Hi! We are Collin & Hailey, and we want to share with you the story of how Great Marriages saved our marriage.
After years of dating, we had our first son in 2020 and got married in September of 2021. Six months into marriage, we were asking ourselves, “Why are we still doing this?” We felt like we had tried everything to improve our marriage, and we believed that nothing was working. Our marriage was in trouble, and eventually I (Hailey) said that I wanted to get a divorce.
Shortly thereafter, we heard a presentation at Word of Grace Church from Great Marriages. The presentation struck a chord, and we both felt it described us exactly. Great Marriages was something we hadn’t yet tried for our marriage, and we thought, “Why not give it a shot? What could it hurt?” We started mentoring in Summer of 2022 and quickly became close to our mentors, Steve & Laura. We started working on the skills taught in the mentoring sessions and doing our homework. Soon enough, we had hope.
We learned that communication is key and that so much changes when we start communicating with one another. Open communication ensures that what we are saying is what the other person is actually hearing and understanding.
After months of mentoring and a steady commitment to improving our marriage, we felt a newfound strength. Now, we are closer than ever and we love each other more than before, in a different but stronger way. We don’t talk about “The D Word” (divorce) anymore, and we are equipped with the skills to work through any challenges we face.
In December of 2023, we welcomed our daughter into the world, six weeks early. We had each other to lean on in the hard times, and were able to continue using the skills learned in mentoring to keep growing together.
We always find time to go on dates (even if it means staying home) to enjoy the company of just the two of us. We are really prioritizing our marriage and each other and it has brought us much closer together.
Great Marriages has helped us find so much more meaning to the words "I love you" and we still don't say the "D" word! We cannot thank Great Marriages enough for giving us the opportunity to go through the mentoring program, it truly changed everything for us in the GREATest possible way.
Great Marriages’ year-end goal is to raise $25,000.
Would you consider a donation toward this goal so other marriages can experience the growth we have?
YOU can help us teach singles and dating, engaged, or married couples how to have successful relationships.
Successful relationships take time and effort, and our goal is to reach everyone in Sheboygan County with our vision that they can have a vibrant, strong, joyful, life-long marriage. Will you continue to help us accomplish this goal by donating today?
It may not be glamorous, but we have need for everyday items in the office! Your donation of these items will help lighten the burden and make life a little easier for our staff!
Here’s what a few couples have said about Great Marriages!
We have been together 34 years and have never explored our love languages. We like to learn how to improve our lives, and Great Marriages helped us do just that.
Our mentor couple was so kind and compassionate and helped us see our differences clearly and how to work on being more positive. Thank you!
I love how Great Marriages taught us to communicate better with each other. This last weekend, in fact, we had a bit of a car ride; a perfect opportunity to increase our intimacy in conversation. Unsure how to start, I prayed in advance of our trip and wouldn't you know, we had a very deep, honest conversation for part of our trip!
