Restoring Unity and Joy in marriage counselling workshop in Botswana

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Life can get in the way of creating and maintaining a united and joyful marriage. It was with this understanding that eight couples in the Botswana International Church of Christ, participated in a workshop to improve their marriage counselling skills.

(Top, from left to right: Mogotsi and Audrey Mmutle, Moageledi and Ntokozo Monamati, Justin and Keamogetse Setlhare.

Middle, left to right: Bruce and Peggy Obusitse, Rapula and Kedibonye Malejane, Koorileng and Morwalela Kesalopa

Bottom, left to right: Kagiso and Tshegofatso Dichi, Tebogo and Theriso Matebesi, Lame and Olebogeng Gare)

The Restoring Unity and Joy In Marriage workshop was created by Mike and Daphne Renton who are members of the Cape Town Church of Christ. The Rentons used the book, I Choose Us by John and Karen Louis (leaders in the South-East Asia region of churches), as a resource because of its emphasis on self-discovery through the schema therapy concept.

Rapula and Kedibonye Malejane, who lead the Botswana International Church of Christ, were trained by the Rentons to facilitate counsellor training. The eight couples had an induction session in November 2018 and the actual training took place over the weekend of March 8-10.

The feedback from the couples who were trained was amazing. They reported that the counselling gave them opportunities to learn new skills, and to identify and find solutions to mistakes they had become accustomed to making. Some said that the real life counselling scenarios gave them opportunities to get learn and see where the issues in their own marriages lie.

This is what some said:

"It gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own marriage. I learnt that situations that came as problems in my marriage are a result of my upbringing and an unresolved past."

"The material is an eye opener for me. It made me reflect on my past counselling sessions, prior mistakes were identified and I welcome the way forward on how to deal with similar issues in the future."

"Saving my marriage is very important to me, the skills attained will go a long way in achieving that."

"It helped me see my weaknesses in counselling, for example, taking sides."

The workshop was very timely and two couples in the community are already getting help in restoring joy and unity in their marriages, while three other couples have also signed up.

Government statistics for 2017 recorded 170 divorces between the period of January to September, an average of 19 per month, and that is cause for concern in a country with a population of just over 2,2 million people.

Please pray that more marriages in Gaborone and the rest of Botswana can profit from the counselling skills of these eight couples.

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