Forty Hispanic married couples from around the Central States Conference came together in Estes Park, Colorado, last October for a wonderful and amazing weekend marriage retreat. Pastor Tomas DeGyves, multi-cultural director for the Central States Conference, was able to organize this quality time together for the couples to be poured into by great workshops and presentations—and still have fun and fellowship with other couples as they strengthened their relationships.
Guest presenters for this weekend were Pastor Carlos and Lilia Torres from the New Jersey Conference, and our very 
own Pastor Cryston and Karen Josiah from the Central States Conference. They were able to share their tips, tools and testimonials of how to create lasting and meaningful marriages, along with remedies for how to recreate, re-energize, and reignite that flame for one another that sometimes can grow dim. Devotionals and workshops with names such as Marriage is Divine, Marriage is Forever, and Marriage is Love-centered were tremendous blessings to the attendees.
As a bonus, just being in the magnificent mountains of the Colorado Rockies felt like a foretaste of heaven. Waking up in the morning surrounded by the snow-capped mountains, and seeing the elk roaming freely around the grounds added a touch of nature and new beginnings that made the weekend even more refreshing. Of course, based on the time of year, it was a little colder than some may have preferred, especially since most of the participants were originally from warmer countries. However, the food, the fun, the fellowship and the family atmosphere made up for lower mountain-top temperatures.
We thank God that despite the odds that are seemingly stacked against marriage, that God is still keeping, sustaining and blessing many marriages to be joyful, happy and long-lasting.
The conference also wants to thank the Hispanic pastors in the Central States Conference for supporting this event by sacrificing their time, energies and efforts to promote and attend. Pastors Norris Custodio, Gregorio Aviles and their wives participated in the weekend activities, and Pastor Pedro Vargas was able to send many couples from his district.
