If you have never been on a silent retreat, you may wonder what you are supposed to do all day. Do you pray the whole time? Are you allowed to speak? What if you cannot settle your mind?
You do not need to arrive knowing how to retreat. At Lake House of Prayer in Mwanza, the time is yours to spend in prayer, rest and quiet attention. You can come with a question you want to explore, or simply because you need to stop for a while.
The quiet may feel unfamiliar at first
When you step away from messages, work and conversation, your mind may keep moving at its usual speed. You might replay something that happened at home or catch yourself reaching for your phone. You might feel relieved. You might feel restless. Both are ordinary ways to begin.
Give yourself time to settle. Eat, rest and take a walk. From the grounds, you can look out over Lake Victoria and pay attention to what is around you. There is no need to make the first day feel profound.
How do you spend the day?
A silent retreat leaves room for personal prayer and reflection. You might sit with a passage of Scripture, journal, walk in nature, rest or join community prayer when it is offered. you do not have to fill every hour with an activity; nor do you need to remain in your room all day. Enjoy the grounds, spend time in the chapel, or sit and enjoy the view. If your body is tired, rest. Allow the day to be whatever you need it to be.
Part of the reason for a retreat, is to have time that has not already been claimed by something else. Above all, this is time away from the demands of daily life and time to merely be with God.
You may find it helpful to name an intention before you arrive: I want to make time for prayer. I need to rest. There is a decision I want to bring before God. Keep it simple. Your retreat may take a different course from the one you imagined.
Silence creates space for us to experience God’s peace, to feel God’s love for us, and to calm our restless hearts.
How silent is a silent retreat?
You can speak when you need help with a practical matter. If you are on a directed retreat, you will also have conversations with your spiritual director. Outside those moments, the shared quiet gives you and other guests room to attend to your own retreats.
Meals are shared in silence as to keep us from being pulled back into topics of life and the issues we are dealing with. It helps to maintain the retreat atmosphere. A silent retreat is primarily a time to focus on our relationship with God, versus creating relationships with others.
You may discover that it is a relief to set aside small talk for a while. You do not have to explain who you are, what you do or why you came. If you are unsure about any part of the house’s routine, ask when you arrange your stay or speak with the staff privately.
What happens in spiritual direction?
On a directed retreat, you will have a spiritual director. This is someone you meet with, someone who listens to what you are noticing in prayer and helps you reflect on it. You can talk about a question that keeps returning, a passage of Scripture that stays with you, or the simple fact that you are finding prayer difficult.
The director is there to accompany your prayer, not to make decisions for you. Spiritual direction is also different from confession. You do not need to give an account of everything you have done wrong. If a concern is taking over your retreat, or a suggestion from your director is unclear, say so.
If you are unsure whether you want a directed retreat, mention that when you get in touch. The team can help you discuss what would suit you.
You may need more rest than you expect
Prayer and quiet attention can be tiring, especially if you arrive after a demanding stretch of life. Listen to your body. Sleep when you need to, eat well and take a walk when sitting still becomes difficult.
You may leave with a clearer sense of something that matters to you. You may leave mainly rested. A retreat cannot promise an answer to every question you bring, and you do not need one for the time to have been worthwhile.
Lake House of Prayer welcomes individual and group guests for day and overnight retreats. An overnight stay costs TZS 60,000 per person per night with meals included. A day retreat costs TZS 10,000 per person and includes lunch.
If you have a question before booking, contact the house on WhatsApp at +255 748 292 215. You can say that this would be your first silent retreat.