Dear Friends,

Some of you have asked about the couples conference we did last month. So as not to make these newsletters too long, I am just now reporting on it. On November 7 and 8 Phil and I did a marriage conference at the Fellowship Bible Church in Winchester, Virginia for about 120 couples based on our two marriage books, Optimize Your Marriage and Unlimited Partnership. What a special group of people! As difficult as it was for me, Phil and I dealt deeply with such issues as sexual purity in a marriage, healing past pain in relationships, confronting each other on anger, poor communications, lack of intimacy, and failure to spiritually lead the home, among others.

Many months of prayer by the organizers had prepared hearts for our messages. The first night, 26 people indicated that they prayed to receive Christ. What a way to begin healing a marriage! We had many exciting results, but one that I think will encourage you is described in the following email we received after the conference (I have left a few details out so the person couldn’t be identified):

I sit here on the eve of my birthday thinking about what has transpired since (date).

That was my anniversary.  My husband and I were together and had been fighting for some time and on that day I decided I never wanted to see that date again.  I even quit wearing my diamonds he gave me.  I was hurting.  I had no idea how I was going to get over it but I knew I had to somehow.

Enter your Marriage Conference this past weekend.  My husband very reluctantly agreed to go, you see the first time he came to Fellowship Bible Church, you were the speaker.  He sat there staring with an angry, empty expression at you while you spoke.  Your words hit home, every one of them.  I did not talk to him afterwards.  My Mentor in Christ cautioned me not to step on the work of the Lord.  That is tough advice for me, I talk too much sometimes. He returned again and again, I prayed for Divine Assistance more and more.

Friday we were there.  There was tension, you could see it and feel it.  A miracle happened.  During the small group he openly confessed his anger to God and talked freely about his situation.  I thanked God immediately.  That night nothing was said at home, again I let the Lord work.  I wanted to stand on the table and scream Hallelujah but my Mentor reminded me to wait, but my heart was yelling all the while!!

The next day we had tremendous break throughs.  I know you are to thank for providing us with the tools, the forum to start over again, the pathway to God as a couple.  God takes over now.

Tonight we start the Unlimited Partnership with our first meeting.  He actually brought it up and wanted to make sure I had the book.

I know I personally thanked both of you on Sunday, but I wanted to email you a letter as well.

I pray for my husband's salvation.  This will take time.  We talked about it at length.  He finally said to me that he is not ready to pray for himself or with me as a couple but that he would pray for me.  I cannot tell you how I felt.  I cried.  I thank God many, many times a day for keeping the path open for him to attend this conference and to fill his heart.  He is a good man, loving father and husband.  I do not know what has happened other than we grew away from Christ and each other.  I know why our lives have been such a mess.

Thank you.  You may never know how much this means to me.  Pray for us to continue this good work.  So many times we start something and give up on it because one or the other of us doesn't see it working.  It will take time.  It will take prayer.  It will take God.

Please pray for this couple and others from the weekend who are trying to start anew in their relationship. We are grateful, also, for the reports that those with "good" marriages went away refreshed, renewed and with ideas for going to a new level of intimacy.

Today or tomorrow I will be posting dates on our website (www.DNAministries.org) that Phil has available in 2004. Let us know if you would like a couples or men’s conference at your church during this next year.

We have exciting news to report! Phil has been invited to join the Promise Keepers speaking team for 2004 and will be speaking in Detroit the weekend of July 16-17 and in San Diego October 1-2. We are humbled by this wonderful opportunity.

We are so grateful for your prayers and commitment to our Lord. Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season.

In His gracious care,

Susy