Alright Recovery People I need help on something

[Moontime]

Anyone can help me. We have our sponsorship family gathering weekend, it's all men about 30 of us. Our sponsorship family elected me to be the opening speaker and facilitator for tonight. I'm going to be speaking on intamacy, men fellowshiping, unity etc.... Anyway, I will also be a facilitator and gave me the freedome to add some activities after I speak. That's where I need your help, what could I do with 30 ment to draw us closer together (we are going to do a meet and greet later). I'm thinking about asking everyone to think of one fear that seperates you from your fellow brothers. Have them talk about it and through the whole weekeind each one of us work on that fear. What do you think about that? Any thing you would add? Anything you would change? Any experience on what you did at your sponsorship retreats that drew unity?

[Imagine]

My name is jerome, and I am an Addict.

I like the plan for nameing ones fears, and with help from others working on them.
Sounds like you got it under control, I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace-Jerome.

[Phinneas]

Hey, Moon. Fabulous idea. Go with it!!

Have a GREAT weekend and let us know how it goes, k?

[eddie z.]

Well, how did it go?? I hope it went well. Sounded good to me.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[Moontime]

Hey all, It was so awesome! I've been to about 7 of these and have been to Florida to an even bigger sponsorship family gathering and this past weekend takes the cake. It was sweet. We had three guys make it there on pure God's grace. 3 guys with less than a day or two clean, who all left there with sponsor's and a willingness to desire a different way of life. It was so beautiful as we all broke down and recovered. There was very close to 30 men there. I opened it up on Thursday night giving my e,s,h in what the men have ment to me in my life and important sponsorship is. I also talked about the fears that seperate my spirit from interacting and opening up to your spirit. I talked about what a man on man intmacy really means. I brought it back to how I always thought if you had an intimate relationship with a man it ment you were either crazy or gay. I'm not either of those two depending on who you ask, LOL but that fear was with me until I got into recovery and built a relationship with my sponsor. Then I had everyone break up into groups of 4 and ask 5-10 questions about each other (sponsor,what step are they on etc...) and talk abou the fear that puts a wedge between building an intimate relationship with another man. I tell you there were more guys who could relate to the gay thing then I had imagined. Everyone was able to the let there guards down, breakdown and recover.
Our sponsorship family has 4 excellent chefs. We had omlettes and french toast for breakfast, killer lunches and salads, then for dinner chicken and shrimp in this lemon, caper sauce, it rocked. We had about 15 workshops ranging from steps, to sponsorship, to relationships to spirituality. It was a great time. It's very different as when there are all same the gender, it gets real. There's no sharing for the opposite sex like we do at regular meetings, there's no impressing going on, it's just real and it's about change.

[Time4Change]

That sounds wonderful, Moontime! I'm so glad everything worked out so well. And the food!!!! Daaaaang! You guys know how to party! Yum! I think it's awesome that you and your NA brothers spent the weekend getting to know yourselves, and the other men, better than ever before. I mean, not only does it make you yourself stronger and more in touch with what's going on inside, but it also improves your relationship with your wives, parents and children. What a gift!

There's something so very special and intimate about same-sex-only meetings. I've always said my Saturday morning women's meeting is my favorite. I've never had such close relationships with women before. NA has taught me how to be a better friend, how to reach out and ask for help, as well as give back what has so freely been given to me.

I'm so happy you had such a great time!

Hugs, Kelly

[Phinneas]

Excellent!

[eddie z.]

Thank you for checking back in and letting us know how it went!! Makes me want to go on the women's beach trip this year, although I don't really think I'll be able to. Anyway, I could go to more of the split meetings we have around here, I guess. There aren't any women-only meetings in our area.

Love and hugs,
Eddie