Both Melissa and I love the different ministry opportunities that the Lord puts the two of us in, but usually, we are doing them individually rather than side by side. Recently, we were able to participate together about a topic that we know quite well: ourselves!
Every year, Doulos hosts a relational emphasis week and the topic this year was the three types of love that are modeled in the Bible: Eros, Philos and Agapē. To conclude the week, Doulos had two couples (us and another couple that works at Doulos) speak on what a healthy marriage looks like. We spoke on a variety of topics: how the three types of love were evident in our relationships, the importance of having Christ at the center of our marriage, the importance of healthy communication, the benefits of purity, living a life focused on God’s design for marriage, dealing with various forms of temptation, teen pregnancy, when to date, what to look for in a potential spouse, and many other topics students had questions about.
All cultures have their misalignments when it comes to God’s design for marriage, and one of the most common false truths in the D.R. is the idea that staying committed to one spouse is not necessary. Infidelity is the norm in this country. Girls are taught to think through the lens of WHEN your husband cheats on you, not IF. It is not uncommon for a man to be with three or more women at one time AND have that be a bragging point. So for us to have a captive audience of 120 teens and explain the beauty of a marriage with Christ as the center, a marriage where divorce is not an option, and the power that comes from doing it God’s way, was an impactful, countercultural conversation.
We have gotten to know many of the students in the audience over our 3.5+ years of ministry here. Through teaching, class get togethers at our house, sports, Church, Doulos events, and other activities, they have built relationships with either Mike, Melissa, or both of us. They have seen our marriage in action and can see that there is something different to the cultural norm that they are surrounded with. By having this chapel time, we were able to point it all to Christ and the redeeming work that He has done in our two lives.
