I know you've been in situations like that before.  Someone says something.  Someone else adds a comment.  Third person says another something.  And soon out tumbles something you've never heard before.  And it absolutely takes your breath away.

Today was one of those days.  He's not even our favorite taxi man.  Our favorite was busy.  So was number two.  We moved on down the list to number three.  He was available.  So in God's wonderful plan, our number three was His number one choice for us from nine a.m. until 5 p.m.  And we were blessed beyond description.

Turns out his church does something we've never, ever heard of before.  When a couple announces to the pastor that they want to get married, he puts them in what they call "The College of Marriage."  For five months!  Once a week.  The couple, the pastor, the other pastor if either he or she comes from a different church, and some of the trained elders. Once a week they sit down together and discuss one aspect of marriage after the other.  They start with salvation.  "Tell us how you came to know the Lord?"  "How did it happen?"  "How do you know you are really a child of God?"  "How would you share the plan of salvation with another person?"  And on and on it goes.  Often there is homework.  "Go home and each of you write out how you feel about children."  "How many do you want to have?"  "Should the wife work after the children arrive?"  "How will the children be disciplined?"  Etc., etc., etc.  Everything, absolutely everything is based on the Word of God.  If an answer cannot be found in scripture, they don't start making things up out of thin air.

After five months, approximately twenty meetings, endless soul searching, and honest writing down ones feelings on a wide variety of subjects, the couple is finally declared ready for marriage.  Their graduation ceremony from the College of Marriage is their wedding ceremony.  But the door is left wide open for them to come back every time they hit a snag in their relationship.  The goal is to establish solid, God fearing couples, who work together in this thing called marriage for the rest of their lives.  

How does this work in the real world where we all live, work, and play?  Our friend, who himself graduated into marriage just a year ago, reports that he and his wife have been tremendously blessed and helped by all they learned ahead of time.  And there is no shame in him taking his wife by the hand and bringing her back to the  College of Marriage for a refresher course on this or that problem they are dealing with.  They feel loved, valued, protected, and blessed beyond measure.  And they feel that it really is possible for their marriage to last a lifetime.  He reports that none of the couples who have gone through this intensive training course have ended up in the divorce courts.  None have separated.  None regret having married the other.  But many (in fact, he claims all) have gone back to the College of Marriage for help with little bumps in the road.  Sometimes they let the bumps grow large before they wisely seek help.  But all of them do so, sooner or later.  And all profit from the wise and godly, Bible based counsel they receive.

What an amazing model this is for all churches all over the world.  And here we thought we came out here to Cameroon as missionaries because we had something to offer.  More often than not, it is they who are teaching us.  And we are blessed beyond measure.