World Marriage Encounter (WWMe) is delighted to announce that it will hold a weekend marriage encounter program designed for the purpose of providing couples the opportunity of spending a special weekend away from home, families, and responsibilities starting from Friday, April 27th to Sunday, April 29th at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan. This marriage encounter program will be held at a comfortable, serene and secluded environment where the couples will be guided towards the discovery of new techniques of communication and sharing with one another for the purpose of enhancing their marital relationships. The cost is $100 per couple and includes 2 nights’ accommodation, 5 meals and all materials.
World marriage encounter is a Christian program, but not a religious retreat. It is established with the primary aim of organizing weekend events for the purpose of instilling within couples the opportunity to exam- ine their lives together in terms of their weaknesses and strengths, their attitudes towards each other and their attitudes towards their families. In the bid to achieve this primary aim, World Marriage encounter gathered highly experienced catholic couples as well as priests who make presentations and informal talks designed to inspire the couples engaging in the encounter on how they feel about various aspects of their marriage.
The CNMI Chapter of WWMe recently asked three of our local couples about their experiences with ME. Our first couple is Nick & Mary Reyes, who moved back to Saipan from Boise and they were encountered a year ago in April 2017. The second couple is Paul & Mae Guerrero, who were encountered in November 2015. And encountered in October 2012, our third couple is Jay & Joyce santos.
Question #1: How has ME changed your relationship?
Reyes’: ME was the best choice we made in our marriage. it was the start of an amazing journey. We discovered so much about each other. We became closer, our relationship strengthened and our Love for one another grew deeper.
Guerrero’s: me has changed our relationship for the better. A better way of communicating, a better understanding of each other’s feelings, and a better way of listening to each other.
Santos’: There isn’t anything better then getting into a fight & being able to resolve it. Our fights don’t drag on from days or weeks, as we’re able to under- stand each other more now than ever before. After being together for so many years, we never knew we could love each other more like we do now.
Question #2: What impact has ME had on our family (kids, relatives, siblings)?
Reyes’: me has impacted our family tremendously. Through our me experiences, we are able to grow in our relationship and our love and share it with our family. our children noticed the difference in our relationship after our weekend. It has brought our family closer together and closer to God.
Guerrero’s: me has impacted our family wonderfully. It has brought us closer together in Faith, helped us understand each other through our personality styles and created a bet- ter bond as a family…which makes us better parents.
Santos’: Our four children have witnessed the dramatic differences between our lives pre-ME and post-ME. Before ME, we were all busy with our own agendas with work, school, sports, family obligations and social outings. After ME, we’ve synchronized our schedules so that we can better support each other and share in each other’s joys and disappointments. We are a tight family and we’ve committed to dedicating special time for our family on Sundays and date nights for just the two of us.
Question #3: What do we want other couples to know about ME?
Reyes’: marriage encounter is a weekend for married couples who value their marriage and their spouse. Couples who want to build a stronger marriage can discover one another and communicate effectively on a whole new level.
Guerrero’s: marriage encounter is not a substitute for counseling, nor is it a retreat, nor a group sensitivity experience. me is a weekend experience of communication between husbands and wives. No marriage is perfect and married couples just don’t have the tools but ME provides tools for boosting or stimulating your marriage….turning a “good marriage into a better marriage.”
Santos’: Marriage Encounter saved our marriage. Had it not been for ME, my wife and I would not be together today. We made an effort after the me Weekend to continue with the program of “steps along the Journey”, “steeper Steps” and “Love Languages” which gave us the time we needed to realistically work on our marriage with the help of other couples. There is no shame in wanting help to save your marriage.
Question #4: What has been the greatest benefit of not only participating in the initial ME Weekend but also joining the ME Community?
Reyes’: The greatest benefit of being part of the weekend was that we were invited to be a part of an amazing community that became not only our friends but our family. They are a group of couples who are there to journey with you, be there for you, cry and listen to you, be crazy with you. You share good times, sad times, great laughter and Lots of Love.
Guerrero’s: There are a number of benefits in joining the Marriage Encounter Community and not just the Weekend. We have grown close to other couples and their families who are a great support system, great company and fellowship. The kids get to meet and bond with other kids whose families share the common quality of patience and love. We get together for family fun days, which may include hiking, fun at the park or the beach. We get together for adult nights with grillin’ and chillin’. We get together in continuing the journey with more helpful tools and ways to stay connected, with the community and most especially, our spouses. But most of all, we work together to spread the love and showcase how a Marriage Encounter Weekend can better other marriages.
Santos’: We joined ME because we wanted to improve our marriage. so, we immediately signed up for the post-weekend enrichment programs where we spent many evenings sharing meals, learning better communication techniques and applying them. Through our commitment, we’ve not only turned our marriage into a fantastic one but we’ve made friends with the most wonderful, caring, loving, fun people whom we call “family”. We love to hang out together, whether as couples or as families and talk openly to each other about how we’re really doing. There’s a great sense of camaraderie, love, compassion and understanding that we cherish.
For more information about the marriage encounter weekend, contact cnmime@gmail.com. This upcoming me Weekend is limited to 15 couples only.
