A Day To Remember

At the start of a new year many people have high hopes and expectations for change and new beginnings.  For 17 families in the area of Muraille Lacee they entered this new year with a weddin celebration!  After weeks of planning, hours of travel, and several days spent out in the rural areas of Haiti, the wedding at Muraille Lacee led by Pastor Jean-Claude Smith of the Williamson Church was a success!  This wedding started with hopes of seeing 91 couples exchange vows.  There are a variety of cultural reasons why many of the couples were not prepared to have a wedding ceremony.   The area was full of excitement over the 17 couples that made the final commitment to follow through with the wedding plans.

The wedding was planned to begin at 8 a.m. on December 31st.  The church of Muraille Lacee was decorated and ready on the morning of the 31st as they waited for the couples and families to arrive at the church.

Two hours after the planned start time the brides began to arrive.  After all, it's good to be fashionably late.  If you arrive first at the wedding who will be there to see your entry?  The wedding day is a special occasion for all who are a part of it.  The couples and the attendees dressed in their best as they made the difficult walk through the mountainous trails to arrive at the church.

As the couples and families began to arrive at the church it became the perfect time for some pre-wedding photo's.  Each couple had their own story and were a variety of ages.  Some young.

Some a little bit older. 

It is so special to know young and old were able to enter into a covenental marriage before their Lord and Savior. What an incredible witness to family and friends!  The wedding ceremonies were a true testimony of God's work through the church in that community.

Pastor Smith (below,right) worked at the church the morning of the 31st to put the finishing touches on the wedding program before the ceremony.

The ceremony was a time of celebration for families and friends.  It lasted a little over two hours.  Throughout the time Pastor Smith shared a message to the couples and the community about the importance of marriage.  He also spoke very highly of Baptist Haiti Mission and expressed his gratitude for the assistance BHM gave in making this wedding a success.

The ceremony consisted of a variety of traditional elements.  All of the couples stood up and exchanged their vows simultaneously.  Pastor Smith addressed the men and women seperately and they responded in unison with "Wi".  The women received wedding bands as a sign of this special commitment.

The crowd of more than 180 people grew quite restless in the heat and cramped space.  However, all attention was captured when it was time for THE KISS!

December 31, 2011 will be a day to remember for the community of Murialle Lacee.  This was the first time the people in this area had ever had a gathering of this size.  After the ceremony there was cake, crackers, and drinks for a fun filled reception outside the church.  Thank you our friends and supporters for making this wedding a success.  Continue to pray for Pastor Smith and Williamson Church as they seek to reach the community of Murialle Lacee with the gospel of Christ!