We made our Retrouvaille weekend in January 2002 in the Gaylord, MI area. We then attended all the post sessions in Clarkston, MI and have continued being active in the program. Our relationship was more of a living-in-the-same-household arrangement than a real marriage for many years. It was not all bad, but times of anger, verbal abuse, and the married-singles lifestyle robbed us of the beauty of a happy marriage. Through Retrouvaille we learned to communicate and share our feelings, and how to manage our times of conflict in a respectful manner. We learned that we were brought together by God’s plan and we are now living out the love that He desires for us.
We have decided to stay active in the Retrouvaille program because we are now experiencing for ourselves the difference a marriage of commitment, respect, communication and forgiveness can mean - not only to us as a couple, but to our family as well. Sharing with others by presenting post talks gives us the opportunity to give other couples support, encouragement, love and the chance to bring healing to their hurting marriages. With God as our guide, we are here to serve those who He sends to Retrouvaille. We also continue to attend monthly CORE meetings to grow us in our own marriage commitment. The friends we have made through this community are always there for us with love, to share in all the ups and downs that come our way.
We encourage any couples struggling in their marriage to come to Retrouvaille and give your marriage the chance it deserves. May God bless all marriages everywhere and keep His loving arms on our families.
God’s peace