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eMatrimony.org Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community |
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| News - International Greetings from Perth, Western Australia Kevin & Kerry Townsend 8th July, 2005 Dear Jack & Karen, Warm greetings from Perth, Western Australia. As we write this we are very mindful that the Convention is starting in the United States today. How we would love to be there to experience the love and support of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Community in the United States Our candle will burn throughout the weekend and we will pray for the success of the convention and enrichment for all those who attend. As you know, we are very regular readers of eMatrimony and gain a lot from the articles posted. We are remiss in not keeping you informed of what’s happening in this beautiful part of the world. National Council Meeting In April the five Units which make up Worldwide Marriage Encounter in Australia, gathered in Sunbury, Victoria from 15th – 18th April. The local community generously provided accommodation and food for us and showered us with love and wonderful hospitality. This was our first meeting as National Ecclesial Team and chairing the meeting. What an enriching experience and what a wonderful group of Unit leaders we have throughout Australia. We must say they treated us very gently in our maiden meeting! In reading different articles from your website it seems that we in Australia face similar challenges to many other countries throughout the world in “Sharing the Dream”. Australia commenced a re-founding process in September 2003 and we are now seeing the results of that process slowly being reflected in our Weekend numbers. (Editors note: We have requested and will post details about the “re-founding process” when we receive them.) Weekends are now proceeding with viable numbers. Some Units were having to cancel Weekends due to lack of numbers. (Canceling Weekends is probably the most difficult and disappointing thing Unit leaders would ever have to do). All Units are advertising and inviting for the Weekend on a broader horizon ….and more regularly. As has been said many times, if we are not getting enough couples and priests on Weekends….we are just not inviting enough! The priority over the next year will be to fill Weekends, and, by the grace of God increase Presenting Team and strengthen Community. With the increase in Weekend numbers, we sense renewed enthusiasm across the country… “the Spirit is moving” Pacific Council Meeting
The Pacific Council met from 27th -30th June in Maroochydore, Queensland (North of Brisbane). This is the second year that the local Maroochydore community has generously hosted the meeting. The Council is made up of representatives from New Zealand, Oceania (Solomon Islands and Fiji) and Australia and lead by the Pacific Secretariat Ecclesial Team of Mike and Lesley Griffin and Fr Brian Taylor. The meeting was a rich tapestry of relationships, formation, planning and enrichment. We have come away from the meeting with a strong sense of renewal, re-energized to “Share the Dream”. We heard wonderfully inspiring stories of Weekends and formations that are being held in the Solomon Islands and Fiji. The commitment and dedication of the Oceania communities is awesome. We listened, absolutely gobsmacked at some of the challenges they have overcome to present Weekends. Oceania face daily challenges with resources that we take for granted…like communicating by email. John and Maria (Solomon Islands) have not had the luxury of having email in their home and have relied on the generosity of a friend to relay messages by hand. One of the Maroocydore community kindly donated a computer to them after the meeting…and someone else donated money to get them connected! We are now waiting anxiously for them to connect to email so we can communicate regularly! We can never underestimate the importance of gathering together on a regular basis. In gathering, it provides us with the nourishment, energy and focus to do God’s work. With our love and prayers, Kevin & Kerry Townsend Click here for a printable version (PDF, 44KB)
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