A weekend filled with fellowship, music, and faith—and a community where many women quickly felt at home with one another.
220 women, different life stories, and one shared faith: Women from North and South Germany gathered for a weekend retreat for Russian-speaking women from September 25 to 27, 2026, held in the special atmosphere of the Pirmasens Youth Hostel. Around 30 percent were attending for the first time, and many women had brought friends along.
What was surprising about such a large group was that the weekend still felt personal. An atmosphere of trust, appreciation, and warm fellowship characterized the days. This was also thanks to the many small details that have gone into preparing and organizing such weekends with great dedication for the past 21 years.
A special musical highlight was the concert by the Unisono Women's Choir. Beautiful songs, accompanied by personal reflections, created moments for listening, contemplation, and spiritual renewal.
Advent-Verlag was also represented with a booth. Although the new devotional book wasn’t yet available to pick up and look through, the wide selection invited visitors to browse—and they were sure to find a treasure or two for themselves or to give as gifts.
Above all, one impression remains: The group does not have to be small for people to feel close to one another. When women welcome one another, bring friends along, and share their faith and life experiences, even 220 women can feel a little bit like home.