The Couples' Retreat - A Three Day Intensive Course in Panama

 We are here in Panama with a church group.

The teams I joined before focused  on visiting the local non Christians and conducting bible study workshops and teaching sessions for church members. This time we are here to support participants taking a relationship course. as well as sharing with the local church members.

This course is an intensive three day course helping couples to better understand each others.
For some it would enhance their relationships while for others it might save their marriages.

This time there were fifteen couples from various churches in Panama attending this course.

As the course progressed,  more couples starting to rekindle their love and showing their tenderness to each other. It was evident as we saw more of them holding hands strolling around the conference centre over the three days.







This couples' course was developed by a pastor with a PhD degree who saw the needs to strengthen marriages and family relationships in the church. It has a twelve lessons with each one building upon the previous one. I have not taken this course but apparently it has helped many couples who attended it.

Participating couples have learned many things from this course taught by certified Christian instructors. As I was involved in ministering to their children, I also learned of  two highlights in this course which I found touching.

On the second evening of this course, the couples were to dress up, have a nice dinner by themselves without their children so that they would have some quiet quality time and adult conversations together.



For some couples with young children, this was indeed a treat and a rare occasion for them.

While the parents were enjoying their dinner, we ate with their children and supervised them.

Though the children saw their parents eating not far away from them, they behaved well leaving the parents alone to enjoy themselves.

After dinner, we took the children back to our room until their parents came and picked them up.

As I went back to our room, I saw many couples lingered on the patio still chatting and networking with each other. They came as strangers with other couples who were in the same boat as themselves, but they were developing a support group by the time they left the retreat.


The second highlight was the Vow Renewing Ceremony on the afternoon of the last day.

The couples came prepared, dressed in their nice clothes excited to renew their vow to each other.

There were both young and older couples participating in this vow renewal ceremony.















The couples took this ceremony seriously.

After each couple walked under the bridal arch,  the Vow Renewal Ceremony started with singing of hymns and prayers.

It was a  beautiful and solemn occasion.

Each couple who completed this special course took turns to renew their marriage vow in front of families and church friends.

It was an emotional experience for many couples.

This lady was filled with so much emotions that we could hear her voice breaking as she read she vows promising to love and protect her husband in good health or bad, through riches or poverty.












As I was sitting there witnessing this touching ceremony, my eyes started to swell up with tears.


I, also remembered the vow I made to my husband decades ago.  Have I been fulfilling my promises to him? Have I been doing my best to honour, to love and protect him in sickness or in health?












This was an opportunity for me to reflect what I have and have not done.

The Vow Renewal Ceremony was a family event where the children were invited to attend.

I was deeply touched and glad that I could be a witness to this ceremony.


R.T.
Couples' Retreat
Rio Hato
Panama