Message Board

Successful First-Of-A-Kind Retreat in Panama

Ife — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:56:30 GMT

Hola SOS Retreat Attendees and SOS Bulletin Board Guests,

I hope all is well with each of you. Have a wonderful holiday season and New Year.

Following is an article that was recently posted on Panama CyberNews, a local, but international online newsletter. Thanks again for your participation and support at the retreat. Ife

FIRST-OF-A-KIND WOMEN'S RETREAT HELD IN PANAMA A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS

From the moment the first two Soothe Our Souls (SOS) International Womens

Retreat attendees were greeted by SOS Founder and CEO of VIP Publishing, Inc. (the host organization of the retreat), Carole Ife Keene, and her husband, William Damani Keene, at Tocumen International Airport, excitement permeated the air - and still lingers. U.S. SOS Retreat Executive Coordinator, Brenda K. Brown, and Committee Member, Vera M. Carey, both from New Jersey - Glassboro and Camden, respectively arrived a week early to help finalize last minute plans for the retreat. Ife and Damani, who have been full-time residents of Panam for two years, wanted to share with others the beautiful country they find enchanting and now call home. They overwhelmingly achieved their goal - even beyond their own high expectations.

Over 100 attendees, predominately African-American women, some accompanied by their sweethearts (husbands and boyfriends), from California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Panama, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC, enjoyed a week long substance- and spiritually-packed agenda, including dynamic speakers, workshop presenters, special presentations, authors book signings, excursions, tours, exhibits, massages and facials and salsa dance lessons. In addition there was unforgettable entertainment including U.S. singers Vera M. Carey and Gail Randolph, and renown Panamanian musician and band leader Edmundo Archibold, and the Folkloric Dancers from the Instituto Episcopal San Cristobal.

The inaugural Soothe Our Souls International Womens Retreat was held at the

Country Inn and Suites Resort Hotel, in Amador, Panama from November 5^th November 12^th. The retreat could not have been held in a more perfect location away from the heart of the city, but not too far from the action if thats what participants were looking for. Each day all guests were greeted by a breathtaking canal view of Panama from their balconies.

The concept of SOS and the retreat are an outgrowth of a book Ife wrote and

published, Cancer of the Spirit. The mission of SOS is to assist women with achieving increased self-empowerment and to offer a vehicle that will potentially help enhance their self-esteem. The book weaves touching stories about the lives of ten women into a colorful quilt of all-too-human struggles and exhilarating triumphs. All stories are fictional, with one exception. That story is the authors own. Many of the issues that are revealed in the book were topics covered in the retreat workshops, including Health and Wellness, Personal and Professional Enhancement, Spiritual Rejuvenation, Relationship Connections and Reconnections, and Goal Setting. Secondly, the retreat provided basic information on Panams outstanding Pensionado program and opportunities for retirement, purchasing real estate and the advantages of off-shore investing. Real estate tours in the capital, to mountain and coastal developments, and excursions to the Canal, Gamboa, Isla Grande, Playa Blanca, Panama City, and El Valle were offered. The underlying theme of the retreat was Relax, Refresh and Rejuvenate.

At the SOS All Womens Luncheon, celebrated Panamanian physician, author, poet

and playwright, Dr. Rosa Maria Britton, rocked the attendees world with a provocative speech on Health and Fashion. The audience was kept on the edge of their seats during Dr. Brittons fascinating presentation.

The retreat culminated with a sell-out closing dinner celebration at which the perfect

keynote speaker, Monique Greenwood, the former Editor-in-Chief of Essence Magazine (one of the U.S.s leading womens magazines), and entrepreneur extraordinaire, spoke. Monique is the President and CEO of Akwaaba Enterprises (http://www.akwaaba.com), which owns and operates four acclaimed luxury bed-and-breakfast inns in the U.S. Brooklyn, NY, Cape May, NJ, Washington, DC and New Orleans, LA.

Monique provided an excellent snapshot of the many outstanding workshops she

attended during the retreat and gave an exceptional presentation of many of the topics discussed in her latest must read book, Having What Matters, the Black Womans Guide to Creating the Life You Really Want. Her presentation was perfectly compatible with SOSs mission.

Half of the funds from a 50/50 raffle available during the retreat were donated by VIP Publishing, Inc. to the Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama. Delia Brown, the recipient of the other half of the funds and President of the South Jersey Links, a Bronze Sponsor of the retreat, donated her share of the winnings to the museum as well.

Corporate sponsors of the SOS International Womens Retreat included:

PanamaMLS.com, Altos del Maria, Panam Off-Shore Services International (POSI), Doce Cerros Coastal Development, Pencas and Mi Ranchito Restaurantes, Servicios Denise/Denise Enterprises, Marys Caf (of Sora), La Estancia del Encanto B&B (in Altos del Maria), Financial Pacific, the South Jersey Links (USA), and Quality Solutions, Inc. (USA). A special thank you to Senor Ken Jones and the staff at Panamas El Visitante for effectively promoting the SOS retreat.

Melva Lowe de Goodin was the SOS Retreat Panam Executive Coordinator and Dr. Kweli Keene Carson, the SOS Retreat Registration Coordinator and Executive Vice President of VIP Publishing, Inc.

Please join other bulletin board participants and anonymously share similar ideas, issues, concerns and/or positive comments.

COMING SOON - A summary of retreat activities, including photos and testimonials. Upcoming SOS events will also be posted on the website. Contact Ife@SootheOurSouls.com for additional information.

Forum: Ife's Corner - What Do You Want to Tell Me?

Hola

Ife — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:35:00 GMT

Hola SOS Retreat Attendees,

Just a quick note to thank each and every one of you for your participation at the inaugural SOS International Women's Retreat. Because of your presence, the retreat was a tremendous success.

Ife

Forum: Ife's Corner - What Do You Want to Tell Me?

SOS Women's Retreat Less Than Six Months Away

Ife — Sun, 14 May 2006 02:45:50 GMT

Greetings SOS Family,

I hope all is well with each of you. I am well and want to remind you that the SOS Women's Retreat in Panama is less than six months from today (November 5th - 12th). I want to personally thank all of you who have already registered and encourage those of you who have not registered to do so now.

You can register here at SootheOurSouls.com or contact Dr. Kweli Carson at kwelicarson@hotmail.com (301) 526-4463. For those of you who want ocean view accommodations, the sooner you register, the better. Very few of these rooms are still available.

Please join the SOS committee and me in Panama in November for a week of relaxation, rejuvenation, fun and personal growth.

That's again for your support.

Yours in Sisterhood,

Ife

Founder, Soothe Our Souls

Forum: Ife's Corner - What Do You Want to Tell Me?

Healing, Hope after Abortions

granddiva888 — Fri, 28 Jan 2005 04:03:37 GMT

The 32nd anniversary of Roe vs Wade was celebrated last week with its usually demonstrations in the Nation's capitol. But what about the devastation that has occured in the lives of countless women for whom the legalization of abortion resulted in the passage of Roe vs Wade?

Many women don't even realize that the broken relationships that they've experienced are the result of postabortion stress syndrome. That the subsequent children born to these women cannot fill the void left by the baby they never saw.

Sisters, there is help. There are bible study programs designed to help release women who have experienced this "legal" devastation.

Reply to granddiva888 on AIM instant messaging

Forum: Soothe Our Souls Time Out - What's Really On Your Mind

Seasons Greetings

Ife — Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:54:14 GMT

Seasons Greetings Everyone!!

I wish you great health, an abundance of happiness and prosperity in 2005. I hope you experienced all of these this year as well.

Happy holidays and, once again, thanks for your support.

With much love,
Ife

Forum: Ife's Corner - What Do You Want to Tell Me?

Greetings and Thanks

Ife — Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:51:51 GMT

Greetings to all,

I wish to express heartfelt appreciation and sincere thanks to all of you for the support you have given me since the release of Cancer of the Spirit - three months ago today. Your overwhelming positive feedback and excitement about the book have been so inspiring to me. This has been such a rewarding and exciting time in my life. Because of your generosity, I have been given the opportunity to share Cancer of the Spirit with, not only you, but with many others. Your willingness to open your home for a book signing party or extend an invitation to me to participate at an event given by an organization, of which you are a member, has truly touched my heart. I am both grateful and blessed. Thank you again for your support!

With much love,

Ife

Forum: Ife's Corner - What Do You Want to Tell Me?

MY GOOD MAN

Jlove — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 16:13:41 GMT

Forum: A Shout OutTo Good Men - We Know You're Out There!

Domestic Violence

Jlove — Thur, 08 Apr 2004 22:26:54 GMT

There are many forms of domestic violence, to really count. Just because your partner has not hit you, does not mean that you are not in a domestic violence relationship. I am not a counselor, but I have experienced violence from a lot of people in my life that say they loved me. When you come from a home where the guardian ( to sheild from harm and pain) is abusive towards you, how are you supposed to be able to determine love or abuse. The first time he hit me, he told me he loved me, he was sorry, gave me flowers and told me he would never do it again.YEAH RIGHT !. After the first time, he noticed he could get away with it.After several years of getting my butt kicked (just because someone one a passing bus looked at me) I finally realized that he cold not hurt me any more. Every punch he ever threw my way, I SURVIEDevery kick,I SURVIVED, every time he told me no one would ever want me ,or do as much for me as he did I LOOKED AT MY SELF IN THE MIRROR AND TOLD MYSELF < YES THEY WOULD < BECAUSE I'M WORTH IT SO CAN YOU.JLOVEloveyourself first.

Forum: Domestic Violence Battered Women and Some Men