Testimonials
Personal Testimonies
Ricardo Monteiro
Film School Director
It’s been 4 years since I went through the worst time of my life. Today I came across some pics and remembered the day I was feeling so broken and so worried about my wife, my kids and our future. I will never forget how you walked with me in the cold night, listening to my brokenness.
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What a wild and painful journey it has been since that time. So many tears, so much pain, so many hours of “heart surgery” and humbling moments of opening up to close friends. The list goes on. I am not sure if I’ve said enough how much I appreciate you and the input you gave in helping me to navigate through the hardest time of my life. Things are still not quite as beautiful as I would like them to be. Some great friendships fell apart along the way, but I feel that I've done my best to see them restored and reconciled. I am in a great moment in my life with my family, living in a place that we love and helping others. So thankful for Restoring Connections.
Scott Berry
Freelance Filmmaker
It was quality time for my wife and I. We would put the kids to bed, sit on the couch and watch the course videos; it really brought us together. It was true and genuine content, deep and thought-provoking, not for the faint of heart. The homework was very soul-searching from the get-go.
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The intentionality and structure of the teaching was really positive for us. It unified us as we did the homework together as well. The inner-healing time with Cora was really beneficial, powerful and sensitive and resulted in a better understanding of myself.
Scott McCullock
Convener, Youth Pastors Network
Restoring Connections has been profoundly life-changing for me. I have avoided making many relational mistakes, experienced freedom from past hurts and burdens, and grew in my character and leadership. There has been no other mentoring so helpful in the development of my…
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connection with God and people. As a leader in a local church, relationships (with God and others) are foundational and pivotal to any success or fruitfulness. Restoring Connections has been a God-sent life saver in these areas. I have learnt how to earn trust, engage in healthy conflict, resolve unhealthy conflict, and create a safe place with good communication. I highly recommend Restoring Connections to everyone.
Maddison Ferris
Trainee, YWAM Ships
I first met Matt and Cora during a DTS with YWAM ships. I was blessed to have these two as our school leaders. I have learned and grown so much under their leadership and advice. They taught me how to be aware of my feelings, in happiness or sadness, and how to acknowledge them for what they are.
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How to set healthy, strong boundaries with the people in my life, so that I can guard and nurture my heart better.
The wonderful thing about Matt and Cora, to me, is they share with you all these beautiful ways to communicate with people and then if you spend any amount of time with them you will see that this way of communicating that they are talking about is exactly the way they live their lives. That is so encouraging to me, someone who is normally very passive, to see that this can be a way of living.
Matt and Cora’s ministry is an extension of how they have created their connections with God and the people around them. They choose love every time. Receiving that lesson from them has been life changing for me and my relationships.
Gabriel Boucher
Film School Director
The Restoring Connections course is one of the best courses I have ever done. The format lends itself to in-depth reflection and profound transformation like very few things I have experienced. Matt & Cora’s wisdom, combined with genuine storytelling and encouragement, make for a powerful…
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experience that will impact and release you in new ways.
Kayla Norris
Communications Consultant
Restoring Connections is the real deal. I’ve had coaching sessions over the last five years, and it’s changed everything for me. After processing big decisions or relational issues with them, I come out more self-aware, understanding of those around me, and clear on my next steps. I’ve also had the privilege to see the…
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founders practise what they preach in the way they treat each other and their family. I’m beyond honoured to know them, and couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Alissa Smith
Missions Project Facilitator
If there’s anything I know of Matt and Cora, It’s their passion and desire for equipping, empowering, and releasing others. I personally have experienced this and benefited from these incredible people and the way they love, give, and do life.
Liz Goodgame
Hideaway Point
Matt and Cora possess a depth of experience and insight that is truly unique - but the real beauty of their gift is the way they have collected and organised that wisdom for the benefit of others. They approach complicated issues with a humble simplicity that makes the challenge of…
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relational growth easier to manage. I love their hopeful optimism and creative content - three cheers for restoring connections!
Annemarie Gayton
Director, School of Jewish Studies, NZ
After being in ministry for around 10 years, I had hit the wall. I was done, burnt out by unhealthy ministry relationships and feeling blocked from being released to what I was called into. I reached out to Matthew and Cora as my last attempt to stay in ministry: to not quit…
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and head a completely different direction. My husband and I were able to process this disheartening time, and start on the journey to healing in our ministry relationships. We now feel like we are able to remain in healthy, authentic, loving, relationships with boundaries. We feel strong and released into what we are called to do.
Team Testimonies
Chapman College
Principal
Matt and Cora brought a ‘kete’ of rich knowledge and expertise, authentic practice, excellent relational skills, flexibility, and a genuinely willing heart to strengthen us as individuals and as a team. They were attentive and responsive to each individual valuing our comments….
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They set a very safe and trusting context to share and grow together. Over a period of eight consecutive weeks, we spent 1 and a half to 2 hours after school covering the following topics: ‘Personal responsibility, Proactive care; Powerful Communication and Healthy Boundaries. What was striking was how directly our learning transferred to our own families, our classrooms, and with whānau as we are in contact with colleagues, ākonga/students and their whānau/families daily. On several occasions, we’d find ourselves sharing some of our learning with whānau who were seeking to grow their tamariki. At the heart of effective education, which has been extensively researched, is ‘relationship’, and relationships which are holistic and healthy, allow all involved to thrive.
Changepoint Early Learning
Former Manager
Matt and Cora have run two, one-day workshops for us based around their Restoring Connections course content that they tailored to our unique team and organisation. Right from the first meeting Matt and Cora were warm, welcoming and supportive.They worked hard to listen to…
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me and really hear what the need was for our team, team culture and this season at the Early Learning Centre (ELC). They came alongside myself as the manager and when they provided the actual course content to the team it was impactful, meaningful and incredibly helpful. The team they have were clear communicators, working hard to support us to access the course to the fullest potential, making sure we clearly understood what was required of us. We completely endorse this programme to help organisations to work in robust, meaningful and connected ways. This is a course that I will be recommending to many to support their workplaces to operate at their full potential.
Capes Medical
Team Leader
I have really enjoyed the Restoring Connections Team Mentoring workshops that Matt and Cora have provided for us. I have learnt that in challenging relational situations I can be kind to myself while also being kind to the other person, because their needs matter, and my needs matter too..
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I have also been able to use this in my home life, which shows how valuable the sessions are.
YWAM Zion
Training Coordinator
Restoring Connections gave tools and support tailored to a variety of our needs and brought effective, clear, and practical steps for our specific team engagement. Highly recommended!
“I just want to let you know that time spent with you has transformed my work life!
I can’t thank you enough. I understand my colleagues so much better now. I get less frustrated, and am more focused on what I need to do to support the team so we can achieve more.”