Christmas Parade and Festival of Lights

This is a weekend where guests can do as much or as little as they wish. They arrive Friday afternoon and check into their lodging then meet for an early dinner. Immediately following dinner everyone gathers on Main Street to watch the lighted parade. After the parade those who wish may go to the after party, ice skating or just stroll main street enjoying the Christmas decorations. Saturday they are on their own to explore the town and/or surrounding area, enjoy special events going on that weekend or just hang out. Meals will be provided. Admission to the Museum of the Pacific War, Pioneer Museum and Fritztown Cinema will be provided to those interested. Check out from accommodations is 11 a.m. A list of churches will be provided so guests can attend prior to returning to San Antonio if they wish.

Sign up is through the WTB Chaplain’s office who will post a signup sheet about 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is for wounded, injured and ill and their family or care provider. Family is defined as a Warrior, his/her spouse and children up to 18 yrs old living at home. Cadre and staff are not eligible for this event unless required as a care provider. Questions may be directed to the Chaplain’s office.

Specific details regarding lodging, meal times & location, etc will be provided to guests at a later date.

Spiritual Fitness

Participants will arrive at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area north of Fredericksburg with Chaplain Shannon for a day exploring the area and enjoying a lunch in Fredericksburg. This will be a day of both spiritual and physical fitness. It maye be hot so bring plenty of water.

Strong Bonds Training for Single Soldiers

This event is for Single Military Personnel in treatment or transition. It is designed to provide insight to using discernment in relationships. Chaplain Shannon is organizing and will be leading the class. Space is limited so contact the WTB Chaplain’s office for more information and to reserve your seat. Lunch will be provided by Wounded Warriors at Nebo.

Retreat

Identifying & Expressing Your Feelings

Friday the 13th, yes, Friday the 13th, couples and families gathered at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church for the first session of the weekend with Chaplain Shannon. However, in keeping with the Friday the 13th legend it should be noted here that this retreat was to be hosted by and held at the First Baptist Church. During preparation on Thursday the Baptist’s were told there was a broken water main so there was NO WATER and no one was sure how soon it could be fixed. Hmm? Fortunately the Methodist Church was available so everything was moved across town and all of the warriors were informed of the change before they left San Antonio.

Session 1 began as Chaplain Shannon, utilizing visual aids and handouts, explained they were going to explore how to identify feelings and just as important, how to express them. The model the chaplain used would be good in any environment, i.e., military, corporate, home, etc. In fact, some of the volunteers asked for the website links for personal use. After the dinner break the children went back to their game areas while the parents and couples completed a second session before heading back to the hotel for the evening.

Saturday morning started with Chaplain Shannon leading the group through a third session where, like the previous evening, there was a lot of ‘audience’ participation. The chaplain then introduced a guest speaker who is a social worker at the Warrior Transition Battalion. She said that couples tend to lose sight of the things that attracted them to each other. Their challenge was to make a ‘Memory Box’ (my words). They were given a plain wooden box and then chose various items with which to decorate it. The decorations were to represent things that attracted the couple to each other and other significant events in their life. Couples took turns showing off their creations and explaining all the elements involved.

The children joined their parents for a delicious catered lunch after which everyone was free for the afternoon. Dinner was provided by members of the First Baptist Church. There was an amazing variety and amount of food for the warriors and families to enjoy. In fact, there were multiple go boxes prepared for the warriors.

During their free time in Fredericksburg, several went to Fritztown Cinema, the Museum of the Pacific War and the game room at Mr. Gattis’ Pizza as guests of Wounded Warriors at Nebo.

In spite of the rough start, this retreat’s 42 attendees left with new interpersonal skills.

Marriage Retreat Weekend

This is a weekend where Couples receive counseling from the WTB Chaplain and guest speakers. The intent is to show couples how to identify potential problems and ways to address them. They arrive Friday afternoon and check into their lodging then meet for dinner and their first counseling session at a church. Saturday there are two or three counseling sessions then they are on their own to explore the town and/or surrounding area, enjoy special events going on that weekend or just hang out. Meals will be provided. Child care is provided during counseling sessions. Admission to the Museum of the Pacific War, Pioneer Museum and Fritztown Cinema will be provided to those interested. Check out from accommodations is 11 a.m. A list of churches will be provided so guests can attend prior to returning to San Antonio if they wish.

Sign up is through the WTB Chaplain’s office who will post a signup sheet about 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is for wounded, injured and ill and their family or care provider. Family is defined as a Warrior, his/her spouse and children between the ages of infant to 18 yrs old living at home. Cadre and staff are not eligible for this event unless required as a care provider. Questions may be directed to the Chaplain’s office.

Specific details regarding lodging, meal times & location, etc will be provided to guests at a later date.

Day Event

Marines in Seguin

June 14th started bright and early for Jackie, Dottie & Sharon as they were joining Marines from the Marine Annex, Fort Sam Houston at the Lazy U Ranch in Seguin for their town hall meeting. We arrived about 9 a.m. and were greeted by Brandon, our POC and several others who took the peach cobblers (still warm) to the kitchen area for us while we joined other marines and their families in the pavilion just as the meeting began. We were one of several organizations who had been invited to address the families letting them know what our organizations do and how they can participate. After the presentations everyone disbursed to enjoy being outdoors and some of the many activities available. We provided lunch from Bill Millers BBQ with dessert of fresh peach cobbler from Clear River Pecan Co., Fredericksburg. Of course there was ice cream for the warm cobbler. It was a beautiful day to be outside with just enough breeze to keep from being hot. In addition to fishing and canoeing there was archery complete with an instructor, board games and miscellaneous other games to keep everyone busy & involved. Fun day with good people.

Photos from the event can be viewed in the album “Marines in Seguin” by clicking on photos at the top of the page.

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Day Event

Evening of Elegance 2/9/2019

A special note of thanks to Kris Lara for her help with this article.

Couples, dressed in semi-formal attire, gathered at Maggiano’s Restaurant at the Rim for a special evening designed to remind couples of the little things that keep a marriage alive – things that can often be forgotten or taken for granted. The mood was set with heart shaped balloons and chocolate decorating the tables. Building Blocks for a Healthy Marriage was the theme of this magical evening.

Chaplain Thompson started the evening with some ‘ice breaker’ games which require couples to interact with each other and other couples. Except for the entrée which each individual selected, appetizers and dinner were served family style thus everyone was able to sample several different dishes. By all reports the meal and service were outstanding.

Later the guest speaker, Dr. Yancosek, spoke about how important communication is to a healthy relationship. She stressed that couples need to honor and respect each other and how to reconnect during troubled times. Dr. Yancosek’s presentation was followed by Mrs. Thompson who reiterated the importance of communication in maintaining and strengthening a marriage. She also shared information about their new baby boy.

Entertainment was provided by Kezia Brel who played the guitar and sang while the couples socialized. A total of 44 people attended the event.

To view more photos from the event click this link https://wwnebo.org/photos and select the album “Evening of Elegance”.