Welcome to the COCHE West Retreat!
What does COCHE stand for? Church Of Christ Home Educators. This is a time for sisters in Christ to gather with like-minded ladies running the same race in faith and in education. The original COCHE retreat first met in 2016 in Louisville, KY. Vicky Yocum envisioned providing a break for Sisters in Christ to fellowship and learn together, discuss the joys and challenges that come with homeschooling. Through God’s grace, the retreat has grown to bless hundreds of women and their families over the years.
But…
Kentucky is really far from Texas.
And I live in Texas.
For a few years, I thought about how cool it would be if someone would bring a COCHE Retreat to my backyard. It looked like SO MUCH fun. SO MUCH refreshing. SO MUCH good to be gained! And then I received a Facebook message from a lady in Oklahoma who wanted the same thing. Remember that time in scripture when Jesus tells the disciples to pray for workers, and then in the very next verse He says, “Go!” (Luke 10:2,3)? It seemed like that sort of a situation.
So I talked with the amazingly humble, kind, all-around-wonderful Vicky Yocum, and I was able to go to the COCHE Retreat, and I realized… I had been so right! It was SO MUCH fun. I received SO MUCH refreshing. There was SO MUCH goodness there! Vicky and I were on the very same page, and wanted the very same things, and wanted to work together to encourage our sisters in their homeschooling venture. So here we are! The first (hopefully annual) COCHE West Retreat is in the works!
There have been some wonderful previous retreat themes:
2016: Onward and Upward (Phil. 3:14)
2017: Journey to Joy (1 Cor. 12:18)
2018: There’s No Place Like Home (Deut. 6:7)
2019: Focus (Phillipians 3:14)
2020: Increase (Luke 2:52)
2021: Love. Laugh. Learn. (Prov. 16:20)
You might choose to attend solo and really “retreat” for some personal reflection. Or maybe you’d like to carpool with other moms to make a girls’ trip. You might even want to travel with family for an extended vacation before or after the retreat. The retreat is for homeschooling moms in the church and for moms who want to learn more about perhaps jumping into this blessed lifestyle! The COCHE West Retreat is a time for classes, fellowship, prayer, singing, researching curriculum, mentoring conversations, as well as many door prizes from the brotherhood for your parenting journey.
Please pray about attending and being edified by some wonderful women while you improve your homeschool! It is my prayer that the weekend will encourage you that you are capable, you are on the right path for your family, and you have so much to offer your family with the support of your family in the Lord! If I can answer any questions, please do not hesitate to email me or call me today.