

JUNE 20-22, 2025
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A RETREAT FOR GRIEVING COUPLES
OUR VISION

Our vision is to bring encouragement, hope, and comfort to couples that have experienced the death of a child. We are born-again believers who are confident that, as God's children, we grieve the loss of our children with hope because of Jesus.
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But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
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We are grateful for the gift of hope, and want to share that gift with others.
Our times of teaching/sharing will be founded on Biblical truth and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
ABOUT

Hi friends! We are Erv and Jen Miller, and
we live in Westcliffe, CO. God has taken us on a life journey that we would never have chosen, and yet, looking back, we see His Sovereignty and goodness in all of it. He blessed us with three precious little girls, all born with a rare genetic disorder. Over a period of 17 years, we had the privilege of loving them and caring for them. It changed our life, and it changed us. Though the journey was far from easy, we saw so many glimpses of His grace and glory.
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All 3 of our girls are now in heaven, and we still miss them tremendously. The journey of grief has at times threatened to overwhelm us, and yet God's comfort, strength, and grace has kept us through the storm.
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Because of our story, God gave us a dream to reach out to other couples who are grieving. We are not counselors, and we do not see ourselves as grief professionals in any way. Rather, we have a heart to connect grieving parents with each other in a setting where we can learn from and care for each other.
OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Crist and Ruth Helmuth
are from Penrose, Colorado. They have four beautiful children, three daughters and one son here on earth, and three waiting for them in heaven. Two daughters are married and along with their sons-in-love have given them ten amazing grandchildren.
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They live on a mini farm and have three horses, a llama, and two dogs. They also raise miniature donkeys to sell.
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They own a roofing company and Crist is the overseer of five churches in the
Biblical Mennonite Alliance.


Mark and Ruth Nissley
reside in Canon City, Colorado, have six children (five living), and ten grandchildren. Their son Kevin is waiting for them in heaven.
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Mark has a heart for encouraging through counseling and music. He took counselor training at Life Ministries, and along with Ruth attended Straight Paths and Caring for the Heart.
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Mark and Ruth were formerly from Delaware, when Mark served as principal/teacher at a Christian school for 17+ years before moving to Oregon and serving as chaplain at Rock of Ages retirement village for 10 years.
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In August of 2021, Mark and Ruth moved to Colorado, where Mark is currently serving as chaplain and Ruth as assistant at Buena Vista Correctional Complex with New Horizons Ministries.
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In 2020, during Covid lockdown, Mark and Ruth began a Living Room Singalong, which unexpectedly began a worldwide ministry of sharing the gospel in song and testimony.
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From this experience came a new awareness of blessings of singing and the power of worship. This led Mark and Ruth holding weekly "Praise and Prayer" services at the local county jail as well as BVCF.
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2025 RETREAT

Our 2025 Retreat will be held in Westcliffe, Colorado on June 20 - 22, 2025. Our friends and neighbors at the Pines Ranch have graciously offered us their beautiful place to hold our retreat.
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The Pines Ranch is a rustic, peaceful environment, tucked away at the base of the gorgeous Sangre de Cristo mountain range. You can expect to truly "get away from it all" in this setting of tall pines and mountain vistas. You can visit the Pines Ranch here, if you wish to know more about the ranch.
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Our retreat is open to a total of up to 10 couples (including us), which should allow for deep, intimate connection. Each couple will have their own bedroom/bathroom combination in a clean, but rustic cabin. Don't expect the Hyatt...you're coming to the mountains! What you can expect is friendly faces, fresh mountain air, good food, time to reconnect as a couple, and connection with other couples who are walking the same grief journey as you.
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The retreat will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June 20th. You should plan to arrive between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. Closer to the time of the retreat, we will send you a more detailed schedule. We will end the retreat by early afternoon on Sunday, June 22nd.








TESTIMONIALS
"We were encouraged by having a couple pray for everyone after they told their story. It was also encouraging to hear that you were praying that the people who need to be there, would be there. We were also encouraged by the older couples who were there and didn't hesitate to participate in activities."
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"We enjoyed getting together with people that also have lost a child and sharing of our journey. We are not alone on this journey, but knowing that it is a journey for all of us ...I was encouraged by all the scriptures that were shared and we also enjoyed the singing together even if it brought tears...it felt so good to cry with others."
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"The meaningful parts of the weekend included being able to share our story and listening to others share theirs. The time of singing around the fire. Learning to know new friends. We felt so loved and heard! The attention to detail, from the little gifts to the delicious food was all amazing and we loved every minute of it!"
"The stories were deeply moving and served to make a connection with all of us. I loved that we sat around after dismissal and just visited. I enjoyed the ladies tea very much."
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"We appreciated hearing the stories and memories of each couple there as well as hearing the ways they found ways to move forward in their grief. The entire weekend was well planned and a huge blessing!"
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE

WHO CAN COME?
Our retreat is designed for married couples who are grieving the loss of a child. We are not professional counselors, and this is in no way intended to take the place of professional counseling that may be needed. We expect a wide variety of couples, each with their own unique story, which needs to be shared. While we do not want to diminish the pain a single parent experiences in grief, we feel specifically called to minister to married couples.
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All of our grief journeys are unique. The only person that knows the right time to attend a grief retreat is you. Some couples may feel ready only a few months after the death of their child, and others may want to wait a number of years. There is no right or wrong time. If you have a child that died, and feel a need to connect with other grieving families, this retreat is for you.
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Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Pines Ranch, we are able to keep the cost of the retreat very minimal. The cost per couple is $300, which includes food, lodging, and materials. The cost is non-refundable, although we may take into account emergencies that arise on a per-case basis.
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The closest airport to the retreat is the CO Springs airport, which is 1 hour and 45 minutes away. Denver airport is 3 hours away. If you fly, you should plan to rent a car. If you would like to rent a car with another couple, we will see if we can help make that happen. Obviously, you are welcome to drive here as well.
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We began the Journey of Hope Mountain Respite in 2024, so this will be our second year to hold the retreat. We had a wonderful experience last year, and are looking forward to another good year in 2025. We have been to a similar retreat, and it was a life-changing experience for us. We will be finalizing details closer to the event date, but here are some things you can expect: times of couples sharing their unique grief story, times of praying for each other, times of connecting alone as a couple, times of split sessions for men and women, fun, recreational times to just enjoy each other, and times of fellowship over yummy meals. We are praying and expecting God to use this weekend to do great things!
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​Please use the contact form and send us an email. We will respond to you with some questions for you to fill out, and instructions on how to pay, if you choose to sign up. Use the contact form for any questions you might have...just emailing
us is not a commitment to come.