The CANA Mission in Cameroon enjoyed an exceptional weekend for couples and families on the theme of “Lasting as a couple.” It was a spiritual and human formation activity that aimed not only to help spouses deepen their relationship with Christ but also to strengthen marital love and the bonds between children and their parents.
How was the weekend organized?
An unforgettable ICE BREAKER!
At the beginning of the afternoon, after finishing their various activities, each family member was invited to publicly share what they appreciate about the other members of the family. This moment of sharing, often reserved for spouses, was extended to the children. This new experience in our context, the fruit of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the intuition of the regional leaders, allowed our children to express what they appreciate about their brothers and sisters and their parents in simple and exceptional words that made some parents who had come to the weekend without their children feel a sense of regret!
A wonderful world for children
After the initial sharing time, the little ones withdrew to their workshops, where they were led by two couples to discover the figure of Moses and other witnesses of part of the history of the people of Israel. They did this through praise led by the children, and part of Moses’ life was narrated to them in the form of an African tale.
Coloring workshops featuring characters from the life of Moses and theatrical performances of scenes from his life certainly helped them to welcome this good news.
What about adults?
The couples meditated and reflected on two themes.
The first theme was “From Peter’s journey to the maturing of our love as a couple,” which allowed us to recharge our batteries in the face of moments of poverty and weakness in our married life through the journey of the relationship between Jesus and Peter in the Gospels. The couple time that followed asked each couple to reveal to their spouse an event that had made them particularly happy and to share how they felt loved.
The second talk on the theme “Lasting as a couple: outdated or the way forward?” helped the couples present to explore how to strive for true or real love after the stages of passion. Humanly speaking, lasting quickly leads to wear and tear… but spiritually, with God, it is the mystery of renewal and deepening. This talk was enriched by a time of personal meditation followed by a time for couples. Then a process of reconciliation through foot washing accompanied by sharing was offered to the couples.
In addition to these traditional activities, we had the joy of experiencing a special moment of praise, testimony on the theme of forgiveness, and intercession as couples during the prayer meeting.
The highlight of the weekend
It was a great joy for the couples and children to attend a Mass during which three children received the sacrament of baptism: a grandson of a couple involved in the CANA mission and two children of a couple attending the Mass who are not involved in the CANA mission.
It was with sadness at parting but with joy at having experienced a special moment with Christ that we said goodbye, hoping to see each other again in August 2025 in Bafoussam, a city in western Cameroon, for the CANA, CANA Bible, and CANA Autrement weeks.
