Greetings! 

You have NOT missed an issue! The last issue of eMatrimony appeared in June 2012. Many reasons for the delay, but let's just say it was a summer hiatus for all parties involved. We are back and we have some interesting information to share!

Doriano & Patricia Baisi attended the North American Convention in July, and share a little about their experiences there. They also report on a fundraising effort their area holds every year, the annual garage sale and BBQ!

Lastly, we have all been invited to join with other WWME couples/priests/religious on a cruise! Read below for all the details.

One more thing - as we write this the "Year of Faith" begins! Here is a wonderful website containing more information about specifically how families/couples can celebrate this renewed focus on Faith:
Click here!

We hope your communities are gearing up for more weekends! It is so needed by the young couples especially, who may not have had role models growing up of what a healthy, happy marriage looks like...  

Joe & Linda Oppelt
eMatrimony editors

Vancouver Area Garage Sale

Garage Sale AND BBQ in Vancouver, B.C.

For the last 7 or 8 years, the main fundraiser for Vancouver  English County (Canada) Marriage Encounter has been a Garage Sale.

We canvas friends and family for "quality" items (no clothes or shoes unless designer); we have several other couples who will store the items in their garages. We love getting furniture items or collectables because they bump up the profits.

One of our couples, Steve and Mary Bohnen, volunteer their backyard and driveway which backs onto an alley. (Mary even invites her sister from Oregon to visit and to help!) Steve and Mary place some of the collectables and furniture for sale on a local on-line site prior to the sale. The night before the sale, (provided it isn't raining!) some of the couples help price items and start setting them out. All bags and boxes are saved for reuse!

This year, on August 18, about 5 or 6 couples showed up on the day of the sale to help out. We rotated through the various tasks of selling, restocking/displaying items, helping to load items in cars, answering questions, plugging things in to prove they work, etc. Business was brisk most of the day and into the late afternoon. Spirits were running high

Wynn Simmer's purse acquisition

as we joked about some of the items we came across and had guessing games about others! (You should see the purse that Wynne Simmer could not live without or Patricia Baisi in the sombrero and castanets)   

Of course, we always have pamphlets available for couples who inquire. In between the shenanigans, we were able to stop for a quick lunch of cold cuts and bread kindly provided by the Bohnens.   

When it looked like rain in the afternoon, we began to pack up the remaining items for a trip to the local St. Vincent de Paul. Now we were ready for the real fun. We broke out the BBQ, wine, and all the salads or desserts brought by the couples!

David Wilkie at the BBQ

 Can't wait to do it all over again next year!

Click here for more info

WWME Sails Away On The Norwegian Epic

Picture yourself sitting on the deck of a cruise ship watching as the ship glides into an exotic Caribbean port. Now picture it with a few hundred WWME couples and priests. You can because the Worldwide Marriage Encounter North American Community will be setting sail on the Norwegian Epic for a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Saturday April 13, 2013.

The cruise will serve as a way for the WWME community to come together and enjoy a week of fun while visiting exotic Caribbean ports as we share our WWME values. Ports of call during the week at sea will include St. Maarten, St. Thomas USVI, and Nassau, Bahamas.

"This cruise will be a great opportunity to meet other WWME couples and priests from throughout North America, and share ideas while making lasting friendships and being visible to other married couples on their vacations.  We look forward to meeting everyone on board" said outgoing North America Ecclesial Team Jose and Marilyn Garcia and Father Mitch Walters.

While on the cruise we will have the opportunity to attend daily Mass, have a daily 10/10 dialogue question, a get together party, fun contests, and many other activities. There will also be numerous opportunities to enjoy both the varied dining options onboard the Epic as well as the amazing entertainment including the world famous Blue Man Group.

What better way to spend your vacation than soaking up some tropical sun, working on your tan, soaking your toes in the blue Caribbean waters, walking barefoot on the beach, or enjoying your favorite beverage while watching the sun set from the deck of the ship.

New North American Ecclesial Team Scott and Karen Seaborn and Father Tom Ogg said "For years we have had couples say to us 'we should have a WWME Cruise'.  Well... the plea has been heard and answered!  We are grateful to Jeff and Rachelle for the work they are doing to plan this.  And we eagerly look forward to reuniting with old friends and making new ones!" 

Great cabins are still available. Also, for those who want to arrive in Miami a day early, we have rooms available on Friday night at the four star Sofitel at the Miami airport. You can join other WWME couples and priests on the cruise by calling Jeff or Rachelle Everts at 877-625-5859. Don't wait, call today and book your cabin for the WWME Cruise 2013.  

In addition to the link above, you can also find us on Facebook at this page! 

So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and join the fun.