The retreat is for law enforcement officers and their spouses who have endured job-related trauma. This year, BGEA hosted six weeks of retreats for couples at Mystic Lake Lodge in remote Alaska, where hiking, boating, fishing and spiritual enrichment in sessions led by former law enforcement officers create an atmosphere of trust, camaraderie and healing. For the Balls, who joined three other couples with similar journeys, the week turned out to be a pivot point.
J. Warner Wallace, a retired Los Angeles cold-case detective and Christian apologist who helps lead the retreats, said the week is tailored for the unique challenges officers face.
“At this incredible retreat in Alaska, the setting itself helps break down barriers—when you’re surrounded by God’s creation and away from the noise, it’s easier to be honest about the struggles and trauma we carry. In that process, I’ve watched the Holy Spirit do what few programs or strategies can: move in the hearts of officers and their spouses, bringing clarity, healing and a renewed sense that they’re not alone in the fight.”
One of the couples Wallace engaged with was the Balls. The openness there, Keith said, led to frank talks with Wallace and others about his faith, family and career-related issues.
“I absolutely think it was a life-changing event for me,” Keith told Decision. “It put all the things we’ve experienced into a Biblical perspective.”
Keith and Emily not only chose to be baptized to signify their commitment to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they renewed their wedding vows before the other couples with Wallace leading them.
The Balls share many of the same struggles as other couples who attend BGEA’s LEAP programs, but with a caveat—both have made careers wearing the badge, in Sacramento County, California. For a time, they even worked together undercover in vice-related sting operations. And both have had their share of job-related traumas—Keith was involved in a shooting; Emily was the first on the scene of a motorcycle officer killed in a high-speed chase. Both have witnessed gruesome scenes of violence and death. The pressures and the traumas can have a cumulative effect.
Thus, BGEA’s LEAP program tries to meet couples where they are, build trust, and lead them to Christ—the only One strong enough to carry us through the storms of life.
Eric Hubbard, BGEA’s deputy director of law enforcement ministry, said that after couples arrive in Alaska, it takes a couple of days for them to realize they are in a safe, supportive environment and begin to open up.
“Every week that we have couples up there, the Lord just blows us away in how He touches people’s hearts and brings healing and draws people to Himself.”
For the Balls, Keith had more exposure to Christianity growing up than Emily did. Even though his father was agnostic, his mother is a devout Christian, as are his brother and sister. Throughout his career, Keith said he would pray when he was in a pinch, but he also knew he was holding back from committing to Christ.
Emily had some exposure to Christianity through friends in high school, but that had been decades. Still, when she would attend church with a friend or with Keith’s mother or sister, she sensed something supernatural.
“I didn’t grow up in religion,” Emily said, “but every time I stepped foot in a church, I just got super emotional and felt very spoken to.”
Last spring, during a BGEA LEAP event in San Ramon, California, Emily said she left her “dabbling in church” behind and responded in faith to the Gospel. Soon after, she learned about Marriage Resiliency Week and applied for her and Keith to be considered for a spot. They were thrilled to learn just two days later that they had been invited to attend.
This summer, after their baptism in the chilly Alaskan waters, Keith’s mother was the first phone call they made.
“His mother was with my sister-in-law, and they were both screaming and yelling,” Emily said. “And my 13-year-old daughter’s in the background saying ‘No! Not without me!’ We wrote all of our troubles and tribulations on a rock and threw it in the lake. It was just the best way to end that week—to build that relationship with Jesus Christ.” ©2025 BGEA
Photo above: Keith and Emily Ball, center, show their baptism certificates at the Mystic Lake Lodge retreat.
