To Love is a Decision

CNMI Marriage Encounter Weekend

Date: March 19-21, 2010

Venue: TBA

Hafa Adai CNMI M.E. Family,

May your homes be filled with the graces of our Lord this New Year! The time has come to begin preparing for the March 2010 Marriage Encounter Weekend. The weekend will be held on March 19, 20, and 21. The venue is still being negotiated. We are writing to invite all ME Couples to join us for the first preparation meeting scheduled for this Thursday, January 28, 2010 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at NMPASI. (NMPASI is located on Middle Road, south of Pacific Medical Center or North of Gualo Rai Intersection). It has been said by many before that miracles happen during an ME weekend! Your help and support will indeed ensure that these miracles happen once again! We hope to see you there!

Remember to please begin recruiting couples! Our goal is to encounter 25 couples this weekend! Registration forms will be sent to you shortly!

Should you have any questions, you may contact Tom at 287-9205 or Erica at 285-7372. We send you our love and prayers and wish you all a wonderful week! May God Bless our M.E. Community and may we always "Love one another as God has loved us".

Love and Prayers always,

Tom & Erica Thornburgh

March 2010 Weekend Coordinators

CNMI Marriage Encounter Pillar Meeting

The CNMI Chapter of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter holds monthly pillar (board) meetings much like any other organization. Last week, we revealed our Secret Santa couples and had an entertaining evening trying to guess which couple "romanced" the other.

Julian & Marcia Calvo are now one of our presenting couples. Their secret santa couple was...

Mark & Jenni Aguon.

John & Carol Hosono are relatively new as encountered couples. They are fun-loving, vivacious and committed to ME!

Ironically, Jun & Linda Pangelinan were our Secret Santa couple. We "romanced" them with gifts each week but they were completely surprised to learn it was us. We also discovered that they were our couple! We received a beautifully arranged gift basket full of goodies from them!

Vince & Hilma Castro and Father Issac are part of the Ecclesial Team.

And, we also celebrated Father Ryan's birthday!

The next weekend is scheduled for March 19-21. If any couple is interested in participating in this life-changing event, please email me at kanaequinn@yahoo.com

Christ for the Masses

With the busy-ness of the holidays upon us, we need to be reminded of the meaning of Christmas, which signifies Christ for the Masses! Gift buying & giving in addition to Christmas parties and vacations are all meaningful ways of celebrating the joy of love & family when performed from the love of our hearts. But, we must not forget what we're actually celebrating... Christ came to Earth to show His love for all. Jesus mandated us to love each other so let's remember to be extra kind, compassionate, gentle, patient and most of all forgiving this season.

Prayer Warrior for Encha

Dear Companion on the Journey~

We ask for your prayers for Father Isaac's sister, Encha Ayuyu Lydia. You may have met her. She is a flight attendant for Continental.

Encha is seriously ill with a liver problem. She is being evacuated to the Philippines Tuesday or Wednesday this week for a liver transplant. She is currently at the Guam Memorial Hospital.

Father Isaac will be leaving today for Guam to anoint his sister Encha, before she departs for the Philippines.

Please keep Encha in your prayers.

Vince & Hilma Castro

Steps Starts Again

This week, we completed Step 2 with our new group consisting of the following ME couples:
Russ & Kanae Quinn, Father Ryan Jimenez, Tyce & Angie Mister as Facilitators/Co-Facilitators

Ray & Sisi Alvarez, Ed & Nikolita Gechig, Gordon & Bina Marciano and Mark & Becky Robles are our the newly encountered couples.

We look forward to spending 10 sessions with our new Steps Family!

2010 Marriage Encounter Calendar of Events

Jan / Feb: Spring Mixer; Valentine's Sweetheart's Ball; World Marriage Day
Feb / Mar: Recruitment period; Spring Weekend Planning
Mar / Apr: Spring Weekend; Reunion; Easter
Apr / May: Marianas March Against Cancer; Steps Along the Journey
May / Jun: Graduation Season; Steps Along the Journey
Jun / Jul: Family Fun Fest; Summer Social (adults); Steps Along the Journey
Jul / Aug: Fall Mixer
Aug / Sep: Fall Weekend Planning; Labor of Love (family)
Sep / Oct: Fall Weekend; Halloween Party
Oct / Nov: World Priest Day; Pastor Appreciation Month; Steps Along the Journey
Nov / Dec: Holiday Season; Steps Along the Journey

Steeper Steps Completed!

In just 9 days, our group completed the 4 session Steeper Steps led by Rex & Clarie Kosack. We gained a much deeper understanding about the power of grace and forgiveness and learned how anger can be so destructive in a relationship.

Thank you very much, Rex & Clarie, for your selfless giving of time and energy to ME!

Roger & Teresita Abe.
Jake & Jackie Van Dam enjoying the chocolate heart cake I baked.

Peter & Natashia Tomokane just had their son 3 months ago. She was pregnant while we were in the Steps program earlier in the year.

Congratulations, all!