Me and My Shadows!

Volume 8, Issue 3 April 30, 2018

I want to introduce you

Report From a Partner Couple!
to KK & Cynthia Wong a
Haven of Hope in Eastern Europe, (MJ- I asked the Team for some
couple that is from Hong
Spring 2018 snippets from other small groups.
Kong that now live in
Week 1 can go here.)
Turkey. They were so “Come to my country, please!” asked
impacted by their own Natasha, a Ukrainian women attend- In another small group, the Glovers
Marriage Intensive, that ing a Haven of Hope marriage work- met two young wives, Nata and Inga
it gave them a desire to shop in Zagreb last year. who grew up with no positive male
receive training and role models at all. These ladies re-
work on getting the ma- A year later, her request was granted ceived significant affirmation. We
terial translated into as 4 couples flew to Kiev April 4-7. Our were glad to encourage a young hus-
Cantonese in order to presenting team included: Peter and band named Dima and a young pas-
teach other Chinese cou- Marti Everts, Bret and Elizabeth Hern, tor named Ruslan. We also became
ples. Philip and Virginia Lykes and Danny friends with Cheryl and Charlie,
and Kathy Glover. The 18 couples at- Americans who have returned to
I had the privilege to tending included pastors and family Ukraine as mission workers, now
have them “shadow” me life staff from the Baptist Union from
that they are empty-nesters.
during the 3-weeks while several cities across Ukraine.
I was in Istanbul. Each Responding emotionally to anyone,
week they were able to Although the early spring weather even a spouse, is not expected in this
observe, and began to was rather chilly for the Americans, we culture. Despite the awkward na-
model for a participating had a warm reception from translators ture of recognizing needs and feeling
couple a concept that was and attendees alike. The relational another’s pain, the spouses grew to
just taught. By the 3rd care material prepared by Haven of respond well to each other, using the
week, they were pretty Hope is significant for any culture and Haven of Hope material and follow-
well primed to be able to people group. We found it particularly ing the examples given by present-
facilitate a small group important in this former Soviet coun- ers. Kathy Glover
themselves. This is the try. The iron hand of oppression has
model that we have used resulted in economic and emotional
to reproduce ourselves in fallout fraught with depression, alco-
others. KK & Cynthia holism and abortion. Church and min-
will be the 8th couple istry leaders are hungry for resources
that have been trained to encourage healthy marriages.
and mentored in this Each couple practiced several tools
way. I look forward to such as receiving comfort, according to
working with them again the instructions found in Romans 12:15
next year. “Rejoice with those who rejoice and
mourn with those who mourn.”
Presenter and Shadow Couples
Eastern Europe 2018
Page 2

Ministry Prayer Requests

 Pray for the Ukrainian couples  Pray for Global Workers who Answers to Prayer!
to continue to work with the come to us throughout the
 The travel ban to Turkey has been
materials presented to them. year. lifted.! Thank you Lord!
 Pray for Pastor Andrew  Pray for continued training of  Duplication by:
Brunson who is held in prison Mentor Couples and expan- Mentor Couples in Turkey and Ro-
in Turkey. sion of Haven of Hope Inter- mania doing intensives with Global
national. Workers and native couples
 Pray for protection of Turkish
churches and pastors because  Pray for financial support to  Fully trained couples doing Inten-
of threats and political unrest. sives Internationally and stateside.
increase as the cost of ex-
 Pray for the economy of Tur- panding the ministry has in-  Turkish and Romanian translated
key. creased. materials are in use.

Please continue to pray for a church home for us.

That we begin to meet couples in Sun City.
We get back into a rhythm in our daily lives.

Family genogram after family genogram was presented, often with tears and choked emotion
as four Ukrainian couples shared their stories of childhood. Many of them were in their 30’s and
40’s and so could remember what it was like to live in a Communist country as a child. Many of
them had grown up in families often riddled by alcohol abuse, boys finding street gangs with which
to find their identity, parental marriages that were often conflicted or broken, childhood experiences
often characterized by abuse, neglect, and emotional and physical abandonment.
Marty and I had wondered how it would work to have not just one couple sharing their story
with us, but four couples together. We had seen the power of being a couple with one couple alone,
providing safety and understanding for the couple to share their story. But 4 couples at once? The
answer was miraculous! Even though these couples knew each other from their respective church
communities, most of them had not shared their stories with each other. There was so much pain
and shame connected to them that they didn’t want to become vulnerable and feel the feelings all
over again, and in front of others!
But the power of the marriage intensive is that we facilitating couples don’t ask anything
from married couples taking the intensive that we don’t do. And Marty had shared part of her geno-
gram with the group earlier, including her own childhood abuse. We also had made it safe enough
with the Holy Spirit’s help to have them learn to be vulnerable in front of each other in learning to
rejoice and give each other comfort.
So as the genogram stories were being told in Ukraine in groups of four couples each, and
then again with the same size groups in Slovenia, some healing occurred as couples realized that
they were not alone. They were able to give comfort to each other as members of the body of Christ.
As Marty and I said our goodbyes to our fellow Ukrainian and Slovenian couples it felt like we were
leaving behind us precious communities of healing couples. Thanks be to God! Peter Everts
 We now have a Website if you would like to
maybe share with others.
Contributions can be made to: havenofhopeinternational.org
Haven of Hope
13427 Pond Springs Rd. Austin, TX.
78729 Also for your convenience anyone can go online
Or Online Donations to make a donation.
1. Go to this link http:// 1. Go to this link http://
www.northwestfellowship.com/
media-center www.northwestfellowship.com/ media-
2. Select Give on Line center
3. Go to drop down box and select 2. Select Give on Line
Haven of Hope.
3. Go to drop down box and select Haven of
mjuarez45@live.com Hope.
patjuarez1@live.com
U.S.A. Phone Number!
512/573-8400 Mark

Kiev, Ukraine Marriage Intensives!

Top Left: Peter and
Marty Everts
Bottom Right: Phillip
and Virginia Lykes
Top Right: Bret and
Elizabeth Hern
Bottom Left Danny
and Kathy Glover
Some of the best men-
toring couples we
know. Thanks for
making 2018 so suc-
cessful!!