Témoignages

“The retreat began with the testimony of Brother Lucas. What was most striking in his testimony was the way in which he encouraged us to take the group as our family. He also said that even if it happened that everyone abandoned the group, including the general leader, he would continue to live the spirituality of the Movement of the Incarnation. Through the 1st teaching, we understood the importance of retreats for the growth of members, and also that we must love God to the very end, for he loved us despite all our sins; despite the fact that we offer him so little of our love. In the second teaching, Papa Henri also told us that God alone loves with a total love, and that he alone is enough to make us happy, for if we have all goods without God, then we have nothing. Papa Henri also insisted on what the attitudes of a good Word of God member should be. Afterward, there was the presentation of the reports, with the Bafoussam group in first place. Note that we (the Dschang group) ranked 5th. Some directives for active members were then given. Finally, the meals were good and even better. I would thus like to say a bravo to the entire Women's service. The technology of love is to love to the very end! Donald Tamgno (Cameroon)”

November 22, 2016

“With the help of the theme, I asked myself whether I was taking the best path. Along the same lines, the various prayers (shared, personal), the joy shared and received, and the teachings deeply marked my retreat. The teaching on inheritance encouraged me not to become attached to the things of life. The one on prayer showed me that, for lack of prayer, I doubted my being present at this retreat, and I learned anew to pray, to ask for forgiveness, and to trust in God's action in my life. This retreat allowed me to answer several questions I had, to rise up again, to be patient, and to pray along the path of Faith. My message said: “Prayer is to our soul as rain is to the earth,” yet another motivation to redouble my efforts in prayer, and I bought a notebook to help me with it. The retreat is already bearing fruit in my life. Irène Ninkam (Germany)”

November 22, 2016

“On my arrival at the retreat, I saw everyone busy and smiling, which was not my case, and I asked myself the question « what am I doing here? »; I was lost and even withdrew to be alone. I got into the swing of the retreat after chatting with a retreatant. Before the retreat I had reached a point in my life where the Lord was in second place. From the teachings I take away that we must love without favouritism, as Jesus does for us. Also, I understood that the Lord cares about our concerns more than we ourselves do. I took the trouble to write down my intentions for this retreat in a notebook, to see later whether the Lord has granted them. I must involve the Lord in all the projects of my life, for we sometimes leave Christ out and then complain that nothing works. The Lord has a plan of life for each person, so I must not envy others. Mayelle Keumedjio (Germany)”

November 22, 2016

“Good evening, family, I am sharing with you here a homily by Father Armel that we had at one of the Masses during the 2015 Rome retreat, and which struck me deeply. Father Armel said that God chooses us and says to us «follow me», that is to say «imitate me». It is a grace, and we must make use of it to renew and sanctify ourselves. We must listen and respond to the Holy Spirit by letting Him flourish within us. We must ask ourselves «what is the new Man that the Lord wants me to become?» and not consider conversion as something acquired, for it is a grace of God. He listed for us 4 attitudes that can prevent us from renewing ourselves: Being unconvertible: committed but not spiritual. Talking about everything except what is spiritual. Being lukewarm: committed but not spiritual. Sometimes even zealous, but not putting into practice what one proclaims. Believing oneself to be exceptional: spending one's time looking for excuses to justify one's situation. Not identifying with the cases mentioned. Being off-topic: fixating on oneself, on one's needs, and not concerning oneself with sanctification. He therefore recalled that the Lord's priority is our sanctification, and He will always give the grace that goes with it. If, for your sanctification, you need a child, He will give you one. If, for your sanctification, you must have a car, He will give it to you. If, in order to be sanctified, you must be materially poor, so it shall be. But in all things, we must learn to welcome the grace of God and let ourselves be renewed by the Holy Spirit in a continual and progressive way. I was profoundly struck by this homily and I understood that I must make efforts to convert myself more each day. I must also seek my sanctification first, and everything else will be given to me besides in order to attain it. In union of prayer Arlette Jiokeng (Denmark)”

November 22, 2016

“I became aware of one main thing at the great retreat in Germany in 2014: 'God loves me.' I had spent my time searching for something I already had; moreover I was looking for love where I could not obtain it. God alone gives me a perfect love. The love of a parent or a spouse can fulfill me for a time. But the imperfections will eventually appear. Only the perfect Love of God can fulfill me perfectly. I am made to be loved. God created me to be loved. But I can only find true love in him. At the end of the first day of the retreat, I began to tell myself that this must be the good news of the Gospel: God loves us. Following the recommendations after the teaching, I realized that the only thing we can rejoice in is God's love for us. And the only sadness in this world is not being Love as God is. For God created us in his image, he who is Love. Our nature is therefore to love as God loves. But we are incapable of loving, for our nature is wounded. This is the bad news for us, the sadness in this world. I realized it when, in one teaching, we were told that we must not confuse love and selfishness. I jumped when I heard that: what does love have in common with selfishness? What fool would make such a confusion? I quickly understood that I was that fool. This is why Saint Thomas tells us that to love is to will the good of the other. That, at least, is what I believe I heard from a teaching at the retreat. Sometimes we think we love the other when deep down it is our own interest we are seeking; we perform an act of love hoping that the other will love us in return. It was then that I asked myself how many times I had performed an act of love without expecting thanks. Not once. In one way or another, I expect something in return. In one way or another, it is my own interest that I seek through the other. Papa Henri even said that the interest can be spiritual. I then realized that I had never truly sought my neighbor's interest for its own sake; I have always sought my own interest, in one form or another. I became aware of my poverty in love, of my fundamental incapacity to love. Maman Judith said that our original nature (which is to love) is as though wounded. Her sentence began to take on its full meaning in my mind. I am incapable of loving, of loving as God loves. And we do not know how to love. Sometimes we think that to love is to give someone everything they ask of us, or always to say yes. Yet sometimes to love is to be firm with the person loved. Maman Judith gave us the example of her daughter to whom she had refused to grant a request although apparently nothing stood in the way. She refused the request several times. In light of all these teachings, I understood that God alone truly knows how to love. Sometimes we no longer believe in his love because he does not answer our prayers. Yet it is not the answering of all our prayers that shows that God loves us. What makes us sad in general is that our little selfish requests are not granted by God. I again recognized myself fully in this teaching. And it is not because misfortune strikes us that we must believe that God does not love us. We were reminded of the story of Job. God allowed misfortune to strike him, but he continued to believe in God's Love. Bottom line: God alone knows how to love. And it is not because our prayers are not answered and misfortune strikes us that we must cease to believe in his love. We still need God in order to love. I understood that in order to love as God loves I need his help. This is why I asked in my prayer for the grace to love as he loves, the grace to love at all, for in the end, the only way to love is to love as God loves. I finally understood that in the meantime, I must love through the small things, like Therese of the Child Jesus. Perform small acts, but with love, do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. In this sense, the prayer sheet is of great use to us. This retreat was a true concentration of teachings. I could not give you in detail the riches of the retreat, nor what I felt. You had to be there. Tamwa Guy (France)”

November 22, 2016

“I became aware of one main thing at the great retreat in Germany in 2014: 'God loves me.' I had spent my time searching for something I already had; moreover I was looking for love where I could not obtain it. God alone gives me a perfect love. The love of a parent or a spouse can fulfill me for a time. But the imperfections will eventually appear. Only the perfect Love of God can fulfill me perfectly. I am made to be loved. God created me to be loved. But I can only find true love in him. At the end of the first day of the retreat, I began to tell myself that this must be the good news of the Gospel: God loves us. Following the recommendations after the teaching, I realized that the only thing we can rejoice in is God's love for us. And the only sadness in this world is not being Love as God is. For God created us in his image, he who is Love. Our nature is therefore to love as God loves. But we are incapable of loving, for our nature is wounded. This is the bad news for us, the sadness in this world. I realized it when, in one teaching, we were told that we must not confuse love and selfishness. I jumped when I heard that: what does love have in common with selfishness? What fool would make such a confusion? I quickly understood that I was that fool. This is why Saint Thomas tells us that to love is to will the good of the other. That, at least, is what I believe I heard from a teaching at the retreat. Sometimes we think we love the other when deep down it is our own interest we are seeking; we perform an act of love hoping that the other will love us in return. It was then that I asked myself how many times I had performed an act of love without expecting thanks. Not once. In one way or another, I expect something in return. In one way or another, it is my own interest that I seek through the other. Papa Henri even said that the interest can be spiritual. I then realized that I had never truly sought my neighbor's interest for its own sake; I have always sought my own interest, in one form or another. I became aware of my poverty in love, of my fundamental incapacity to love. Maman Judith said that our original nature (which is to love) is as though wounded. Her sentence began to take on its full meaning in my mind. I am incapable of loving, of loving as God loves. And we do not know how to love. Sometimes we think that to love is to give someone everything they ask of us, or always to say yes. Yet sometimes to love is to be firm with the person loved. Maman Judith gave us the example of her daughter to whom she had refused to grant a request although apparently nothing stood in the way. She refused the request several times. In light of all these teachings, I understood that God alone truly knows how to love. Sometimes we no longer believe in his love because he does not answer our prayers. Yet it is not the answering of all our prayers that shows that God loves us. What makes us sad in general is that our little selfish requests are not granted by God. I again recognized myself fully in this teaching. And it is not because misfortune strikes us that we must believe that God does not love us. We were reminded of the story of Job. God allowed misfortune to strike him, but he continued to believe in God's Love. Bottom line: God alone knows how to love. And it is not because our prayers are not answered and misfortune strikes us that we must cease to believe in his love. We still need God in order to love. I understood that in order to love as God loves I need his help. This is why I asked in my prayer for the grace to love as he loves, the grace to love at all, for in the end, the only way to love is to love as God loves. I finally understood that in the meantime, I must love through the small things, like Therese of the Child Jesus. Perform small acts, but with love, do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. In this sense, the prayer sheet is of great use to us. This retreat was a true concentration of teachings. I could not give you in detail the riches of the retreat, nor what I felt. You had to be there. Tamwa Guy (France)”

November 22, 2016

“The great Bamenda retreat of 2014 was truly superb. What struck me: - My bedside word: never grow weary of doing good. When I read it, I told myself that it was ordinary, because I was expecting something very powerful like in previous years; then the name of my dormitory: Resurrection, and of my place in the Faithfulness Hall convinced me that this message was truly addressed to me. All three converged toward the same thing: faithfulness in doing good, in following the way of holiness. The teachings struck me greatly for the most part, but I will share just a few points: - " There is nothing I can do to make God love me more, or to make Him not love me at all" papa Henri told us. I once again discovered God's gratuitous love for me, and thus I can reduce the blackmail I sometimes give Him when He does not answer my prayers as and when I want, or again when I have the impression that those who do not even have time for Him prosper better in life. - Papa Henri spoke of people who love to be sad, even when there is no reason; they start thinking about the sorrows of the past. Sometimes when everything is beautiful and calm in my life, I am worried, I watch for a reason to be sad, I think about the failures and wounds of the past. I made the resolution to learn to enjoy the present moment and to have a positive outlook on everything that happens to me or surrounds me. As a fruit of this teaching, I noticed after the retreat the loss of a sum of more than 40,000 francs following a theft. If I had not followed this teaching at the retreat, I would still be lamenting today, but instead I am calm and I sincerely let it go, praying only that through this theft, the person may be converted. - Papa Henri also spoke about women who are experts at getting angry. At home there are always little gestures, words, that can easily make me angry, but remembering the teaching, I say to myself: 'Annick, you too' and I let it pass, which makes the atmosphere pleasant at home. By putting this teaching into practice, I was able to spend a good afternoon in the company of my in-laws, avoiding misinterpreting certain people's remarks, taking them instead as good advice. - What was special in the adoration this year is that I was able to express everything I had on my heart. I did not have that strong sensation that I often have of the presence of Christ, but I felt a great joy and an inner peace. - My sharing group also pleased me. When it was announced that certain people were going to change sharing groups, I laughed inwardly, because I already suspected that I was not going to share with the adults as I wished. I shared with the young workers. Very interesting ideas flowed during the sharing about the reasons why people always love to run after what is not good for them, or again about what should be done to help people be joyful. One of the retreatants said " One must look at every situation positively. By thinking about what we did not have or could not do, we lose time; let us not dwell on the negative " - Love is not feeling; I must love even when I do not feel it, even when I do not want to. To love is not to give others everything they want, but what is good for them, mother Judith told us in her teaching. - The specific teachings also do my husband and me much good. The way to receive one's husband, to serve him food, etc. Frankly it is really great, and I see that he appreciates it. He too makes many efforts, and we are both surprised by certain positively evolving behaviors in the other. May the Lord grant us all to grow even more in love for Him and for others. Annick Mekongo (Cameroon)”

November 22, 2016

“Beloved of God, I must say that I am truly filled with a very great joy since my return from the great retreat of Bamenda 2014, where the Lord used every device to prove to me that he loves me from the moment I was formed in my mother’s womb. He made me understand that he has never turned his gaze away from me. I understood that it is I, through my many sins, who at times drew away from him. I regretted, dear brothers and sisters, all the times I grumbled against my father. When I suffered, I believed he had abandoned me, when in fact he was teaching me. I understood through the teachings that nothing can prevent me from loving, that the remedy for sadness is Love, and that when I have difficulty loving my neighbor because he makes my life difficult, it will be enough for me to see Christ in that person. This is what I have been trying to do since my return from Bamenda, and I feel more and more happy. I was deeply touched when, in a teaching, I was made to understand that I am only the steward of my goods. I understood that helping a destitute brother is not a favor but a duty, for "not to let the poor share in one’s goods is to steal from them what is theirs" St. John Chrysostom. I was surprised to hear that when I carry a poor person in my car, he is not even obliged to thank me, because what I have belongs to him too, and it is my duty to help him. The resolution I have made is to no longer drive with an empty car, without passengers, from Ndogbong to Akwa, while along the way I pass many of my brothers whom I am obliged to help. I understood that "To be able to do good and not to do it is a sin" Jas 4:17 One of the things I have emphasized since my return is evangelization. I was again touched by the teaching on the proclamation of the good news. I realized that I had somewhat slowed my momentum for some time. I wanted to begin this work while I was still on the way back from the retreat. I wanted to do it so as not to lose the zeal. I stopped at Bafoussam and visited about 5 families. My purpose was to share the wonders of the great retreat and thus lay the groundwork for the Lenten retreat of Babeté 2015. I did the same at Batié, at Bafang. Once I arrived in Douala, all eyes were turned toward the 4th Sunday in Yaoundé, where I managed to get 3 people to take part by telephone. Right now I am preparing for the day of September 28. I intend to bring as many people as possible to it. My brothers, many children of God still sink in the darkness, and we have the duty to help them, for there is no happiness in being happy alone. Moreover, to evangelize is not a choice but an obligation, as we were again reminded at Bamenda. Bertrand Mepiap (Cameroon) Beloved of God, I must say that I am truly filled with a very great joy since my return from the great retreat of Bamenda 2014, where the Lord used every device to prove to me that he loves me from the moment I was formed in my mother’s womb. He made me understand that he has never turned his gaze away from me. I understood that it is I, through my many sins, who at times drew away from him. I regretted, dear brothers and sisters, all the times I grumbled against my father. When I suffered, I believed he had abandoned me, when in fact he was teaching me. I understood through the teachings that nothing can prevent me from loving, that the remedy for sadness is Love, and that when I have difficulty loving my neighbor because he makes my life difficult, it will be enough for me to see Christ in that person. This is what I have been trying to do since my return from Bamenda, and I feel more and more happy. I was deeply touched when, in a teaching, I was made to understand that I am only the steward of my goods. I understood that helping a destitute brother is not a favor but a duty, for "not to let the poor share in one’s goods is to steal from them what is theirs" St. John Chrysostom. I was surprised to hear that when I carry a poor person in my car, he is not even obliged to thank me, because what I have belongs to him too, and it is my duty to help him. The resolution I have made is to no longer drive with an empty car, without passengers, from Ndogbong to Akwa, while along the way I pass many of my brothers whom I am obliged to help. I understood that "To be able to do good and not to do it is a sin" Jas 4:17 One of the things I have emphasized since my return is evangelization. I was again touched by the teaching on the proclamation of the good news. I realized that I had somewhat slowed my momentum for some time. I wanted to begin this work while I was still on the way back from the retreat. I wanted to do it so as not to lose the zeal. I stopped at Bafoussam and visited about 5 families. My purpose was to share the wonders of the great retreat and thus lay the groundwork for the Lenten retreat of Babeté 2015. I did the same at Batié, at Bafang. Once I arrived in Douala, all eyes were turned toward the 4th Sunday in Yaoundé, where I managed to get 3 people to take part by telephone. Right now I am preparing for the day of September 28. I intend to bring as many people as possible to it. My brothers, many children of God still sink in the darkness, and we have the duty to help them, for there is no happiness in being happy alone. Moreover, to evangelize is not a choice but an obligation, as we were again reminded at Bamenda. Bertrand Mepiap (Cameroon)”

November 22, 2016

“Our God is a Living God, and upon those who fear him, his love extends from age to age. At the great Bamenda retreat of 2014, I gave him thanks for his great love: - First, the Center that welcomed us; for me it was a paradise: a Chapel with the Blessed Sacrament permanently exposed, a Marian Grotto that helped me greatly to meditate, whether on leaving the Chapel, the Refectory, or the dormitory. - My message also touched me deeply, Proverbs 3:6: "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight". It truly allowed me to understand that Jesus loves me, because before I came to this retreat, I had suffered so much that I was asking Jesus what kind of way this was to test me again! Through this, I understood that the persecutions would continue and perhaps more than before, but that I should know that Jesus is there and will guide me if I give him first place in my heart by trusting him completely. For me this is a great message of the Lord's love for me, and since then I strive all the more to love him even more through my neighbor. - The teachings, testimonies, the Homilies, the evangelization on stage and love: Papa Henri and Mama Judith spoke of the love of God, that I cannot love without suffering! That glory always comes after a cross; I also understood that I must interiorize the cross of Jesus, to be capable of loving Jesus in suffering by looking at him on the cross. That as an Active member of the Movement, I must be active, as Saint Paul says to the Romans, and this always helps me to understand that everything I do is for the Lord and that I must always know how to turn back to him in good times as in bad. Richard's testimony touched me deeply, because through him I saw the existence of the manifestation of the power of God!!! And that allowed me to thank Jesus, because personally I prayed for him before the Blessed Sacrament several times and with many tears. I understood that I must pray with perseverance until I see the fruits of my prayer. Juliette Jeuke (Cameroon)”

November 22, 2016

“Hello, lovers of Christ, Not to share what I experienced at the great retreat of Bühl 2014, or at least part of it, for a retreat is lived far more than told, would be for me a lack of love ... And since I am a "pupil" in the school of love, I must not begin to neglect the first duties. Love was “kneaded” in every direction, starting from the teachings, the sharings, evangelisations on stage, etc. I will nevertheless make the effort to summarise as best I can. This year's retreat was a truly special moment. I made the effort to respect the various recommendations given from the start, such as for example turning off phones. We were asked in the first teaching to be attentive and to make ourselves very small, for the Lord humbles the mighty and raises up the lowly. To always say, like Samuel, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening". One of the teachers explained to us that most of the acts we perform, the clothes or objects we buy for ourselves, are in reality cries of love. We thirst for love and we would like to be loved through our clothing, our car, etc. We are in reality beggars for love. Saint John Bosco tells us: "To desire the love of a human being is to knock at a beggar's door". What can a beggar give us? What does he himself have? We need a love so GREAT, so BEAUTIFUL, so FAITHFUL, so CONSTANT; and God alone possesses this. Man cannot fulfil us at every moment. The love between man and woman is limited because one will die first ... God alone is AUTHENTIC LOVE. God is LOVE, he is the first to love us, despite our faults. He created us in his image, so our true identity is also Love, my name is LOVE. We must not only respond to God's immeasurable love but also embody this love in the concrete gestures and acts of every day towards our neighbour; for how can you claim to love God whom you do not see if you do not love your neighbour whom you do see. The recommendations exhorted us to develop tricks, means, etc. to love, to reflect joy and also to lead those around us to love Jesus. Our love can only grow if we love Jesus in the other. I greatly loved the moments of silence which truly allowed me to chat with my buddy Jesus. We exchanged a great deal. I spoke, I listened to him, honestly we said many things to each other. I expressed to Him my desire to love him more than anything, in spite of everything, against all odds, to love him always. I prayed and I asked him to help me because outside of Him, I am lost. "Without love I am nothing". St John tells us: "Be always love, all love, only love" and he adds: "whoever does not love remains in death". We have the duty to love Jesus in every man, every woman, whoever they may be. One of the teachers also drew our attention to the fact that we are part of the body of Christ and that all our actions, good or bad, influence this body. Father Francis says that slander is to kill someone. We who often love to "gossip", let us be careful! We are failing our identity and at the same time we are killing our neighbour = sin squared. I was truly very struck when a teacher said that "fornication is a lack of love towards one's future spouse", that is to say that you are already cheating on them even without knowing them. Edith Feuyom (Belgium)”

November 22, 2016

“It is with a heart full of joy that I share with you the great retreat in Germany 2014. Retreats follow one another but are never alike. This one was very special for me, and I thank the Lord for having allowed me to take part in it. The theme (‘Without love, I am nothing’) had already touched me greatly, and my message (Let all that you do be done in love, 1 Cor 16:14) answered the first of the 3 concerns with which I came to the retreat. It was over the course of the teachings that I discerned the true meaning of this message (Without love I am nothing). The number of retreatants, the aesthetic beauty of the place, and my message made a deep impression on me. The fruits of the retreat were not slow to fall. I was so happy to pray this evening, before making this sharing to you, that it was as if I felt the presence of the Greatest Lover declaring His Love for me, and it is that which gave me the strength to begin my sharing with you. One of the recommendations was to picture Jesus telling us that he loves us; what would you answer? I leave you on this note of meditation. Yonga Christelle (Germany)”

November 22, 2016

“The new technology of love is to love to the very end. The retreat of the active members was very rich in love and in the search for holiness. We finally found a new strategy for living the technology of love: LOVE TO THE VERY END. That was our theme. The venue of the retreat, the Mbalmayo reception center, was very large and vast like a university campus. In the testimony of Papa Lucas, what struck me was learning that he too had "fastened his belt" and fought life: the fact of having given up his activities to follow Christ. In his testimony, he said that when he worked as a taxi driver, he would park the car on Sundays at the church and attend Mass first. Generally, it is rare to see a taxi driver at church on Sundays, and I, who intend to have a taxi in the days to come, was greatly challenged by this. He also encouraged us in our commitment to consider the group as “our own.” I remembered the day when my group was in charge of the cleaning for our traditional retreat. It had rained and it was impossible to go out for the cleaning. So I went out into that rain, hoping to receive graces all by myself, because I told myself that no one else was going to come and work; thus I had to do it alone, and I was very proud. But to my great surprise, I realized once there that I was in fact late, and I was scolded by my leader. The truth is that I had not taken this cleaning as “my own,” otherwise I would have gone out before that rain. The first teaching of the retreat was given by Papa Henri and it was about love: We all need love, to be loved. He added further that we all have a chair in our hearts where only God can sit. We should also know, Papa said, that the spiritual life is made of persecution, and so he exhorted us to great perseverance in our life whatever our life or work situation may be. In the second teaching, whose theme was LISTENING, it was said that we should take the Virgin Mary as our model of life; she who listened greatly to God. What struck me most was this expression that Papa used: WE ARE AN ATTITUDE OF LEAVEN TO THE WORD OF GOD, and that the spiritual life is an ascent toward God. In the 3rd teaching, Papa Henri said to seek holiness and that we should take up the challenge of holiness and desire holiness. He added that our practical love should be to love God to the very end, beginning in our families. We had to live with Christ every day, for love was the reflection of holiness. We therefore had to struggle in order to love; Finally, he added that the struggle of the spiritual life was based on the struggle of the life of prayer: an active member had to have a good life of prayer. I remember that just before the retreat, my spiritual mother said to me: “Didier, I hope you are going to convert,” and I answered, “Mama, I am already converted.” Here I understand that in the spiritual life, it is every day that one learns and every day that one converts. I also understand that she meant to tell me: “the moment has now come when you, Didier, must enter into a deep conversion with Christ.” Now I can answer her: “Mama, it is underway; the battery is charging.” When I encountered God, I believed I had found the love of my life. Charles Durgo (Cameroon)”

November 22, 2016