The time I officiated a wedding

So I get a message:

“…we talked about this and both agreed…we kind of want to redo the ceremony with all our friends and family....because you know us both and are very special to us we wanted to ask you if you wanted to do our ceremony?”

My response… What? How? What do you mean?

So after contemplating my fear of public speaking I said yes. Lis, (from Holland) a very good friend of mine whom I met in Honduras and Levi, (Honduran) whom I have known for years from here in Honduras, were to get married.

The day arrived but I really wasn’t that nervous. Inside, maybe I was, but I had a task to do and that’s all I could focus on. So we spent the morning decorating, getting ready and helping Lis with her final touches. 

Family and friends began to arrive. All of a sudden something came over me and I became the wedding planner, coordinator and officiate. Music was in order, first look pictures were taken, guests were seated and the couple walked in. We began. 

 It began with …“Welcome and Bienvenidos a todos que han venido hoy. Good afternoon, Buenas tardes, amigos, familia, from all parts of the world.”

And ended “With the ALMIGHTY power vested in me, Catalina from El Porvenir, I now pronounce you husband and wife, ya puede besar a la novia!”

Telling the story of how the two met

Saying vows

 About to place the rings

New married couple!

Reception

First dance...Bachata of course!

 Just playing MC for the night

If there was one thing to take away from this wedding it would be what I learned from Lis. I know where Levi comes from and I know where Lis comes from. I know their backgrounds and I now know the trueness of their hearts. This is true love. To be completely honest, this wedding was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen. No, not because of the extravagant venue (it was in a hotel conference room). Not because of the thousands of dollars it cost for her wedding dress (she made it by hand from fabric bought at the local store). Not for the wedding planner or event rental/decoration company (we spent the morning hanging streamers and hand-made origami birds). Not even for a hair and makeup appointment (we did it for her in about 15 minutes before walking into the ceremony). No, it was not for any of this. What was prevalent the entire day was that none of this mattered. All she cared about was seeing her family and his family together, celebrating this special day. She didn’t need to prove anything. She didn’t even care if his family came in jeans because they couldn’t afford anything nicer. What mattered was that her and Levi were getting married and that was being honored in front of the ones she loves.

I felt like she was teaching me a lesson. Reminding me of God’s love for me. That he loves me unconditionally. No matter what happens. No matter my past. That is what she was showing. She didn’t even know it.

So I just want to say thank you Lis. Thank you for showing and reminding me that love can be true. That it’s out there. Sometimes being a missionary is hard. Some days all you can think about is “well what if I never find anyone” or “if I never came on the mission field, maybe id be married with kids like all my other friends” or the worst yet… “I could never marry someone who doesn’t have money”. But it doesn’t matter. None of that matters. I know in my heart that doesn’t matter I just needed that reminder. God’s timing is perfect and in that I am at peace. As I said in the wedding “May you find peace in knowing that no matter what happens, by holding on to each other things will always work out for the best. May your hearts be one and in that you have everything.”

Thank you Lis.