The Wedding!

Today was an awesome day!  We attended a wedding of a dear friend.  Here's the backstory:  Several years ago a team from Parkway was working at a church in a community in the jungle called El Capricho.  The pastor's son (named Higineo) and Karl worked side by side in a construction project.  Despite some major cultural differences and a total language barrier the two became fast friends.  At the end of our time in Capricho Karl asked if Jake could translate a conversation.  Karl really felt like the Lord wanted him to gently and lovingly challenge his hermano (brother) in Christ.  He basically challenged Higineo to step up and take care of his kids and girlfriend; encouraging him to be a leader and marry his girlfriend.  It was a really meaningful conversation with tears, but well received.  Higineo later told Pastor Juan Carlos that when Karl returned he would get married.  Fast forward 4 years.  Pastor Juan Carlos told Higineo that Hermano Karlitos would be visiting... and today we celebrated the wedding of Higineo and Gicela.  It was a simple civil service with a judge in town with a formal church wedding to follow later this year.  Gina and I (Rachel) bought some flowers for the bride and I was able to snap a few photos of the ceremony.  After the ceremony Higineo and Gicela invited us out to dinner.  We had a wonderful time visiting with them...thank you Gina for translating!  The two invited us back for the formal wedding in December and asked if we would serve as padrinos in the wedding.  (Kind of like attendants)  The wedding will be a  somewhat traditional jungle wedding and they told Karl he would have to wear a loin cloth and carry a spear.  That was a joke but there will be some traditional dress with painting on the face and body.  We (Wurzbach Family) are planning on returning at the end of December for Christmas/New Years with our sister-in-law's family.  Higineo and Gicela told us to let them know the dates we will be in Ecuador so they could set a date for their church wedding.  We felt very honored!  Today reminded me of how wonderful our God is.  Despite language barriers and cultural differences He creates friendships based on the one thing we have in common...a relationship with Christ.