The Carstens: Engaged Encounter

This past weekend Nate and I headed down to Eagle Creek, OR to attend a Catholic Engaged Encounter. According to the website an engaged encounter is "an in-depth pre-marriage preparation experience within the context of Catholic faith and values." Basically it was a weekend intended for Nate and I to talk to each other about items relating to marriage. Not just the day event but a life-time commitment. The format was basically listen to a married couple and a priest give a talk about a particular subject, spend 20 or so minutes writing by ourselves regarding questions surrounding that subject, then getting together for another 20 or so minutes with our intendeds and talk about what we'd written.

It was actually really nice. I mean, quite a few of the questions regarding each topic were ones that Nate and I had definitely talked about already (how many kids do you want, will someone stay home with the kids, how will you handle finances, what importance will God and church have in your life, etc) but other questions were ones that we discovered we either hadn't fully talked about or they gave us an opportunity to expand upon in an environment that fostered talk. When you're secluded for a weekend with almost every waking moment focusing on your relationship it's hard not to use the opportunity given and truly make the most of the questions and conversations.

I think one of the best moments at this retreat was when Nate and I went for a walk in the woods during a break. It was one of those perfect moments. It was raining slightly, no one else was on the trail, and the sights were just gorgeous. We probably walked for an hour and a half just meandering on the trail around the campground talking and laughing. This moment was so needed in the recent hustle and bustle of life. It really brought home what's important in life and why we're making the commitment that we're making to each other.

I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone thinking of getting married. It's not just for Catholics (in fact probably half of our group wasn't Catholic) but does make God a center of conversation (as it should be). I really feel that Nate's and my relationship is stronger for having attended this weekend.

The view from our walk. Moss and green were everywhere!