June 2012 Update

Hi dear friends...

That’s what spring has looked like this year.  So much rain.  But we’ve hardly been home...so really only Henri and Fred (our dogs) have suffered!  They are California dogs...and hate the rain!



We have just wrapped up a long marriage conference season which runs from September to June...with a nice hiatus in December to mid-January and which takes us coast to coast across Canada.

Neil and I speak at all our weekend conferences and many of our day events (as many as we can fit in!).  We aren’t sure if we’ll continue to do that forever....but for now, we think it’s the best way to connect with couples personally, grow this ministry, and for us to use our gifts to do what we think God has called us to do.

We are so grateful to you for enabling us to live out that calling.  Your financial and prayer support makes it possible. 

I wish each one of you could come to a conference and hear the stories of reconciliation (like Gordon and Andrea’s on the next page), receive the  tearful thank-yous, see the grateful smiles and read the comments (I’ve attached a few on the next page) we get  after the conferences because this truly is your ministry too.

4 other highlights...

1.   We are launching FamilyLife in Quebec.  Primarily French-speaking, it is the province of Canada with the highest divorce rate, highest co-habitation, single parents and the highest rate of suicide and child poverty.
It’s almost entirely non-Christian.  But we feel called to offer help for families in Quebec and the hope of Jesus Christ.  Please pray for opened doors.

 2. We are developing a partnership with First Nations leaders (in the U.S. this people group is referred to as American Indians).  They tell us families in their communities are in desperate shape.

3. We sent a team to China where over a thousand couples attended our conferences and dozens of leaders were trained.  If we can raise the funds, the same team will be back in September.

4. We held our first ever FamilyLife Canada Donor weekend.  (You provide for us to lead the ministry...but we also have to raise $400,000 a year to run the ministry)  God answered our prayers.   25 couples attended and we met our goal of $200,000.   We were humbled and so, so grateful.




On the personal front, we are still married...a good thing given what we do.   And we think we’re figuring out how to work together.  Most of the time.  :)  Truth be told, we love each other more every day and are so grateful for the gift of our marriage and our family.

We are reveling in the proximity to our kids and our beautiful grandson, Cooper.  He is almost 20 months old - running around, throwing balls and babbling like a true Josephson.   His first words:  “Cat” (they have one).  “Ball” (because throwing them is his favourite thing in the world) . “Catch” (because that’s his second favourite thing).  And “Giraffe” (because we have so many of them in Canada :) 

We are still renting (from family) our great little house in White Rock so we have room for guests.  At least 5 of you are coming this summer...and we can’t wait to see you!  The rest of you are also welcome...anytime.  We are near the ocean and when it’s not raining...it’s absolutely beautiful! 

We continue to thank God for you and pray for you every day.  As you head into summer travels and vacations, we will be praying for safety, rest and for the making of many happy family memories.

We promise to get better at staying in touch and we will try to update by blog more often this summer.


Thank you for everything.



With gratitude,


Neil and Sharol