Wedding photos - the real thing!

Here's a slideshow of the wedding photos. The cover photo is not the one I wanted on top, just couldn't figure out how to put another one :).

Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

...and a few more photos...

saying them vows...

wrapped in a "tifaifai" - according to tahitian custom

on the bridal table - lillies and lobster

watch this space for more - and better - photos :)

T

first wedding photos

These are not the best quality, but while we are waiting for the professional photos, here are a few.

Rich was speechless for the first 5 minutes after he saw his beloved first-born daughter in her wedding dress and made quite a few of us cry when he walked her down the aisle, visibly struggling to hold himself together.

It was beautiful and moving. And then he was the one performing the actual wedding, with Lewis' father doing the message (and our pastor the welcome and intro).

Lewis' father's comment afterwards: "I'm definitely NOT going to be the one marrying my daughters."

It was pretty emotional, but Rich did well nonetheless.

radiant flower girl Kylie

here comes the beautiful bride

Look at this young man!

OVERFLOWING...

... WITH GRATITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!



Whew - - - if you have prayed for Nathalie and Lewis' wedding - and us - THAnk YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!



It was an absolutely fabulous day and I can't keep my tears back for feeling SOOOOO blessed!!!!



The ceremony did take place at the chapel instead of the beach, because of the weather, but it didn't matter at bit - not even to Nathalie, she said! She said it was the perfect day and there's nothing she would have wanted any other way (and she is easily disappointed). The weather was perfect for the photos, too.



It was very intense all the way - with me not being able to sleep for almost a week - just too much excitement for me all at once - and Nathalie coming down sick.



In the end, all worked out marvelously, I did get a good night's sleep on the last night (should have gotten those sleeping pills earlier - duh..) and Nathalie did, too, and she was feeling all better and looked radiant!



All I can say is - THANK YOU JESUS!!!!

There is no better way to plan and have a wedding than with Holy Spirit!

He's the BEST - reminding, prompting, inspiring, helping, strengthening, enabling...

And the blessing didn't end with the day.

Yesterday is still like a dream - sitting in our sunny garden (first time since winter) with my brother from Australia with his wife and 4 boys, my other brother from Germany, my niece from Germany, and close friends from Tahiti - - - enjoying a brunch and catching up!
Rich's parents had already left in the night.

We hadn't seen my brother from Aussie and family for 8 years!!!

In the afternoon, we all went to the beach and the kids had a blast in the waves.

Kylie discovered her new "best friend" - cousin Gabriel. It's too precious to see the 2 of them hand in hand, playing in the waves, eating at our little table...


BLeSSED BEYOND MEASURE!!!!!!!!


AND - God provided for all our financial needs, too!



How else could it have turned out...



GOD, YOU ARE GOOD AND YOUR MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER!!!!!!!!

Photos to follow sometime...

still alive...and well

For anybody out there that's still checking my blog - - -
We're all well and just about ready for THE WEDDING on Saturday. Yaaaheeeee!!!
It's been really intense and an incredible amount of work, but I know it'll all be worth it when the day rolls around!

Nathalie's just about packed up all her belongings and is emptying out her room - - - moving it to her new house on the farm - 25 minutes from here.

It's all pretty emotional - leaving home - getting married - us letting go of our first child - 12 visitors arriving from overseas... including one brother with family that we haven't seen in 8 years!

God's been so good along the way, sending help - and finances - just when and where needed.
We feel so blessed already!

We would appreciate your prayers for the next few days - and the weather, too!
At the moment, strong winds are forecast for Saturday, in which case we'd need to move the wedding from the beach to our planB venue...

Samoa Update

Just want to pass on this update on what's happening in Samoa through YWAM. Make sure to read to the end of the article - there's an amazing testimony!

And once again - THANK YOU, IF YOU HAVE GIVEN FOR SAMOA!! We did send off exactly NZ$2,000 this week. Praise God!

Catching up

WOW - it's been awhile... SOOOO much to say, so little time...
Since Rich came home from Samoa, things have been a whirlwind.
He brought home some bug he and his team-members got in Samoa as a going-away "gift"... and was quite miserable the first week home.
LOTS of things to catch up on - on all fronts...

We celebrated Jeremie's 18th birthday this week!!! So proud of this kid who's become such a fine young man!!!

EXACTLY 5 weeks from now will be Nathalie and Lewis' wedding and the preparations are consuming every possible free moment in my days (and sometimes nights...).
It's all good though, and I am so excited that we'll have family coming for the wedding from Germany, USA, Australia and Tahiti - we'll also have other islander-friends that live in NZ at the wedding (Samoa, Fiji and Tonga)!!! How very special!!!

Leilani is SUPER busy with a very competitive volleyball-team and has barely got time to breathe in between school, practices, games, tournaments, homework, church commitments (not many these days cuz of being so busy), fundraising for volleyball-related-activities, friends and chores...

I am kind of grateful that Rich has been prevented from traveling again because of lack of finances... He was supposed to be in the South Island at the moment, but it's good to have him around (tonight he's doing a shift at St.Johns).

WONDERFUL NEWS: remember how Rich wanted to leave a gift of NZ$2,000 in Samoa?
Well, amazingly enough, through the generosity of many people (from Germany, USA, Tahiti and New Zealand), we have reached this goal almost exactly to the dollar and will be sending it off next week! IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE! (Jesus)
I feel soo blessed!

Oh yeah, MORE WONDERFUL NEWS: remember my purse that was stolen? Our contents insurance (that we need for our rental home) covered the theft!!! So, besides having my wallet replaced already with most cards, drivers licence etc, and my sunglasses, I will get a brand new cell-phone next week (better than the old one) and a brand new camera (better than the old one).

I am blown away - several people had prayed for me (myself included) that the stolen goods would be restored, and have they ever!

Something that just tickled my heart: the purse that was stolen was about 30 years old and would not have matched the dress that I'm going to be wearing at the wedding. Neither would my only other purse. Through the reimbursement of the lost purse, I was able to buy a new purse that matches perfectly - YAY!!!
All I can say is, THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Watch this!

A video slideshow set to Bono's speech at the presidential prayer breakfast.

Mission accomplished!

Today, we welcomed our "HERO" Rich back home after a little over 2 weeks in Samoa!

The emercency relief mission is finished and clearly, Samoa is now in the new stage of rebuilding.

We are so proud of what Rich and his team were able to accomplish - with God's help - bringing physical, emotional and spiritual healing to so many in the initial stage of the aftermath of the tsunami.

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH if you have prayed - for Rich, for Samoa, for us at home!!!
And THANK YOU, if you have given towards Rich's travel costs - or for Samoa!

Monetary donations are still trickling in towards the goal of NZ$2,000 that Rich felt to leave in Samoa. It is pretty exciting!
We will wait until the end of this week and then send off the total of what will have come in.

So - there's still time to give, if you want to just bless the Samoans in the rebuilding of their lives - channeled through YWAM-Samoa - every dollar counts!

Let's keep praying for Samoa!

It's been raining in Samoa - no, not raining - POURING!
The poor people that still have no houses and are under primitive shelters with tarpaulins must be so miserable!
No medical teams were able to go out today because of the weather.
It's not real easy to treat people in the back of a pick-up truck in pouring rain...

Also, the roads are pure mud and remember - the people are in the hills/mountains now...
So, even with a 4-wheel-drive, Rich and the team were slipping and sliding all over the place.

No fun for the people (Rich probably DID have some fun slipping/sliding)!

Let's pray for the rain to stop and the weather to stabilize until better shelters are built!
We are racing against time, cuz the rainy season, often with cyclones, is just around the corner.

Some of our team went back to the island off the main island where Rich and the team had been last week.(I think it's Mananoa or something like that)
They found that the people had not received ANY help since last week - no clean drinking water.
Quite a few children have come down with dysentery...

And with the rain, more and more respiratory sicknesses are plaguing the people.

Lord, have mercy!

One more day for Rich.

It's been really full-on.

He's tired - and happy.

Even though he lost most of his sleep last night.

Ya gotta know that the local YWAM-base where he's staying, is built local style. There was a leak in the thatched roof and he got a free cold shower all night...

Thanks for your prayers - and - it's not too late to give - see last post!