Ester & Jirka Málek

My name is Ester. My husband, Jirka, and I met at a Kostel Jinak conference. I liked how brave and open he was when he spoke about Jesus. He thought I was beautiful and courageous as well. We dated 10 months and have been married five years. We have two sweet daughters, Amalka and Esterka. While I enjoy cooking and working in the garden, Jirka likes running, motorcycling and leading a business. Together, we love raising chickens at our countryside home.

Jirka and I struggled in our marriage right from the beginning. There was extra pressure when I suffered difficult pregnancies and our babies cried a lot. Mainly the struggle was because Jirka and I were both selfish. We had a lot of bitterness in our hearts. Looking back, we each wanted our own way, causing us to argue about money, sex, family, children and church.

Kostel Jinak was aware of our struggles and people prayed for us. They tried to help us through our issues, but this was the first time our church had dealt with this kind of marital hardship. So, the leadership connected us to a counselor from a different church.

Our experiences have equipped us to encourage others walking through similar situations.

The counselor led us to focus on foundational questions about God’s purpose for our lives. He challenged us to forgive and love in God’s power, recognizing our tendency toward idolatry. Our sessions included intensive homework, reading, scripture memorization and journaling. We received a prayer plan and instruction to go on dates without our children.

Bible reading and prayer turned into a daily habit that became life-changing for me. The truth in 1 Corinthians 10:31 gave me power to love and forgive. It was a reminder that all I do should glorify God. Together, Jirka and I learned about communicating what we’re thinking and asking for forgiveness. We’re continuing to work on all this.

We’re learning to deal with problems in biblical ways. We want our girls to see the impact of the gospel. It’s important that they learn the seriousness of sin as well as God’s unconditional love. Our experiences have equipped us to encourage others walking through similar situations. We’re at a point of actually enjoying opportunities to share how God has transformed us and our relationship. Jirka is even planning to go to seminary to learn more about counseling!

Whatever trials are ahead, we have hope, joy and God’s power. We believe He knows what’s best for us and that makes all the difference (Romans 8:28).

What About Your Marriage?

We’re so thankful for the Kostel partnership and all God teaches us through one another. Pray for strengthened marriages both there and at New Hope Church. If your marriage is in a difficult season, contact Marriage Ministry at 763-536-3240 to learn more about the resources available at New Hope Church.

Get Involved

Global Ministries and hundreds of volunteers a year take on a wide variety of ministry, support and objectives in reaching people for Christ all around the world. Whether it’s married couples sharing their experience with new believers, helping people recover from storm damage or offering business strategy to support ministry, there are countless ways to get involved.

Are you called to pray for a ministry partner in another country or give generously to ensure students get a taste of overseas service? Perhaps your background and interests apply uniquely to NHC global strategies. Contact Global Ministries to discuss the possibilities.

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