The Wedding

I’m in the Parque Hotel in the city of La Falda in the mountains of Cordoba.  I have a tiny room, but am resting well.  I have no WIFI in the room and have to go to the lobby to work on the internet.  This creates a problem because at least 200 of the 2,000 plus pastors and church delegates are here in the same hotel.  When trying to work with the computer in the lobby every couple of moments someone comes by... "Oh Hermano Rafael!" and with hugs and kisses on the cheek they start to reminice about our experiences in their little town.  It's 5:40 PM and I must head back to the arena for the evening service.  The restaurant of the hotel does not open until 9:30 PM for dinner.  Argentineans eat late.

I had lunch at a missionary’s home at 1:30 PM after driving 4 hours.  Then drove another 30 minutes to attend the wedding of a delightful young couple, Catalina and Matias destined to leadership among the King's Castle Kids (Castilleros) and certain to do great things for Jesus. 

They were planning to do the wedding outside on the lawn of a small airport.  They had erected an arch thing and a nice white tent with tables and chairs for the feast afterwards.  But the night before it started pouring down rain and didn’t let up.  It became “mud city” and the outdoor wedding was impossible.  At the last minute they were able to rent the small gym of a high school and had to move everything. 

Some fellows had tried to assemble the arch and called for help during our lunch.  They had assembled it all wrong.  Missionaries Kim and Shari Babcock dashed to that little town and I followed them.  The whole town has no paved streets and with all the rain… well, you can guess.  My car was clean when I started out yesterday.  Now, 500 miles [800 kms] later, it is a sight. I tried to help the guys take the huge arch thing apart and reassemble it.  We were rushing against the clock.  The wedding was scheduled for 3:17 PM (an idea of Catalina, the bride)… when they had to change locations they rescheduled it for 3:30 PM.  We were all dressed up and sweating.  Missionary Kim Babcock (pictured with the drill) was soaked to the skin and still putting the arch together at 3:30. 

 

They were scheduled to do the required civil ceremony before the judge, to be immediately followed by the religious ceremony.  Shari Babcock was praying that the judge would arrive late at 4 PM since we weren’t ready and "judges don’t wait for anybody" (so they say.)  The lady judge arrived just in time to go up on the stage at 4 PM and did a nice job with her part.  

Mati's father, who pastors a church in the area presided with his wife at his side. It was a truly beautiful wedding.  I found myself in tears.  I don’t think I ever cried at weddings before.  I’m getting soft in my old age.  I was surprised by how many long lost old friends came to greet me with hugs and kisses.

When I finally got through the crowd to greet Caty, she asked me if Felipe was there. I told her that he was where he belonged to be in the trunk of my car. She told me that she was always the first little child to run to the front to see him do his thing whenever I visited their church, which was quite often back in those days.

 

9:30 PM Dinner time.  Gotta go.

 

Ralph