We first met Phil and Eva Rees in the fall of 2005 through a counselor from our church.  My husband and I were in our eigth year of a dysfunctional marriage and this was our fourth marriage counselor.  Phil and Eva were introduced to us as "life coaches" who would support us outside of counseling via friendship, guidance and accountability.

At this point in our marriage, we were angry, hopeless and frustrated.  We would descend to the point of separation and a divorce lawyer being retained.  We knew that we could not surmount our problems ourselves.  We were both seeking God and a new approach to life, which would enable us to be whole individuals and, perhaps, successful in our marriage.  Through a period spanning about two years, Phil and Eva guided our growth as Christians and as spouses to a new beginning in our marriage.  

Phil and Eva never surrendered to defeat in their time and/or effort.  We presented them with a wide range of negative feelings - sullen silence, hopeless apathy, resignation.  Throughout, they remained committed, professional, loving.  If were were at a roadblock, they suggested a new approach (simple, weekly goals), a new setting (our homes, restaurants, our church), a new plan in which to work to save our marriage.  They guided us through sharing personal experiences, reading and employing Christian marraige guides, assisting in formulating a household budget to deal with money issues and prayer.  They encouraged us toward forgiveness and in building a cohesive marriage that included God.  Eva and I met regularly in person, conversed by telephone and had frequent conversations via email.  After counseling sessions, I would be emotionally spent and accepting of our failures.  Eva would present what transpired as a step forward in what appeared to me to be an impossible goal.  Eva guided me in becoming the whole and focused person I needed to be in order for a successful marriage.  She worked with me to achieve forgiveness of my husband and of myself.

Our marriage is now healed and our family is whole.  My life is filled with joy, blessings and beauty.  Without Phil and Eva as life coaches, we would not have succeeded.  I remain amazed at their patience, fortitude and positivity.  Upon first meeting, I had little faith that a couple we did not know could affect who we were and how we functioned.  They proved to be instrumental in the lives of my family through their coaching until we reached our goal of a loving, forgiving Christian marriage.