Oceania

New Zealand

Although the first couple of years of marriage were at times a little turbulent, Steve and Leanne Hooper settled into a comfortable relationship that they felt was pretty good. They had been married for two years when they attended a Weekend to Remember® in Auckland, New Zealand. Although they had a good marriage, the conference showed them what was really possible.

“After attending the weekend, we came away with a purpose and a plan for marriage that would ensure our relationship was better than just ‘good’!” says Steve.

Working at the bank, Steve spent a lot of time in the loans department doing settlements. “What I found was that a significant portion of the settlements I was doing were for couples who were separating—people who found themselves in a position where they had to sell their assets and split the money; half would go to him and half would go to her. This really disturbed me because I felt like I was indirectly helping these couples to separate, and I wished there was something I could do.”

Volunteering with FamilyLife seemed like the perfect opportunity to help other couples have a great relationship.
Although volunteering was great, God had something bigger in mind for them. It wasn’t long before Steve and Leanne felt God leading them to give up their careers at the bank and join the ministry of FamilyLife full time, where they would be required to raise their own financial support.

“For me to leave my secure, paying job and move to a ‘by faith’ system... that was a big step,” Steve says. “But then every time I opened my Bible, God would show me a verse like, ‘Do not worry about tomorrow’ or ‘Consider the birds of the air, or the flowers of the field... God looks after them; how much more will He look after you?’ I eventually ran out of excuses.”
Since 1990, FamilyLife New Zealand has organized more than 200 events with over 18,000 people in attendance, many of whom have prayed to receive Christ or rededicated their lives and families to God as a result of the events.

The numbers are impressive, but it’s all about the individual changed lives—like one couple who was planning to separate on the Monday following the conference, yet was restored in one weekend when they allowed God to come into their lives. Their little boy told them afterwards with tears in his eyes that he couldn’t stop smiling because he knew something was different.

Steve and Leanne have also noticed the impact FamilyLife continues to have on their own marriage. “Every time we run a FamilyLife event, we ourselves are again reminded of something we can get back on track with,” says Leanne. “What a privilege to be surrounded by this positive input continually!”God is using Steve, Leanne, and the New Zealand FamilyLife team to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of couples every year.

Another New Zealand story

 A couple attended the Weekend to Remember marriage conference in Rotorua, New Zealand. They brought a beautiful, large dog with them because the husband is blind.  Andy Bray, FamilyLife national director, tells their story.

We spoke with them while we stroked their dog’s coat.  My word, the challenges that this young married couple face.  His wife was his care-giver and the main bread winner.  She was also suffering from depression and burn out.  We heard how they were staying in the cheapest camp ground. In bad weather, this meant wading through numerous puddles before reaching their car.Our hearts went out to them so we offered to treat them by putting them up in the hotel for a night.  They were over the moon.  We had time during that weekend to hear more about their struggles and to encourage them.

Some weeks later, we were holding a Day to Treasure marriage conference in Wangnui and part of our FamilyLife staff ran into the couple with the dog in a restaurant. They told our staff couple how they went home and watched the “Power” DVD that we give every couple as they leave.  After watching the video, the husband prayed to receive Christ—an answer to prayer for his Christian wife. They also wrote us the following letter:

We want to thank all those involved in the Weekend to Remember.  This was an amazing, unforgettable weekend—a huge learning curve.  In my family there isn’t one first marriage that has not ended in the last two generations.
This weekend has taught us both skills we have never had and helped us grow together. It will have a lasting impact.

More great testimonies from this same marriage conference:

“I’m writing to say a huge thank you for an amazing weekend.  We were in such a traumatic stage that we wondered if we would still be together by the time the conference was held. During lunch on Sunday, my husband turned to me and said. ‘I will never leave you.’  They are words I have longed to hear and I was quite overcome.  I can now relax in my love for him, knowing that in the hard times we will stick together.”

“I commend and encourage you to keep speaking at these seminars.  Your voices are needed.  The strength you demonstrate to positively impact couples is truly inspirational.  We have family members who need your message.  I will be canvassing them actively to sign up to attend a weekend.  Thank you for staying the course.

Fiji

At the Weekend to Remember marriage conference, the hotel offered a free suite on Saturday night to the couple who has been married the longest.  It was especially meaningful to the couple who received it at the conference in March as they have lived with the wife's parents for 10 years.

Before You Leap Singles conference in Fiji. Impacting the next generation!

• Prayed to receive Christ 28
• Rededicated my life to Christ & prayed to receive the Holy Spirit 21
• Commitments to purity 50

Comments from youth conferees:

“I need to think first before opening my heart to someone; to pray for my life and the life of my future spouse; to put God first; there are consequences to bad relationships.”

“Seminar has been an eye opener – appreciate the frank talk.”

“Enabled me to be more careful in my future decision making; I’ve already had boyfriends and realize that most of the things I did were wrong and honestly regret them.”

“Taught me importance of: knowing each well; setting priorities right; gifting of my purity to my spouse is precious.”  

“I was challenged about having relationships; Seminar has specified that God has a plan for us already, about our future so He knows about our future spouse.”