On November 5th couples from all over the country each made the long trek to Lake Geneva Wisconsin, hauled large suitcases out of their vehicles, and approached the desk of the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa for check in. They began their 3 day long journey at the 2025 Heartlife Marriage Getaway that would change their lives and their marriages forever.
Heartlife Ministries
Headed by Pastors Wes & Neesha Stringfellow a couple that has been married since 1988, Heartlife minstries began the annual marriage getaway 16 years ago. Back then, it wasn't the massive event drawing over 150 couples yearly at Lake Geneva that it is now. No, back then, it was a small local community of people that Pastors Wes and Neesha noticed were getting divorced more and more. Out of love and concern, they started to do something about it.
A Marriage Bootcamp which Evolved into Something More
It started out as a marriage bootcamp. Pastors Wes and Neesha would walk couples through healing and forgiveness, using biblical principles and christian consueling. As the years went by, God expanded their ministry and more and more couples came to what was then an annual marriage getaway event. Over the years, the getaway evolved and changed to meet the couples' needs, and to address the issues that they were dealing with. Pastors Wes and Neesha saved countless marriages thanks to their focus on being led by the Spirit.
The First and Second Days
With proximity to Chicago, the Lake Geneva resort & spa, in Lake Geneva Wisconsin, was the perfect place to house the marriage getaway. The 4 star hotel, which features an indoor pool, jazz lounge, and spa, is the perfect place for couples to unwind inbetween the daily sessions and forums of the getaway, or get a little fancy from time to time! The first day of our retreat we spent in prayer and worship to God, then the next day, a session called the Circle of Trust took place. This was an intimate safe space where couples shared their own journey and personal testimonies. The session was broken out into two panels, one with a panel of Women leaders that would be asked questions by the men, and a panel of Men leaders that would be asked questions by the women. Eventually the male panel returned to the men's room and were asked questions by the men and vice versa. This gave a valueable perspective and insight into how the differences of men and women affect marraiges. The second session was an intimacy workshop, exploring how couples can reignite intimacy in their marriage in more ways than just physical. Next, we had some freetime, which we spent at the indoor water park that was conjoined to the hotel that we were staying at. We went on the lazy river, a slide that takes you down in an inflatable raft, and a jaquzzi that would take you outside in the brisk winter air. We returned after the evening was over to an optional heart work session. Here, the pastors of our church, who were actually relatives of Pastors Wes and Neesha, had their own workshop for what they called "Heartwork". Pastors Shanna & Neal then discussed how to let go of trauma and bad memories, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to do an inner work on your heart for personal healing and deliverance. Needless to say, God was able to attend to our individual needs and we did the heart work that was neccesary. Then to close out the night, we attended a first timer's reception, a forum for first time goers of the getaway, where they picked couples to sit across from each other and answer questions about each other like, "Does your spouse prefer chicken wings or pizza?". The couple that was able to answer the most questions about each other correctly won a prize.
Tropical Island Night
Finally to close out Friday, possibly the most jam packed day of the whole getaway, it was a tropical island night. We all came dressed in tropical clothing, and competed in an epic game. Each table was given a set of supplies, a pineapple, various fruits, skewers, a knife and was tasked with making the best possible edible arrangement. Many couples made a pineapple with a smiley face, more creative ideas were made such as the pineapple being a boat, and the grapes were castaways, and lastly, some tried to make the arrangement look prettier, such as a floral design. Everybody voted for who was the best looking arangement.
Jam Packed Saturday!
On Saturday, the conclusion of the getaway, we started the day with a breakfast at the Chop House, which is Grand Genevas own hotel restaraunt. They served buffet style, eggs, sasuages, coffee, and fruit. The view that we saw outside of the window style walls to our left was beautiful. It was an orange and brown fall expanse of trees surrounded by a quaint lake, Lake Geneva. A golf course could be seen, and a walkway with park benches. Grand Geneva certainly had a vacation destination to accompany the luxury style resort. The meat of the getaway so to speak was in the forum. We attended a forum in the basement of the Grand Geneva (the spiral staircases and long hallways seemed endless, and within in the same building, we walked nearly 10 minutes!) called Main Sessions, with guest speakers being various pastors such as: Pastors Reggie & London Royal, Hasani & Danielle Pettiford and Pastors David and Niki Winston (who had a talk about intimacy in marriage, and their colorful euphemisms had everybody talking about 'sandwiches').
The Phoenix Awards
Every good story has a climax, and for the marriage getaway, this was certainly it. The evening of Saturday started with an "orange carpet reception". The hallway of the forum room was decorated with a red carpet for the couples to walk down. Everybody was dressed in fancy suits, dresses and tuxedos. As the couples poured into the room, a professional photographer took photos of them as if they were celebrities. A tasteful duo of saxophone players serenaded the guests with a quaint ambience. The couples were then let into the forum hall. A fancy set of tables adorned with napkins and chairs with dainty covers dotted the room, reminiscent of a fancy wedding reception hall. Goblets of ice water, a large glass vase with decorative flowers greeted each guest as they sat at the table. But in the middle of the room was a long table, almost a "guests of honor" style position, in the middle of the room. Who were these married couples and why did they sit at a special table? Without further ado, the tables were, one by one, released to go get plates of food. A special dinner of steaks, salmon, brussel sprouts, dinner rolls, and the most delicious strawberry short cake you've ever tasted. Once the diners had had their fill of fine dining, a married couple took the stage. The Phoenix Awards, an award given to couples who endured hardships and "rose from the ashes" like a phoenix were about to be announced. Each couple from the special table was called one by one to give their personal testimonies. Pastors Hasani & Danielle Pettiford regaled us with a shocking tale. One day, Hasani Pettiford scheduled a routine roof inspection of his house. This home, was the gathering place and living space for their family, but also, a base of operations for their ministry work. As Hasani typed busily away on his computer, hoping to get some work done while the roof guy did his routine inspection, he heard a banging on his door. Before he knew it, he could no longer ignore the sound. So he went to check the front door. It was the roof guy. He was practically beating the door down! "YOUR ROOF IS ON FIRE! GET OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW!". Hasani and Danielle never did find out what caused this fire, but if it were not for the roof inspection, they may not have lived to tell the tale. Fires roared throughout the whole house. And the fire department was practically hopeless to stop it. They controlled the fire and eventually exstinguished the roaring flames. But they were too late. They were unable to stop the devastating damage that practically destroyed their beautiful cottage. Pastors Hasani and Danielle Pettiford embodied what the Phoenix award was truly about, in a literal sense. According to Isaiah chapter 61, they were able to trade their ashes for beauty, and God restored them.
Line Dancin'
We ended the night by attempting to learn how to line dance for the first time. The lady on stage walked us through all the steps, and as soon as we got them down, she played a song that, despite being on slower side, combined all the movements at once in a way that was just too much for most couples to handle. By the end of the night, some couples were masterfully spinning and weaving with their spouses in a romantic dance of love.
Conclusion
As the marriage get away drew to a close, we pondered what we had learned from the whole experience. God healed us in many ways, we grew, and learned new things about each other. Our marraige became new and fresh, and we decided to do things differently moving forward. Pastors Wes & Neesha, through the power of God, were able to bless hundreds of married couples in a special and unique way, in just a few short days. Next year, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will be back for more. And this time, I think we will have the line dance down!
Photos / Fotos
