“That you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
The panoramic, pacific, pristine and picturesque setting of the Mbale Resort in Uganda was the ideal setting for the Marriage Retreat of the East Africa churches under the Theme “Pure Romance”, as married couples of the East Africa family of churches gathered from April 6 to 9 to learn, confirm and reaffirm their love for God and for each other.
Set in the country once known as The Pearl of Africa, the occasion was indeed pearl-precious with couples from 7 congregations gathering to be guided and inspired by each other and by the key presenters, Idaho-based Kingdom speakers and writers, David and Robin Weidner.
David and Robin have authored a CD set together, “Building a Pure Marriage in an Impure World”, David is the author of a CD series, “Pure in Heart—Biblical Principles for Restoring Purity” (www.purityrestored.com), and Robin has written a powerful book, “Secure in Heart”.
The classes taught were Pure Oneness and Pure Covenant.
Many marriages were enriched by confession and deep sharing. East African friendships were harnessed across and within borders.
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Martin from the Kampala church shared, “God used the Weidners to transform marriages here. We were very honored to have them. Thanks to the Church of Christ in Idaho that made it possible for them to come to Uganda.”
Robin later posted on facebook, “5 nations. Different tribes. The Eastern African Marriage Retreat was an amazing gathering. Open hearts. Transparent responses. Deep new friendships. We all agreed it was more than a retreat, it was an experience.(Bonus: I've been declared as really good at African dance!)”
Titus later tweeted, “Had a great time in Mbale. Marriage retreat by David and Robin Weidner -"Pure Romance" was insanely great.”
Richard shared, “One thing I got out of the conference that I will always treasure is that I need to set very tight boundaries if I am to remain sexually pure. Dave and Robin, through their lives and by blending science and Scriptures, helped me see how God intends me to remain pure in my marriage.”
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One sister shared, “The retreat taught me hope above everything else. Having a past of sexual sin, my husband and I have never had a person share their own struggles as Dave and Robin did. In humility they shared how they have overcome.
“Looking at Robin as she shared, what got me was that I didn't read any bitterness, vengeance or victim syndrome in her tone of voice. That can't happen if am doing things my way without God in the picture. It was clear that Robin was fighting it God's way and with God. And so was it with Dave, his openness amazed us.
“As a couple we are making effort to heal from the past hurt by addressing what needs to be addressed. We have the formula now.”
William enthused, “This retreat has given me a whole new outlook on my marriage. Things will not be the same again, I feel like our marriage has been reborn." John Maleya, who oversees the East Africa churches agrees. “The marriages here in the East African churches, at least most of them, are not going to be the same,” he says, adding, “We all learnt what genuine openness in marriage is and how it is the greatest tool in building a great marriage.”
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Appreciating the venue, one couple shared, “The hotel was beautiful, it offered a romantic ambiance to want to do things right with your spouse.”
Jacob and Rosa (pictured at top) shared, “The whole trip—preparation, journey, stay and trip back—was a handful of inspirational lessons! In Pure Romance, we learnt about sexuality, how man is different from the woman and how to accept and be secure with each other because each complements and completes the other.”
They shared that they learned that men are created to be pure and singular, which makes them focused, and women are created to be pure and multiple, which allows them to multi-task, run the home and sense danger. Compromised purity makes us lose these beautiful attributes.
In gratitude Jacob concluded, “Ugandans are big-hearted, and all those Ugandans who sacrificed to bring glory to God by making the Easter Mbale trip successful, glory to God, amen.” John’s last word (for now) on the Weidners: “We are grateful they came and we are indeed grateful to the Church in Boise, Idaho for even raising money to send them over to East Africa.”
At the conclusion of the weekend the couples at the retreat left the resort with their lights shining from a renewed and exciting commitment to purity, fidelity and humility.
For classes by and information about the Weidners: “The Overcoming Marriage” classes, Secure In Heart website.
For more news from your East Africa brothers and sisters, click here.
