The Wedding Crasher???? Bring a gift…

I was invited to go to a “Engagement”/”Wedding”. It was for a niece of a believe whose brother persecutes the family because they are Christians. Usually, they don’t get invited to many family functions, but because I’m there, they are thinking they extended the invitation. We decided to go and our prayers were for the Lord to use the opportunity to share the truth of His Love with the family.

The event is billed as an “Engagement party.” However, this is an official wedding done by the Provincial court administer. They sign the legal document and are as far as the country considers, Married. Now, in the Indian culture, a formal “traditional” wedding must take place 8 months after the “engagement” and it is at that point where the marriage is considered “official.” The two cannot be alone with each other until that point. Interesting huh!

One of the most fascinating things about the ceremony is that all the men sit on one side of the room and the women on the other. There is such a separation and no one really has a good answer to why… It is a funny thing to see.

I stood out in this crowd as I was the only “bright” one and blond in the entire room. Some were trying to figure out who I was… Ashwana is a nurse in New Zealand and many thought that I came from New Zealand for the wedding.

After the service there is a dinner and it was lovely. This was a chance for others to find out about me and receive the message that the Lord had for them.

At the end of dinner, there was an opportunity to talk with the bride and groom. I shared why I was in Fiji, the wedding and that I was honored to be a part of their special day. I told them that I’d love to pray for them. They immediately responded to my offer. They told me that this day almost did not happen and she was almost in tears. I listened and then shared the truth of the Gospel with them and the divine purpose for their marriage.

They looked at each other and then back at me and said, “We want to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.”

My wedding gift was the gift of eternal life. A priceless gift at that.

Wedding Photo