By Sr. Anh Thi, FMA

Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, 2 January 2016 -- "We Are a Family" is the theme of the traditional camp held at the Provincial House of Daughter of Mary Help of Christians in Vietnam (VTN) from Saturday afternoon December 30th, 2016 to Monday morning January 2nd, 2017. This was one of the efforts of Formation Department in order to help more than 130 girls of the initial stage of formation keep pace up with three year (2016-2019) pastoral guide of Church in Vietnam on family and Strenna of the Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime on theme "We Are Family"

Actually, camping days were filled with the family spirit. All the conveyed activities and contents led the participants to discover and live the beauties of the family: happiness, unity, meeting space, creativity, love, life and joy of Salesian Family spirit.

Saturday afternoon, December 30th, 2016: camp and liturgy opening, “Vietnamese family” program with the presence of Sr. Rosa Kim Lien – the Provincial, Sr. Teresa Kim Lien, head of Vietnam FMA Formation Sector, sisters and the girls.

December 31st, 2016: team contest on catechism, exercise games, fire camp and seeing the New Year in.

January 1st, 2017: the organized game with experience on the family spirit brought the campers back to the famous families in the Bible: Family Tobia, Abraham, Betania, the family of Don Bosco and the first Mornese community in order to learn, to love, to sacrifice, to bring joy and life, which promoted the power of creativity. Then, there was a Gameshow on "Mother Mazzarello and spirit of Salesian family". The traditional camp was closed with evaluation and award distribution at night.

January 2nd, 2017: Days of traditional camp was officially ended with thanksgiving Mass and the rite of setting off on Monday morning . Terms of "Thank you, Lord", “Thank you, sisters” and "family joy" were often heard both from the organizers and the participants during and after the camp. May these things will continue to be extended and become different efforts on the formation journey of being the qualified Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

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