The Wedding of Love Offerings
written by Katie Karsten
“They welcomed us all to have a front seat to witness their love for God and each other. What a precious gift it was to be their guests.”
It began with a text shortly before lunch on Tuesday.
Open Homes guests Carolina and Mario* would like to be married before their baby is born. Their desire was a simple ceremony to mark their union — in their words “to be family with God’s blessing”.
This Open Homes story began with an encounter mid-October outside a hotel in Niagara Falls. Carolina had endured a two-week quarantine after flying into our country looking for protection. She had known a world where chaos, terror, and uncertainty were the norms. She was a beautiful young dark-haired woman, heavy with child, wearing layered summer clothing for the fresh fall air and a timid smile….walking without hesitation into a stranger’s arms. Eager for a loving touch, she welcomed a second embrace before the ride to Hamilton to an Open Homes Host home.
She admired the peaceful landscapes in her travel toward Hamilton. She showed glimmers of promise and hope for what was ahead! Her very obvious and vocal concern was her unborn baby, who was expected in December. The father of her child, escaping those who threatened his life, had been able to safely arrive in the US at the beginning of the summer. The months apart had taken their toll. Would all her anxious tears adversely affect her baby’s well-being? Would they be able to together gaze into the face of their newborn?
God made a way for them to be together however, and in early November, Carolina and Mario were reunited. We were so thankful for the expertise and experience of a lawyer. Tears of relief and joy erupted when they walked into each other’s arms outside an immigration site a month prior to their child’s due date. Did their child leap in her womb?
This brings us to the Tuesday text — Carolina and Mario were beginning to create the story into which their child would be born. They imagined telling Nicolas that they, his parents, were committed to each other for this life, had shared vows before God and some of their new friends. It was their priority when they came to a safe country before he took his first breath.
That evening we sat together and Josiah Bokma and I delighted in Carolina and Mario’s expressions of love and commitment to each other. A request to support a venue in which marriage vows were exchanged?! We began to see it not only as an occasion to grant this couple’s wishes but as a time and place to celebrate God’s love and grace for them. There wasn’t time for debate or hesitation — it had to take place. Josiah was the perfect fit for facilitating the vows as he spoke Spanish, understood God’s plan for marriage, and was already a companion of these Open Homes guests.
It took only one look at the calendar to remind us that there were only two weekends between that evening and her unborn child’s due date. It seemed best to plan for ‘sooner' rather than later’.
A message, the following morning, to their Kinship Circle read: A wedding is taking place Sunday afternoon! Hope you will be able to attend! There was a determination in the air to honour wedding wishes that were possible in the available time frame.
Word spread quickly. A community of believers then appeared from churches across the city wanting to tangibly contribute. Wedding attire for the bride and groom came from a variety of sources: a shirt from here, shoes from there, a dress from a photo shoot, a veil from another. A legal marriage was not in the realm of possibilities since there was a 4-6 week span needed for a second photo ID. That seemed of little concern to Carolina and Mario. More than anything, they wanted to have a marriage before God and friends, and no one could stifle or diminish that even slightly.
The necessities were in place: Josiah, an available sanctuary at Eucharist Church and wedding clothes. Then the bar went higher. Wedding rings — were they even a possibility?
A request on Facebook evoked two responses: two matching rings from people who felt ready to release a ring from a past relationship where only re-sizing was required. And for the flowers, a gift of money from an Open Homes friend to a florist provided a beautiful bouquet and boutonniere to the wedding couple. Decorations were shared for the sanctuary and the adjoining hall to add to the festive experience for all in attendance. The bride herself designed a lovely invitation which was distributed to all who had supported them in any way since their arrival in Hamilton. A cake and drinks seemed like a lovely way to celebrate after the vows, so an experienced cake decorator from New Hope Church offered a wedding cake free of charge. Her past experiences heightened our anticipation of the cake that was promised. We would both “taste and see God’s amazing provisions.”
Then a dear friend inquired about the music. It had not yet crossed my mind. The spouse of an Open Homes leader graciously accepted the invite. Then the service with vows, relevant Scripture, importance of English interpretation, a Unity candle, and the gift of a Spanish Bible was organized with the input of the wedding couple and again the generosity of the required offerings. With the participation of the children (dressed in borrowed clothes) of their host family, it certainly was a marriage which seemed to have extended family in its very midst.
To retain these precious memories, a videographer offered his services and a photographer made herself available at a reasonable price. Another gift was dinner at a lovely restaurant for the bridal couple. Through the whisper in his ear, the manager was thrilled to offer the royal treatment to the newly married couple.
A seemingly ordinary rainy Sunday afternoon was an extraordinary afternoon for the church in our city.
Offerings came from God’s people all over our city to contribute to the wedding of two strangers. They welcomed us all to have a front seat to witness their love for God and each other. What a precious gift it was to be their guests.
Nicolas* was born three days after the wedding. A healthy boy was welcomed when the marriage vows of his parents were still reverberating in the church walls.
* Names have been changed in order to honour this family’s privacy.
Katie Karsten is excited to witness refugee claimants experience communities of belonging. She gratefully participates in Open Homes Hamilton and is part of Immanuel Church on central mountain.
“A healthy boy was welcomed when the marriage vows of his parents were still reverberating in the church walls.”
Every story matters.
In different conversations that we have had, we have heard about some beautiful things that God is doing through His Church in this city. We know that hearing these stories can have a powerful impact on those who come across them, but it is too easy for these stories to be missed…
THat IS WHY WE ARE LAUNCHING THE TRUECITY STORYTELLING INITIATIVE.
We are on the lookout for stories of things that God has been up to in each of our congregations. We want to find these stories and feature them so that we can share them with others.
Our hope is that this project will be an encouragement and blessing as people hear about the different ways that God is at work in Hamilton. We know that it’s too easy for us to just rush on by and not take notice of the things that God is up to right where we live, so our hope is that this project will cause all of us to STOP and PAUSE long enough to TAKE NOTICE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GOD IS DOING IN OUR MIDST, as well as be OPEN to CONSIDER what God might be INVITING us into, as well.
What’s your story?
Do you have a story to share of something that God has been up to in your local congregation?
Have you witnessed an incredible answer to prayer?
Has there been an opportunity for you to come together with others to bless your neighbourhood?
Was there a need that your church was able to respond to?
If you have an idea of something that could possibly be featured on our website, we would love to hear from you.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT?
Undertaking a project like this is a bit of a step of faith for us, and so we would love for you to consider supporting us in a couple of ways:
Would you commit to pray with us for this project? Our prayer is that we will discover the stories that need to be shared, and that God’s name will be honoured and glorified through this initiative.
And if you would like to make a financial donation to help cover the costs associated with this project, please click on the “Donate” button.
We are excited to see what God is going to do through this Storytelling Initiative, and we hope and pray that you are blessed and encouraged by it.
TRUECITY IS A NETWORK OF CONGREGATIONS IN HAMILTON WHO'VE COME TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY.
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