Several police officers and their spouses got their first glimpse of Alaska during the Marriage Resiliency Retreat. The weeklong retreat is designed to help law enforcement officers—who have been injured or in an officer-involved shooting—strengthen their marriages and their relationship with God. Here, officers and their spouses pose after participating in the polar plunge, meaning a jump into the freezing cold Mystic Lake.
Much of the week is about navigating teamwork—and often, couples decide to recommit their lives to each other with a vow renewal ceremony before the end of the retreat.
Eight couples participated in the first two weeks of this year's summer retreats. The couples attended classes aimed at helping their marriages with Biblical teaching and counsel, and discussed how to overcome the unique challenges law enforcement families face. On-site crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team provided encouragement and counsel as needed.
It's a summer highlight for Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, to meet the brave men and women who protect our country. "May God bless our men and women in blue," Franklin Graham later posted on social media.
The stress-free environment opens up new conversations and perspectives that can be difficult to have in a busy life back home. Will you pray for the marriages of the officers and spouses at the retreat this summer?
