CALLED to Papua New Guinea: Celebration of 10 Years

A couple weeks ago, Rachel and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. Every year has been different, full of adventures and new relationships, and every year our marriage has grown stronger as we have individually drawn closer to God. Both having Type A personalities, there have certainly been willful battles along the way, but more often we have learned the value of bending for the other's sake, living out a selfless love which Christ has demonstrated to us over and over.

Pastor Terry King, who officiated our wedding, said these words:

So it is in the bonds of Christian marriage,

that God’s love should be most true.

It is giving, it is fearless, it is placing others before ourselves,

it is laying down our lives, our dreams, our plans,

for the sake of others, it is not in word only, but in action.

When we express love in these ways,

we are offering the closest earthly example of God’s love.

When that happens He is pleased and we are blessed.

Many of you, dear readers, were not able to be present for our wedding 10 years ago...which I would like to remedy...in part. Please enjoy Pastor King's complete wedding outline here: Wedding Sermon & Vows

To celebrate 10 amazing years of blissful union, Rachel and I renewed our wedding vows on May 23rd under the bright PNG sunshine - our missionary family and many national staff members present to cheer us on. Rachel and Jordan Thompson, who are now living in the Bennett's old house, were very kind to host the ceremony in their gorgeous front lawn (with panoramic views).

To kick off the ceremony, a small troop of Station kids performed an interpretive dance, all about Love. Meanwhile to the side, Rachel and I got lined up behind Reverend Jeff Myers, with the choir members of Kulamp Nazarene on either side of us, instruments in hand. (Kulamp is the little bush church where Rachel and I recently spoke.) Three MK kiddos drafted as flower girls took up the front of the procession.

I'd like to emphasize just how beautiful the Kulamp choir made our entrance. They formed two rows on either side of us, sidestepping with their dance as we slowly walked forward. Their voices rising and falling, singing a Pidgin hymn with the word "Hosanna" repeated often, they raised and waved their hands in a fan fair of celebration, to the beat of a traditional drum with accompanying guitar and tambourines. It was not a quick procession, but a few steps at a time, and we reveled in the surrounding beauty of God's creation - bright sunshine, cool breeze, constant birdsong, and breathtaking vistas - and we sang along "Yu mi hamamas long praisim God, sing Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna long God antap!"

Centered on a small bamboo archway, we stood side-by-side as Jeff delivered a heart-warming message about Love (and to our amusement, incorporated some of his favorite secular songs from the 80's).

We then faced one another and repeated the same powerful vows which Pastor King led us through 10 years ago:

I, Ted, take thee Rachel, to be my wedded wife.

To have and to hold, from this day forward,

for better or worse, for richer or poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love, cherish, and honor, till death do us part,

according to God’s Holy Ordinance,

and so, I pledge my faith.

To conclude the ceremony, Baru and Christina Dirye placed a PNG flower ring around us, and Chaplain John explained the ring's traditional significance - a representation of the bond formed between husband and wife. We closed with scripture verses read by the Dirye's and McCoy's, group prayer, and of course my favorite part, kissing the bride! :-)