Every year in late January, RUF invites all wives of campus ministers to leave their families behind so they can be together for a weekend of fellowship, rest, and retreat. This year we gathered in New Orleans, LA to hear from Paige Brown and Reyn Cabinte.
I left my home in Tucson, Arizona with a cold and feeling pretty worn out. Christmas had completely passed, but our decorations were still up. My kids were back in school and university students were back in town – I didn’t feel ready for either. Going off to a retreat at this time of year feels both impossible and desperately necessary.
RUF is committed to self-care for its interns, staff, and campus ministers. This wives weekend has been going on for many years. Clearly RUF’s intentionality to care for the spiritual and mental health of its employees extends into the health of their families.
Spouses of ministry workers often participate in ministry in intangible and hard-to-see ways. From shouldering extra shares of childcare while my husband is at staff training, to opening our home to student dinners and bible studies, to meeting one-on-one with students – RUF wives are often the #1 volunteer-of-the-month (every single month).
This year we heard gospel preaching and teaching alongside dear sisters and mothers in the faith and ministry of RUF. We delighted in the camaraderie of other women who experience the same thing in this wonderful and crazy world of ministry to college students. We rested in beds without toddlers or teenagers waking us up in the middle of the night. And we returned home to husbands and families ready to walk forward in whatever work the Lord brings to us this semester (like finally taking down the Christmas decorations).
written by: Brittany Smith, Campus Staff and wife of Dan Smith University of Arizona Campus Minister