LAWAI — Tim and Lynn Mira aren’t in it to make money. They aren’t trying to convert people’s faiths. And they don’t want special recognition from the community. Which leaves some people wondering what their motivation is to host their
LAWAI — Tim and Lynn Mira aren’t in it to make money. They aren’t trying to convert people’s faiths. And they don’t want special recognition from the community.
Which leaves some people wondering what their motivation is to host their free quarterly Love and Respect classes designed to help open the lines of communication between men and women.
“Our drive is to try and save families,” Tim said. “I saw a lot of men who were breadwinners of the families who were being laid off. They spent more time with their wives and it was causing a lot of tension in the home, because they didn’t know how to communicate over long periods of time. One of the biggest things that would happen over family arguments is the kids would be the victims.”
Love and Respect is a six-week class featuring Emerson Eggerichs of Love and Respect Ministries. Each class the Miras host is an hour and a half, and they spend the time showing Eggerichs’ DVDs.
Tim has nicknamed the sessions the marriage class that all men like, because the couple’s top priorities is to create a comfortable, non-confrontational environment for people to watch the DVDs.
“You come there, we say hello, we turn the lights off and we play the DVD,” Lynn said. “We don’t discuss the DVD afterwards. We don’t share feelings. We want you to take the information and think about it on your own.”
After each class, Tim and Lynn make themselves available if people would like to speak to them individually.
“We have gone through our own trials and tribulations,” Lynn said. “But we’re not counselors, we’re coaches.”
The Miras have been married for 26 years and parents to two sons, 21 and 23.
They were introduced to Love and Respect by friends, and when they reached their 25th wedding anniversary in July of 2009, they decided to celebrate by inviting their friends, family and public to experience Love and Respect.
That marked the Mira’s first Love and Respect class. With an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from their friends and community, the Miras began hosting quarterly classes. The seventh seminar begins next Thursday at Kaua‘i Bible Church.
Love and Respect Ministries was founded by Eggerichs and focuses on male-female relationships. Eggerichs teaches that love and respect are the main ingredients for a successful marriage, reminding couples that their partner is “not wrong, just different.”
In the DVDs, Eggerichs is a charismatic, funny and easily understood.
His advice is practical, and although Love and Respect is Christian-based, it isn’t limited to those of the Christian faith or to married couples.
“It applies to any male-female relationship. It could be boyfriends and girlfriends, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, employers and employees,” Lynn said, “We have had widows come and be enlightened because you can still apply it to your grandchildren.”
“And don’t feel like you have to be in a troubled marriage either,” added Tim.
Even though the Miras have seen Love and Respect dozens of times, they still find Eggerichs’ teachings beneficial because of the tools and practical advice Eggerich offers.
“It’s like exercise,” Lynn said. “We keep practicing it, and it has really changed our lives.”
The first Love and Respect class begins 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, at Kaua‘i Bible Church in Omao. The classes will run for six weeks, and the Miras are willing to offer makeup classes if someone is unable to attend a viewing.
E-mail loveandrespectkauai@yahoo.com for more information.
