Fanfan's happy family

Thursday was the big Christmas party.  Friday was the final day of class, and Matt preached our last chapel service for 2013.  Today, past-student, friend, now-professor and staff member, Fanfan, married his long-time sweetheart, and Matt preached the service.  Tomorrow, Matt is joining several of our students and preaching a service at 8 am in the Cap-Haitien prison (would love your prayers for that opportunity…not sure if we can think of a darker, more needy place to take Jesus this season or any other).  

Busy.  I have 350 pictures from the wedding today, but will grace you with far less!

I’m exhausted, so short post tonight, but biggest takeaway was this…

When Lily and Sofie play well together, and love being together, and enjoy each other all on their own—independently from Matt and I—it is one of the most beautiful things Matt and I experience as parents.  I didn’t expect that.  But it is. 

Being at Fanfan’s wedding today with about 40% of the crowd being Emmaus staff, students, past graduates and friends, and WATCHING all of them enjoy each other, act and dress and carry themselves differently than the rest of the crowd, and LOVE on Fanfan and BE loved by Fanfan…I felt similarly proud and tight in my heart as I do when my children love each other well.

What a blessing today, the first day of Christmas vacation, to spend it--instead of off--TOGETHER, and to realize that our Emmaus family is GOOD family…not just to us, but to each other. 

There is this really cool chaotic congratulatory intermission in Haitian wedding services right after the vows but before the signing of the papers and several more music performances for close friends and family.  I love this part of Haitian weddings!

There is also this not as cool part of Haitian weddings that we will never really understand...the choreographed and hired dance troupe that makes getting DOWN the aisle take about 20 minutes (with lots of In-Sync and Backstreet Boys music) and getting BACK down the aisle another 20 minutes (with Can You Feel the Love Tonight?  and Celine Dion.)  I am not joking.  I have pictures and video to prove it.  At one point, they were synchronized eating apples while dancing.  Like American apples.  WE can't even get apples.  I don't get it.   

Fanfan was REALLY happy...

as was Majorie...and all our students.  For those of you who have been here and know some of our staff and students, Majorie is Jodenel's (2013 graduate) sister, and she and Fanfan have been engaged for almost SEVEN years.

every person in this picture was or is a student at EBS

So happy for this fabulous, God-loving couple and for the opportunity to be preaching the Gospel...in the Seminary, at weddings, in prisons.  God continues to be so faithful to open doors and to provide.

We're going to rest soon.  I think.  

maybe.