This year’s Love Like You Mean It® cruise was an exciting time of strengthening marriages and drawing couples closer to each other and to God. And for 65 couples who chose to volunteer their time, money, and energy to participate in an outreach, it was also a chance to minister and bless the locals of Belize.
The cruise volunteers divided into three groups. Group one spent all day refurbishingMy Refuge, a Christian radio station and retreat center for pastors and missionary couples needing respite. They were able to make an incredible impact on the space in such a short time.
Group two distributed 60 pounds of food and necessities to 100 local underserved families. Cruise attendees prayed over the families and blessed them with food boxes, each worth 50 dollars.
Group three joined 40 Christian leader couples from Belize to take part in a HomeBuilders® small-group training. All attendees were trained to use a small-group strategy that could help them minister to their friends, as well as build marriage ministries in their churches. God worked in mighty ways.
Not only did these excursions bless the Belizeans, they touched the lives of the cruisers, who chose these service projects rather than spending their day on an exotic shore excursion. Here are some comments from the volunteers:
“My wife and I worked exceptionally well together. We were pleasantly surprised!”
“When my husband and I finished praying with Errolyn (Belize woman), she seemed to not want to leave. I asked her if she had any questions and she answered ‘Yes.’ Pointing to her new Bible, she said, ‘How can I get this?’ I asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart, and she said ‘Yes.’ We slipped back away from the food boxes onto one of the church pews. Soon her mother, Ivy, joined us, having already taken her ‘Basket of Love’ outside. I began explaining the plan of salvation to both of them, then asked if they would like me to lead them in the prayer of salvation. They both said, ‘yes.’”
God assembled these strategic gatherings through Richard and Rosa Smith, who have been doing marriage ministry over the last 20 years. FamilyLife is grateful for the opportunity to partner with them in seeing every home become a godly home.
