Dear Lovers,

Jesus is Risen! Rejoice in the name of the Lord! What a wondrous thing God has done for us. We wish you all a glorious Easter season. And we praise God for His glorious works. Not the least of which is working through all those who invited couples and priests to the April weekend. We started March with 3 couples signed up, and today, with less than a week to go there are 18 couples and 1 priest registered for the weekend. Thank you for doing God’s work! God is great in you!

This also goes to show the power of prayer. We asked the Rockford/Madison/Milwaukee Encounter team couples and many others to pray the rosary every day in March for the April 1 – 3 Weekend. And we are at 19 sacraments now. So we ask you to begin praying for the June Weekend. And also September. Please pray for full Weekends and for the courage to invite.

The leaders of the sharing communities in the Rockford/Madison/Milwaukee Encounter met at the Continuing the Journey (CTJ) meeting on Saturday, March 5th. We had a good turnout, with six local communities represented. Lee & Jan Kremer, the CTJ Coordinator Couple, handed out packets describing how to schedule, invite, and present Marriage Enrichments on a parish, parish cluster, or diocese level. There are many couples who are willing to present, so if a community would like to present a Marriage Enrichment but can’t find a speaker one can be provided.

Our Inviting Coordinator Couple, Tim & Jackie Walsh, then provided each community with a Dreamers Box. We got to put the boxes together, which added to the fun! There were many ideas included in the boxes. We hope the Dreamer Boxes will be a regular feature at community meetings!

Don’t forget the Puttin’ on the Ritz dance on May 7th. Once again we will be dancing the night away with the same fantastic DJ and location we had last year. Watch the eSpirit and the website for upcoming details. If you'd like to help call Lee & Jan Kremer at 847-658-9096!

All our love,

Garry & Arla Thomas
(847) 658-1585
getart@flash.net

We all need help at times and our parishes continually ask for volunteers to do things. So, with this in mind, go talk to your priest/pastor/minister and find out what needs to be cleaned up in the church or church grounds. Set a date with your community to do it! Have you kids help. What a great family activity and teaches our children about service to others. Wear your shirts, hats, and buttons while you are working to make God’s home a more beautiful place. When you are done, have a pizza party with the family!:

Does your community meet to pray the Rosary for the sake of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Movement? If you do, let The eSpirit know, so they can post it. If you don't, please think about starting one.

The Presenting Team community prays the Rosary at 7:00 pm on the 1st Thursday of every month. The evening is open to all Encountered couples and their families. Call Ben & Jane Deutsch at (630) 377-0635 for current location. We all know the power of prayer, so pray the Rosary as often as you can.

Check the website calendar for more information on location and dates.

We are all family and we believe in the lifestyle and mission of Worldwide Marriage Encounter. From time to time we need assistance in fulfilling that mission. To that end, we have installed a quick survey and we want to get some information for what assistance you might be willing or considering to offer.

The fun never stops in our "Fun Stuff" section.

We continue to create new crossword puzzles each month as well as new on-line quizzes. In addition to our "Romance" and "Marriage History" quizzes, this month we feature our New Year's Trivia quiz. There are only eight questions regarding New Year celebrations around the world, but be careful. These quizzes can be addictive.

We have also included a place for you to share your favorite recipes with other Encountered Couples. Everyone knows that Community nights are all about the food. Why else would everyone gather around the kitchen? Just kidding!

And while you're browsing the section, don't forget our downloadable screen savers for your PC. There are several pre-made screen savers with a Marriage Encounter theme. And as if that wasn't enough, we can customize and create your very own, personalized version of one of the available styles.

Is the Spirit calling you to be more involved in the WWME movement?

The Rockford/Madison/Milwaukee Marriage Encounter Community is in great need of couples who want to be more actively involved in changing the world one couple at a time! Listed below are some of the ways you can help. If you have any questions about any of these jobs or if you're a Community Leader and have a couple in mind that you think would be a great asset to any of these communities please contact Ben & Jane Deutsch at (630) 377-0635 for more information.

SUPPORT COMMUNITY
House/Greeter Couple: Responsible for the set up and takedown of the Weekend. This job is split between 2 couples. This couple is also responsible for scheduling communities to greet on & off for the Weekend.
Prayer Couple Coordinator East: This couple is responsible for making sure all couples on the Weekend from the Eastern part of the Rockford Diocese have a prayer couple and extended Dialogue letter.
Prayer Couple Coordinator North: This couple is responsible for making sure that all Wisconsin couples making the Weekend have a prayer couple and extended dialogue letter.

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY COMMUNITY
Community Start up Couple: This couple would be responsible with helping the CTJ Leaders to get new communities started up. CTJ is also looking for seasonal couples who could help with different functions throughout the year. These different committees would be for "Puttin' on the Ritz" dance, WWME Family campout, and the Rolle Bolle tournament.

INVITING COMMUNITY
Ministry Fair Coordinators: This couple would be responsible for tracking and getting help, if needed, for parish ministry fairs.
Media Coordinators: This couple would be responsible for planning and placing ads in different Catholic publications. They would also explore other media vehicles for getting the WWME word out to people.
Mass Talk Workshop Couple(s): This couple/couples would be responsible for coordinating those couples who already have Mass talks written. They would also workshop couples who would like to write and present Mass talks throughout the 3 dioceses.
Pulpit Pal Coordinators: This couple would be responsible with the scheduling and maintenance of our pulpit pal boards. These new inviting tools are used in the backs of various churches as another means for getting the word out for the Weekend.

Are you looking for a romantic evening? Are you looking to swing your loved one around the dance floor? Are you looking for an excuse to get together with friends and have a party?

Well, this is your big chance. This year's Puttin' on the Ritz is May 7th. You can register and find out more about the evening by clicking here . Plan on joining us in St. Charles for an evening of romance and joy.

Creamy Pesto Shrimp Linguine (Just in time for Lent)

• 1 pound linguine pasta, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup grate Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined

Directions:
In large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat; stir in the cream and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes or until hot. Add the grated parmesan cheese, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the pesto sauce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over hot linguine.