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eMatrimony.org Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community |
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| News - Section/Local Alaska Weekend Alaska Weekend Five years before retiring from the Air Force, James & Shaharriet Houchins decided they wanted to live in Alaska. At a 2002 Local Area Leadership Process in Idaho, Tom & Kathy Dauer, the Section 13 Coordinators, told the Houchins there had not been a Catholic expression Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend in Alaska for almost four years. Shaharriet & James promised they would recruit a Weekend within a year after they moved to Alaska. This offer was accepted with excitement by Tom & Kathy Dauer who had been involved in the last reach out to Alaska. David & Diana Bruce were appointed as the Section 13 liaison to support and encourage the Houchins. The Houchins located a house in Anchorage in January of 2003. Shaharriet, her mother, and her children moved to Alaska in July. James had to go back to Idaho to complete some military obligations and did not make the transition to Alaska full time until October. When the Houchins arrived in Anchorage, they started seeking out couples who had made a Weekend. Seven months later, they found some Catholic couples, including Ted & Judy Ireton and Miguel & Olivia Torres, who were willing to help. They also found the Lutheran expression of Worldwide Marriage Encounter eager to return the favor of reenergizing Marriage Encounter in Anchorage. James & Shaharriet gave pulpit talks and spoke to nearly everyone they met to invite them to the Weekend. They even drove to people’s homes to pick up their registrations to help fill the Weekend. The Houchins actually gathered registrations for 25 Alaskan couples! On May 21, 2004, ahead of the Houchins’ one year schedule, the first Catholic expression Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend in over four years was presented to 15 couples. Last minute drop outs, due to work schedule changes and other personal issues, lowered the Weekend count to 15. The interfaith cooperation was a blessing in providing supplies, prayer couples, greeters on Friday night, and greet-off couples on Sunday. Larry & Judy Helgeson even housed and provided a car for one of the Presenting Team couples who stayed the week to support community and tour Anchorage. Couples who could not make the last Lutheran Weekend were encouraged to attend the Catholic Weekend. Both the Lutheran Bishop, Ron Martinson, and the Catholic Archbishop, Roger Schwietz, a past presenting priest, have approved advertising the Weekends of both faith expressions in their media. Hearing that James & Shaharriet had time to recruit a Weekend, many might say, “Well, they are retired and have time to devote to inviting couples to attend a Weekend”. But, the reality is that James & Shaharriet have Shaharriet’s 69 year old mother living with them along with eight of their nine children. James is involved with their parish, Holy Cross, volunteers at their children’s school, and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Shaharriet, as Vice President of the Holy Rosary Academy Parent Organization, along with James, has exceeded the 40 volunteer hours required at the school. Grandma Viola Porter and two of the children have been in the hospital a couple of times over the past year. James & Shaharriet are involved at their church and at their children’s schools. Grandma Porter, a retired school teacher, is very much appreciated in the Community as she offers her expertise, love and activities to keep attendees children occupied during WWME meetings. The Houchins had a dream and they made it happen. They currently have 11 couples signed up for the next Weekend which will be scheduled for the Fall, and the Catholic and Lutheran interfaith support for Weekend scheduling, support and follow up is becoming well established. Click here for a printable page (PDF, 29KB)
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