Rebecca's Wedding

This is the day that the Lord hath made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it!
~ Psalm 118:24 ~
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Rebecca's wedding day dawned bright and clear (a wonderful blessing considering we are entering the rainy season). There was much hustle and bustle in our compound as everyone prepared themselves, and the lovely bride, for the wedding! Here she is...
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Just beautiful...
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Rebecca and her Maid of Honor waited in the car at the church for almost an hour, while choirs sang and guests arrived. No one could see the bride before her grand entrance, but there are no foyers or extra rooms to wait in before the wedding. Most of the church buildings here in Niger consist of one large room - the sanctuary.
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Amy waited in the car with her Mommy in eager anticipation.
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Little Bulus (Paul in Hausa) is one of the pastor's sons. He is wearing an outfit made from the fabric Rebecca chose for the wedding. You'll see lots of people wearing this, including our family. Bulus is a lucky little guy to have found a balloon! It must have fallen from the ceiling of the church, where some were hanging. Bulus is just a few months younger than Anna.
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Preparing the way for the bride! This is one of my favorite parts of the Nigerien wedding ceremonies. The friends of the bride enter the church before she does, spraying perfume everywhere, and sometimes throwing confetti. Solomon refers to the "fragrance" of the Bride and her Bridegroom many times throughout the Song of Solomon. Every time I experience the entrance of the bride, with the fragrance of perfume being dispersed around her, I think of Jesus, the Bridegroom, and His Bride, the Church.
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...and here comes the bride!
(Her flowers were freshly picked from our yard.)
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Everyone was straining to see Rebecca as she entered - no small feat (especially when you only a few feet tall) in a crowd of 400-500 people.
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The whole wedding party, with Rebecca and her groom, Adamou, sitting together in the center. As you can see, Amy didn't last very long! She conked out about 5 minutes into the ceremony. At these wedding ceremonies, the wedding party sits for most of the time - a good idea, really, as the ceremony usually lasts about 3 hours, and temperatures are well above 100 degrees in the church.
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The church was packed out - with up to a dozen people looking in each window, and groups of 20-30 people sitting outside within hearing distance.
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With this ring...
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I, thee wed... (this was in Hausa)
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There was a reception following the ceremony. Here they are - the newlyweds!
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Getting ready to cut the cake (my labor-of-love).
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Here we go!
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Careful now! :)
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It was a wonderful day! We all came home exhausted, but happy, and thankful for the Lord's hand in this marriage. Thank you to everyone who has blessed Rebecca by standing with her in prayer over the last year. She is grateful for your love. We are so excited to see the Lord bless her as she begins this new, exciting season!
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Congratulations, Rebecca & Adamou!
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"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."
~ Proverbs 4:18 ~
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