There was a season in our marriage when all we seemed to do was argue. We’d turn toward each other with unmet expectations, frustration, and exhaustion. And even when we weren’t fighting, we felt stuck—like all the momentum in our relationship had been swallowed by the chaos of life.

But something shifted when we stopped only looking at each other and started looking out together.

When we found a mission to serve, everything changed.

Serving together with Francis + Benedict—a calling that started as a one-time trip to West Africa and grew into a 10-year journey of providing dignified work and generational hope—has reshaped our marriage. It’s one thing to pray together or go on date nights (and we’re all for those). But standing side-by-side, hands and hearts aligned for something greater than ourselves? That gave our marriage fresh purpose.

This week, we’re hosting our 10-Year Giving Gala. It’s a celebration of what God has done—but it’s also an invitation.

An invitation to join us.

An invitation to shift your own marriage from face-to-face conflict to side-by-side mission.

You don’t have to start a nonprofit or move across the world. Maybe it starts with holding hands while you greet people at the front door of your church. Maybe it looks like volunteering together at a local shelter, mentoring a younger couple, or praying for someone in your community who’s struggling.

Serving shifts things. It softens hearts. It resets perspective. It reminds you both that your marriage was never meant to be a cul-de-sac of comfort—it was meant to be a conduit of Kingdom.

So here’s your invitation:

• If you want to give to Francis + Benedict and become part of the mission to bring hope to the hopeless in Togo, West Africa, you can do so at givefrancisandbenedict.com.
• If you’re not sure where to start, try saying yes to one small act of service this week—together.

Your marriage wasn’t just meant to survive. It was meant to make a difference.