This past weekend we went on our first marriage retreat (and hopefully not the last!) We went with 11 other couples from our church. The veteran missionaries with whom we're working are licensed marriage and family counselors and they, along with our pastor, planned and executed the event very successfully. They gave a session and brought in two other pastors also licenced counselors to give sessions. It was a lot of fun and we really learned a lot!
In the second picture you'll notice a basket in the foreground. In that basket were lot's of Honduran coins that we could take as we liked, but not to buy snacks. Each of also recieved a little gift bag(empty) in which we put a coin if our spouse lifted us emotionally, like with kind words, a hug, a kiss. But if our spouse brought us down in any way over the weekend we had to take out 5 coins! It was a great exercise in realizing how often (or how NOT often) we encourage our spouses.
It was in the mountains above Tegucigalpa so the climate was equal to that of La Esperanza, not uncomfortably hot and humid like down in the valley of Tegucigalpa. It was a great blessing for all the couples, as most of them have been married 6 years or more, and all of us want to continue to meet once a month here in town to keep getting to know each other better and learning, which will allow couples to come who couldn't attend the retreat.
I think that is so awesome that you were able to participate in a retreat like that. I love the coin idea. The more I listen to Dr. Laura the more I have learned that I have a lot of power over how my husband feels in the relationship. I try so much more to be the encourager and uplifter. The coin idea is a great reminder.
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