On June 23–26, a retreat for married couples took place at the Zhemchuzhina Adventist Sanatorium in the village of Zhendyk, Kazakhstan, thanks to which the participants could better understand the true purpose of the family.

By the grace of God, the weather was pleasant for the attendees, and the sky, which was overcast for some time, made it possible to spend more time in fellowship during joint walks. More than 50 people, families of different ages, representatives of families, and their young members united at this family camp. 

Each day began with exercises, which were very skillfully, cheerfully, and excitingly conducted by sister Elena, after which, cheerful visitors went to the morning devotional, which was conducted by Pastor Pavel Mezhenin, sharing good advice regarding the spiritual state of the family. “For children to be obedient to their mother, the mother must in turn be obedient to her husband, who is accountable to Christ. It is by seeing such a relationship that truly blessed family relationships are built.” This was one of the first lessons learned.

In the Adventist sanatorium, a wonderful table was laid three times a day with all kinds of dishes for every taste, and most importantly, the food best suited healthy habits. The afternoon and evening seminars were divided between two invited speakers, Vitaly Pilipenko and Sergey Kostash, ministry-minded brothers from the medical missionary movement who prepared spiritual seminars that revealed the issues of obedience to the Lord and the ability to hear His voice in the light of the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy. Those present had the opportunity to personally approach and talk with the speakers, asking personal questions.

The apex of the whole event was on Sabbath, when many brothers and sisters from neighboring communities were able to spiritually recharge and learn something new. On the last day of arrival, Kostash told what it means to leave spiritual Egypt and what laws apply in it, and Pilipenko assured those present that any marriage can become successful and blessed if two people intend to make the family happy with God's help.

Here are some testimonials from the workshops:

“We are very grateful to God for the opportunity to visit this wonderful sanatorium. We have made many important discoveries for ourselves about how to serve others and each other.”

“I am grateful to God that He teaches how to properly build family relationships, and this is an important matter that cannot be neglected. The speaker brothers gave us good food for thought; it remains only to start applying this knowledge in life.”

“What has become important to me is that, thanks to the nature and atmosphere of the meeting, you feel that God is very near, and He reveals to you what the purpose of your life is and how to serve people in the best way.”

It is encouraging to note that many delegates have made important decisions for themselves and their families. Our sister's husband decided to be baptized and dedicate his life to serving the Lord. Some people who didn't go to church before wanted to go to church all the time. Thank God!

Special thanks to the leaders of the enterprise and the sanatorium team."Zhemchuzhina"!