. What struck me the most was that I could see the staff were intentionally being present with God even as they were leading. They weren't busy running around like a "Martha" but they set up a structure where they too were a part of the receiving end of the retreat.

I was blessed to be a recipient of God's healing presence during my time at the retreat and felt the gospel care and love the staff shared through all the prayerful planning and their personal testimonies. Thank you Luann and NEWIM women for providing a powerful resource to women like me who are in need of care and rest for our very own souls as we care and lead our churches.