Wedding(s)!!!

Well the day finally came after having to postpone the wedding once in February due to lack of official documents, etc.

Wedding in our house!  In Mexico you have to have the legal wedding before the church wedding.  So at 4pm on Friday our house was a wedding chapel!

Saturday was busy with hairdos, photos (Shelli was the official photographer!), etc.  Annelise was part of the wedding party too!  So she got to have a special dress and get all pretty!  Alexis and Jemma (Lane and Sheri Elliott’s girls also got in on the fun!

Shelli took Cesar and Marcela to a park for the photos and did a great job.  It is something Shelli has always wanted to do.

 

This was also the first wedding ceremony that I (Greg) have had the privilege of performing.  Wow!  What a joy to be a part of this couple’s life in this way.  It is a joy to walk alongside people in their steps of obedience. 

I am excited about the next five years in Arbol de Vida as there will probably be many weddings as many of our youth are in “marryin” age.

In Mexico there are several symbols or traditions that they do in wedding that I haven’t seen in Canada.  One is the “lasso.”  The couple kneels and another couple comes and puts the “lasso” over the shoulders of the couple symbolizing the permanent joining together of the new couple holy matrimony.  Another tradition is the giving of “las arras” (coins) symbolizing God’s provision for the new couple and also a commitment by the husband to providing for his new wife.  Their was a couple that presented the bride and groom with a Bible encouraging them to center their life on Christ.  Of course there are rings and vows exchanged just like in Canada.

The Arbol de Vida church really got behind the wedding providing food, hairdressing, decorating and much more for this wonderful couple just getting their feet back under them after loosing everything just months ago.

Praise the Lord for His goodness!  Please pray for Cesar and Marcela and their daughter Alhya as they start out in this new life in God’s way of doing things.  Pray that He will pour out His blessing upon them as confirmation of His presence with them as they seek to obey Him.  Pray for us as we (with the help of many others in the church) disciple this precious family!

To God be the glory!

Greg