Golnar is from a very small, remote village in Iran.

She and her husband were among twelve couples who recently took part in the launch of a new marriage course specially designed for the Iranian church.

At the end of the course, Golnar shared, "When I was young, each winter we would help my dad fix the mud walls of our house. We'd fill in the cracks to keep out the cold. Now my husband and I know that - just as repairing our walls each year was needed - we need to be consistently working on and investing in our marriage, filling in any cracks."

We were so encouraged to see - in Golnar's example as well as others - what we had been praying for: the Lord working through the course to enrich marriages.

Our marriage course - which is inspired by the popular Marriage Course created by Alpha International* - is not designed for marriages in crisis. Rather, it creates space for ordinary couples to engage in deep, private conversation and practical exercises on key topics, to help them grow closer and increasingly thrive together.

And the most exciting thing? This first course was just the beginning.

Three of the 12 couples were trained as facilitators so that the course can be rolled out to bless and help many more couples. Last week, two marriage courses were held by churches in the Iran region and there are many more in the pipeline.

Thank you for standing with us as we minister to couples like Golnar and her husband. We'd be so thankful if you'd join with us in prayer. Pray that:

• The course would be used by churches across the Iran region and beyond

• Couples and their children will increasingly thrive as a result

• The church will grow as a beacon of hope in the region

* Our thanks to Alpha International for their collaboration. Golnar is a pseudonym.