Deacon Bob and Lisa Reinkemeyer met at University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) and were married in 1986. Bob’s work moved to Sedalia in 2000, so they bought a small hobby farm and joined the Tipton Parish. They have six boys (yes – all boys!) and two in heaven (miscarriages).  After one miscarriage, they were blessed with two successive pregnancies, and it was then that they decided to embrace CCL’s sympto-thermal method over the Billings and barrier methods. “We were strongly challenged to do this by our devotion to Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and his teachings on marital love.” They were then able to space their children 3-4 years apart. Under the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the intercession of Padre Pio and St Gianna, and assistance from a Creighton counselor, Lisa was able to give birth to their last two sons, even after doctors advised the use of contraception. “All of the boys have been such a blessing, each unique and a real joy.”

The drive to faithfully live the teachings of the Church led them to devote many years to parish faith formation, and more recently to the call of the diaconate and the role as a CCL teaching couple. With the three oldest active in their life’s vocations and the youngest a teenager, the soon-to-be empty-nesters said they are looking forward to completing their CCL certification and “helping to broaden the awareness of NFP and importance of marriage preparation throughout the local church. We think NFP is the cornerstone of every good marriage based on the love of Christ.”

Lisa and Bob have much personal experience and wisdom to offer couples. Together, they have faced many challenges, from child-rearing to medical complications, including menopause, cystitis, endometriosis, and severe fibroids. “We want couples to know that there is joy and hope! Pharmaceuticals are not necessarily the first or best solution. CCL is a perfect tool for couples to ‘know’ each other in the biblical sense, the fullest sense of the Word and Covenant. ‘Here I am to know, to love, to serve. I am yours, you are mine, unconditionally.'” They firmly believe that this spirituality is the core truth for every vocation. The spiritual basis of CCL drew them to the method, and the sympto-thermal charting helped them recognize the physical aspects, leading them toward better health. “It is an especially good supplement for those young women or married couples that experience reproductive difficulties along the way.” They look forward to the day when all women are encouraged by their physicians to use NFP in helping them obtain true reproductive health, rather than contraceptives which damage the body and society. “We are hopeful that more couples will commit to simpler, more natural lifestyles. Science and faith, morality and logic embrace the true meaning of covenant love in NFP.”

We both attended Benedicitine College and graduated in 2007. We are both still very proud of our alma mater – Go Ravens! Mark got a BA in Religious Studies and played football, and I majored in Religious Studies, Youth Ministry, and Psychology. It was at Benedictine that we discovered NFP, were introduced to the CCL, and began our family. We have been committed to the CCL ever since. After graduating, we moved to Jefferson City with our oldest child, William. In six short years we welcomed Ava, Olivia, an Isabella into our lives. Life is chaotic at times, but always full of faith, family, and fun.