Reasons to Rejoice
by Giles Armstrong | President
Deuteronomy 16:9-11
Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name.
In Deuteronomy 16, we see God’s call to come and celebrate. It is interesting to note that God had to tell His people to celebrate, it’s not our natural default. Many of us get caught up in complaining instead of choosing to celebrate. This celebration came at harvest time but their thanksgiving wasn’t just tied to the harvest but to the One who made the harvest possible. We may be the ones who plant the seed but He is the One who created it. It’s easy to claim the credit; but when we do, we end up worshipping self.
This was not just a one-time celebration but a series of three feasts. Our culture has more in common with once a year annual celebrations, like our Independence Day or our birthday. We tend to gear up to celebrate for one day and then abruptly stop; we are not used to a lifestyle of celebration. So why the call for continual celebration?
First, it reminds us of the size of our God; God is so big that you can’t just celebrate what He did once a year. His works and His wonders will never fit into one celebration. Who or what are you celebrating and how often? Are you living a life of celebration? Our tendency is to blame God for the bad and boast about the good. Does your celebrating involve giving the credit to Christ or claiming it for yourself?
Second, we are a people that easily forget and without a regular reminder, we would not remember and rejoice. Now this was not just a call to celebrate but a command. Why? Because taking time to celebrate has a way of calibrating our hearts and syncing or fueling our souls.
As Christians how much of our lives do we spend complaining and how much celebrating? In reality we have lots to celebrate and little to complain about, yet we often get them reversed. We have a big God but so often we give priority to our problems instead of praise to our provider. How much of your life revolves around rejoicing?
Here at SonScape Retreats, we have so much to celebrate. We just celebrated 40 years of investing in ministry leaders. That investment didn’t come without some work, just like the planting, weeding, and watering that is required for a harvest. We could choose to focus on the hardships or the harvest, and what a harvest it has been. There have been over 5000 ministry leaders served in 45 countries. Wow, only God! There have been so many who have volunteered their time to host, cook, give, and pray. There have been many tears shed and many smiles and laughter rediscovered. Many marriages restored and ministry passions rekindled.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible ministry! We could not do this without you and the Lord. What if today we would count our blessings and then choose to be a blessing?
The SonScape Experience
by SonScape Alumni
Randy Dewater
My wife and I needed a place that we could be honest about some hurts. We also needed people who really understood. SonScape Retreats exceeded our expectations. We were pampered, encouraged, and challenged. God used the leaders, other couples, the food, and the beautiful setting to love us and help us. Praise God for SonScape.
Rebecca Dewater
Time on the mountain at SonScape Retreats is indescribable. It is encouraging, soul searching, hard emotional work but needed emotional work. It is a time of great rest and enjoying God’s creation while being pampered and cared for.
Carson Hildebrand
My wife and I were by far the youngest in the group so we really did come into this week a little skeptical and unsure how we were going to connect throughout the week. And boy were we wrong to do so! We came away from this week with four new sets of brothers and sisters and lifelong friends in the faith!
Kara Hildebrand
I came to SonScape discouraged and feeling far from God. I was lacking joy and missing the delight I used to feel in His Presence. Slowly throughout the week, the Father began peeling back the layers of lies I was believing about Him and about myself. As He worked in my heart, He also began using my “poverty of spirit” and vulnerability to connect more deeply with my husband. I haven’t felt this connected to my husband in months, if not ever, in our marriage (granted, we’re only 2.5 years in). Ken and Sandy were instrumental in helping us communicate and understand how our MBTI types have affected our marriage.
All that to say, Jesus asked “What do you want me to do for you?” at the beginning of the week, and my heart’s cry was “I want to feel alive again! Alive in relationship to you, alive in my spirit, and alive in our marriage.” And I believe He’s SEEN me and answered all three – at least He’s begun the transformation and I’m leaving here more at peace, more joyful, and with hope again.
An Update on our International Retreats
Rob and Shini Abraham | International Retreat Leaders
2025 marks a significant milestone for SonScape Retreats as we celebrate 10 years of international retreats! Our journey began in 2015 with retreats in Argentina and Colombia, laying the foundation for ongoing retreats across Latin America, serving pastors and missionaries from the Spanish-speaking world.
From an international guest:
God is multiplying what He gave us at SonScape many times over! Years later, He is now transforming our ministry culture, the way we serve, and the communities we impact through the things we learned at SonScape.
We give thanks to God for:
• The established work in Latin America, with Spanish-language retreats in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico
• Our dedicated Spanish retreat leaders: the Mendezes, Arangos, and Peñas
• The pastors and missionaries we’ve had the privilege of serving over the past decade
• The lasting impact of these retreats on individuals, marriages, families, ministries, and cultures
SonScape’s Latin American Team in 2024
(l to r): Julio and Emily Peña, Shini Abraham, Yury and Félix Mendez,
Mariela and Hernan Arango, Rob Abraham
As we reflect on all He has done, we are now prayerfully discerning whether God is calling us to new regions. Over the past year, doors have been opening, and we are excited to announce that the Abrahams will lead a pilot retreat in Southeast Asia this June. This marks the beginning of exploring the potential for ongoing retreats in a region where many unreached people groups reside. Workers in Asia face unique challenges, including ministering in environments with differing faiths, languages, and often in restricted or hostile conditions.
We invite you to join us in prayer for:
• The Abrahams as they pioneer retreats in Southeast Asia
• Two couples God has raised up to help support this first Southeast Asia retreat effort
• Wisdom and guidance for the entire SonScape team as we trust God in every step
• Financial provision as we continue to serve those with little or no access to what we offer
Thank you for your prayers and support as we follow God’s leading in serving those who serve.
Does your Pastor Need
Time for Renewal?
We have a few retreat openings still available for this spring but our summer retreats are filling up. Could you help launch the gifting of a retreat for your pastor and spouse to make sure they have the care and encouragement they need to continue in ministry? A SonScape retreat may be just what they need to remain healthy and vibrant in ministry for the sake of your family and your church.
Hundreds of ministry couples are still serving because people helped them get to a retreat. Every SonScape retreat leader has been at a critical point when God intervened in their lives through SonScape. We understand what ministry couples face and the difference a SonScape retreat can make. Missionaries and para church leaders are also in need of loving care and encouragement.
YOU can make the critical difference in the lives of your pastors, missionaries, and para church leaders.