Wedding Bells Are Ringing!

Abigail Gee and Adam Rymon exchange vows

     Marriage was our theme for the week!  On Friday, I had the privilege of performing the wedding ceremony of our young teammate, Abigail Gee, as she became Mrs. Adam Rymon.  Adam flew in earlier in the week so that the two could be married right here in Africa, as friends and family from America watched via the modern marvel of the internet.  Tiffany gained her first experience as a wedding photographer, and did a fantastic job.

     The Tanzanians in attendance were fascinated by their first "American" wedding.  I thoroughly enjoyed talking to them about the differences in wedding customs.  Weddings here generally take around 6 hours, sometimes more.  I heard more than one Tanzanian man comment on how much they loved the short American wedding.  I don't know how the women felt about it.  Although, not knowing what to expect several guests did arrive late only to be surprised that they had missed the whole ceremony!  Time just moves at a different pace around here.  However, they did not arrive empty-handed.  They kindly showered Adam and Abigail with Tanzanian-style gifts that the couple will treasure.

     Overall, it was a beautiful event and we wish Adam and Abigail the very best.  We appreciate their asking us to be a part of their special day.


Marriage seminar

Daniel and Josephat speaking at the seminar

     The next day, Tiffany and I traveled to Moshi to conduct a marriage seminar with the congregation there. More than 30 people showed up from Moshi and the surrounding areas to listen to lessons designed to strengthen their marriages.  Tiffany did a session with the ladies on how to respect their husbands, while I talked with the men about how to better love their wives.  The local preacher, Josephat, did a mixed session on conflict resolution, and I did two other mixed sessions.  The ladies fixed a yummy lunch of rice and beans, and we had a couple of bonding activities.

     One of my favorite parts was the question and answer period.  This gave me the chance to hear some of the real issues that people are facing.  Some of the questions were quite typical, but others took me a little more off guard.  One man asked me if he could divorce his wife if she went crazy.  Hmm... that could be quite a can of worms!

     There are many aspects of marital relationships that are culture-dependent, but the Bible still offers timeless advice that applies anywhere.  God created marriage and he still knows the best ways for his designs to operate.  Mission work has reinforced my appreciation of the universal nature of the Word of God.  It is relevant to life anywhere and at anytime.

Enjoy more pictures of the seminar below:

The crowd taking notes on the lesson

Lunch time!  Karibu Chakula!  

Tiffany talking to a sweet little girl

Scenes around the building