Breath of Life Christian Ministries announces its second annual Beauty for Ashes women’s retreat and conference, set for today and tomorrow, Aug. 27 and 28 at the Aloha Beach Resort in Wailua. This year’s retreat, themed “Inner Beauty,” is open
Breath of Life Christian Ministries announces its second annual Beauty for Ashes women’s retreat and conference, set for today and tomorrow, Aug. 27 and 28 at the Aloha Beach Resort in Wailua.
This year’s retreat, themed “Inner Beauty,” is open to women of all faiths and backgrounds.
Last year more than 75 women attended the first night’s seminar and retreat.
Free hairdos and makeovers will be offered to women who are making a transition into the community from incarceration and substance recovery. Also, women whose husbands have been deployed for military service will be able to take advantage of the beauty treatments.
Each attendee will receive a gift basket and giveaways will be held during the conference, courtesy of beauty salons such as Studio 203, Paradise Beauty Salon and Waipouli Hair Plaza.
States a translation of the Old Testament’s 1 Peter 3:3–5: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” However, as featured speaker Malia Rosa Tokioka says: “We sometimes need to look good outside to feel better inside.” “Life is difficult at times for every person under the sun.
Some of us struggle with addictions.
Some of us are struggling with relationships, fear, loneliness, brokenness of poor self worth. Some have lost loved ones and are finding it hard to go on.” wrote D’Lissa Iannucci, the Beauty for Ashes coordinator.
“We are reaching out to touch you. To bring you hope and healing through the beautiful word of God and through the powerful testimonies of lives that have been changed.” Beauty for Ashes borrows its name from the Old Testament’s Isaiah 61, which states: “God promises to give you beauty for all that has gone through the fire … all of your ashes.” Iannucci and Tokioka are among the women who will give testimony about how belief and faith in God changed their lives for the better.
“To Jesus, you are a pearl of great price,” organizers said in written materials.
“This refers to how an oyster makes a pearl. A grain of sand irritates it, and eventually it produces a beautiful pearl. Sometimes in life we have these ‘irritants’ — we have to go through the irritants to get to the good stuff,” Tokioka said recently.
The two-day Beauty for Ashes retreat is free and all women are welcome.
The conference begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, or enjoy the buffet dinner at 6 p.m.
for $25.
The conference starts again Saturday, Aug. 28 at 9 a.m., or have breakfast at 7:30 a.m. for $12.
The Aloha Beach Resort is offering a special rate of $79 for the conference with a one-night hotel room, buffet dinner and breakfast. For the conference and accommodations only the cost is $55 per person.
Please call Iannucci at 335- 6044 or Tokioka at 822-1500 to reserve a space.
Please make hotel arrangements by calling the Aloha Beach Resort at 823-6000 or the event organizers at the numbers listed above.
Breath of Life Christian Ministries is located at the Rice Shopping Center in Lihu‘e.
Thursday nights the congregation meets for a barbecue and Bible study at 6 p.m. and Sunday services start at 9 a.m.