CHURCH RETREATS: MARRIAGE AND PARENTING

It is time that Papua New Guinea started to discuss the issue

of marriage and parenting. These matters have always been

private and not to be discussed except by married couples.

Em taim bilong ol lain Papua New Guinea long toktok long
olgeta samting bilong marit na lukautim pikinini. Bipo dispela
i samting bilong wan wan marit man na meri.

But many such couples may be the very last people to discuss

the issues particularly if they are having problems. Many young

people become married without considering that they may have

just entered an existence of poverty, violence and abuse.

Tasol planti marit man na meri i no inap toktok long ol dispela

samting long wanem i gat planti hevi long marit bilong ol. Planti

yangpela man na meri bai marit na i no klia olsem laip bilong ol

bai pipia. Wanpela insait long marit bai pait na paulim arapela.

Churches best run marriage workshops or encounter weekends

where much is conducted in private between married couples.

Ating ol sios bai inap wokim ol woksap or wiken taim we tupela

marit inap joinim wanpela program bilong skelim olgeta samting

bilong marit.

In Australia, one church conducted Marriage Encounter weekends

in which a couple served as facilitators and several married couples

attended. It was a simple format.

Long Australia, wanpela sios i save wokim kain wiken olsem na

tupela marit i kam olsem tisa na planti arapela marit tupela i joinim

ol. Em i no hat long ranim.

A group would gather in the meeting room and a story on married

relationships quietly read out. The couples would listen quietly.

Dispela lain bai bung long miting rum na harim liklik story wanpela

tisa i ritim. Tupela bai harim na skelim.

Then the group would break for half an hour with biro and writing

pad. Each person would write a letter to the spouse on a personal

reaction to what was read. The other spouse would do the same.

Then each couple would sit quietly and exchange letters.

Grup bai go sindaun ausait inap long hap aua na wan wan bai raitim

pas i go long man /meri bilong em. Ol bai skelim laip bilong em na
marit bilong tupela. Bihain long hap aua tupela i sindaun long wanpela
hap na ritim pas bilong arapela.

The process would go on over several sessions on this weekend with

each reading covering different aspects of marriage. Letters would be

written each time and exchanged with the spouse.

Dispela pasin i go i go inap long tenpela taim. Wan wan taim tupela bai

tingting, wokim prea, skelim, rait na ritim pas bilong arapela. Ol bai rait

long planti samting bilong marit ol i no toktok long em bipo.

There was little socialization with other groups except at meal time.
Then it was down to business. That went on until the afternoon of
Sunday when there was a closing with a church service. That was
quality time for all married couples.

Wan wan tupela marit i no sindaun na toktok long marit olsem wanpela

grup. Ol lain i bung long taim bilong malolo na kaikai. Bihain ol tupela

marit i go slip long bet. Long Sande woksap i pas wantaim sios sevis.

Olgeta lain i go bek long haus na famili. Tupela marit i kisim nupela

pawa long marit bilong ol.