Our Wedding ~ May 2017
We're excited to be starting our married lives together! For details on the wedding ceremonies (yes, there's more than one!) please read below!
May 5, 2017
There has been quite a bit of bureaucracy sur-rounding the legal recognition of our marriage in both countries and obtaining Jessica’s name change, and after researching all possible options, it comes out to be more economical and less of a run around if we initiate the civil process in the U.S. We will travel to Florida at the beginning of May and get everything in order and register our marriage certificate with the Brazilian consulate. We will each be staying separately with friends and family until the final marriage ceremony on May 30th in Brazil.
May 28, 2017
We're beyond thrilled to be married in our church in Gleba B, Campinas! Jessica was a part of the church plant as she was growing up, and Nate has had a heart for this community ever since he first came to Brazil in 2010. We both serve together in the children's ministry, and over the years we've seen how difficult it is to talk to the children about their futures /families as many of them come from very broken homes and have a distorted view on what it means to be a husband or wife, father or mother. Sadly, it's common for the mom's current boyfriend living in the home to be called her "husband", and the concept of commitment and marriage is lost on the kids. Many of the little girls say they want to grow up and be mothers, but that they don't want a husband because "it's bad and I don't want it." We've talked very openly to all the kids throughout our relationship about how we're talking and praying about marriage together, how we stay at our separate homes, and how we practically go about honoring God and each other throughout the different stages of friendship, courtship, engagement, then marriage. It's very important to us that the kids be a part of our marriage ceremony and witness the commitment we make to God, our church community, and each other. We're going to also invite the families of the children in our church, as most of the kids come on their own and unaccompanied, as an opportunity for them to hear the gospel and for the kids to begin to grasp the significance of Christ being the bridegroom and the Church being His bride. Please pray that God move in the hearts of the kids and families who are with us on that day so that our wedding can go beyond us and be used for His glory and Kingdom.
May 30, 2017
This is the day the wedding festivities will conclude with a small, intimate wedding ceremony in English for our families and close friends who were serving us at our church wedding. It'll be a special time where we can talk, laugh, eat, spend time with and enjoy each other and celebrate our marriage before our loved ones return home to the States and we go on to be husband and wife. When people ask when our anniversary is, we'll probably just say "the month of May!" but really we'll consider it to be May 30, as the conclusion of the wedding/marriage festivities.