Z.E. and I grew up together as neighbors in a beautiful place called The Lord’s Land in Northern California. It was a large Christian community up the ridge from the ocean near the redwood forests. I was only 5 years old and he was 7 when we first met. My mother prayed that one day my husband would be like Z.E., and well, I married the real deal! He was the eldest of seven children, and she observed how dutifully he would watch over his siblings, perform tasks, and converse with adults effortlessly with honor and ease, quoting scripture from memory.

We saw each other again after many years as older teenagers, and our hearts ignited. We married in 1990 and have 5 wonderful grown children. We adore our kids, but we established early on the principle that there needs to be an “us” first and foundationally. One of the practical ways we have prioritized this is by having a couple of days just the two of us away from our daily surroundings every few to several months. These would be to a romantic bed and breakfast, an inn, or cottage (preferably in nature) where we could spend much-needed time together. We anticipated these regular times away and would affectionately call them our Winter, Spring, and Summer Beloveds in their respective seasons.

Sometimes it would only be for 24 hours, but it was a time where our attention was fully on one another. We would be able to talk about issues heavy on our hearts, laugh, pray, cry if needed, and most importantly, forgive when necessary. What a gift that was and is to have! Through all these many years with the “storms” and “droughts” that life has thrown our way, our times away of refreshing have been a way to see each other through “doves eyes” (meaning a singular focus of priority), which have been a saving grace, a shelter in the storms, and water to the soul of our marriage in times of “drought.” It seems the best things in life must be worked on, fought for, guarded, and nurtured if they are to be highly valued.

It is for this reason that we have created The Doves Haven. First and foremost, for our own family, but then as the Word of God says in Luke 6:31, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is our joy to provide times of renewing in getaways just like one of our favorite things to do ourselves!

-Joya Wotila