Edwin and Victoria Misigaro were married on December 31st, 1978 at Kinondoni Revival Church, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The journey travelled by these two lover-birds has not always been easy. Even though both were born again and full of the Spirit of Christ, yet they had many challenges, heartaches and few victories here and there. Later after five years of their marriages, they learned something from the Bible, which is so significant for every marriage. The couple learned instead of yelling and blaming each other, like Adam blamed God in Genesis 3:12, one should forgive. From the beginning of time in Genesis, the devil attacked the first couple (Genesis 3). That is devil’s number one strategy to mess up every marriage before He gets, to the children, ministry or nation. If any couple can win this battle of defeating the Devil from messing their marriage, that will be the victory for their future as well. Edwin and Victoria learned that early on marriage is a lot of work. Therefore, about 10 years ago, they encouraged themselves in the Lord, to get together other couples to learn how God desires to heal their marriages. With God’s help the couple started marriage conferences better known as “MaranathaCovenant Conferences.”Since, 2010 the couple took this role seriously and invited every couple who wanted to come to the first conference that took place in Peoria Illinois. The Misigaros’ are so thankful to God, for the last nine years(except one) these covenant conferences are happening one weekend in April of every year. .
Why is this couple so big on “forgiveness” in marriages? Before the Misigaros’ married, Edwin and Victoria discussed their painful background experiences. Both sets of this couple’sparents were polygamist. The headache of growing from parents who had such marriages is similar to what Jacob had with Leah and Rachel (Genesis chapters 35-38). The siblings envy and rivalry each other too much. Then the fathers in such marriages became inactive in areas of disciplining and directing correctly their children, especially their sons. That was the case from both Daniel Misigaro, (the father of Edwin) and Elly Mwakatobe (the father of Victoria Mwakatobe). In addition, somehow,fathers and mothers of polygamous families carry some shame and guilt, and at times,they will apologize to their children with no substantial reasons. At times, one wife in such polygamous marriages will favor her own children against the others children of the other wife. Victoria and Edwin faced those siblings favoritism in their upbringing.
What was Edwin and Victoria’s decision on their children rearing and upbringing? In the process of their courting the coupleddetermined that there will be no divorce in their marriage. That was because: 1. The Misigaros’learned from the Bible that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Edwin and Victoria early before their weddingday,prayed together and sealed that statement in their hearts to not mess with something God hates-divorce. 2. The Misigaros’ did not want their children to experience an envy, hatred and completion between each other if they were to divorce and remarry. As believers in Jesus Christ, Misigaro’ knew that polygamy will not be a question in their marriage, but a divorce could happen. The couple even joked that, “we would rather kill each other than divorce.” By the grace of God, Misigaros’ emphasis of praying for each other, loving each other and forgiving each other has worked for them. By the grace of God, December, 31st, 2018, they celebrated 40 years of their marriage. The Misigaros, will be the first to tell any couple that, marriage is hard work so it cannot be successful without involving God fully. In these days of the 21st Century, marriages need equal participation of each spouse. Pastors and their spouses are not exceptional from the attacks of the enemy. As matter of fact, ministers are probably the numberones target the enemy (Devil)would like to see their marriages messed up and destroyed, so He(the Devil) can weaken and kill their marriages, children and ministries. The cry of the Misigaros’ is, “Ooh Lord by Your mercy and grace, help, heal and protect pastors marriages. Amen.”
Finally, when Pastors marriage are healed or are healthy they affect and help to transforms many other marriages. The ministry of a pastor is first, him or her and God, then is him or her and her spouse and finally is him or her and her children before ministry and anyone else. We have testimonies of pastors who are busy working to save other people’s marriages while their own is perishing. The cry is for God in His mercy to REVIVE our marriages.