It all started around 11:30 when Devin got home from work. About 10 minutes before he got home, it started to become pitch black outside! Oh dear! As soon as he pulled into the gate, it started to POUR!!!!! Whew!! (And it didn't let up until the afternoon!! YES!!!) I have to admit, that I was really hoping and praying for something like that. Mostly because, if it would have been sunny, it would have been HOT! But, with rain and clouds, it's much cooler, and would be much more bearable to wait for long periods of time...which is what I KNEW we would be doing, and which is what happened!! So, here are the photos!
First, we got to the courthouse, and waited outside in the rain for about 1 1/2 hours for the legal ceremony to begin. Claire was mad, because she got wet. Josh was mad because we were standing under a 'carport' type thing, and I wouldn't let him put his umbrella up (and poke everyone in the eye).
Here's Claire with her pretty hat pulled down over her face. I tried to get her to keep it on to keep her hair dry (ha ha) but she just liked to throw it at the missionaries.
Here's Josh with some friends he made. These little guys are Pascaline's (well, they're Edward's, really...) nephews.
Here we are in the actual official signing room...all squished in with everyone else! Josh is mad about something. Oh well. *Sigh of exasperation*
Andrew was happy, though!! Because I whispered "Pat-A-Cake" into his ear most of the time, so he 'rolled it and rolled it' through most of the short ceremony.
Here are Pascaline and Edward sitting at the table waiting to sign away. Isn't she beautiful??
This is after the signing. The mayor is standing between Pascaline and Edward and they are showing their official marriage papers. There is a lot of screaming (a joyful noise) and clapping during this ceremony!
The mayor put his little ribbon thing around them symbolizing their official union.
At the Reception:
Later in the afternoon, we went to their reception at the house of Edward's brother. All the 'important' people (that's what they said, so I'm not trying to make myself sound important) sat inside of their living room on nice couches and chairs. Here are Edward and Pascaline sitting in their nice little couch:
It was such an experience!! We all got to sit inside, too. It felt SO weird to be welcomed there, like we were celebrities or something! They kept telling us how grateful they were that we had come, and that we were a blessing to their house... And when they started making speeches, they went on about how they were very honored to have their international guests there (I thought to myself, 'We're not the international ones! You are!!...Oh yah. I am a minority here...I am in Africa...') and they were very happy and it was so special. I felt funny being so honored. I'm just a person like them. Devin was asked to be a Chairman of the wedding. That is a very high honor here. He even got to make a speech! It was a wonderful speech, and he got lots of applause all through it! :) (Especially when he was giving his advice; telling Edward that he should serve Pascaline (APPLAUSE) and think of her comfort above his own (APPLAUSE) and that Pascaline should do the same (APPLAUSE)!!)
There was blaring music--it was just like being in marching band again with the horn section right beside my ear! :) There were chairs for everyone else all set up on the roof of the house in front of theirs. I wondered how the people in that house felt about having lots of people sitting on their heads?? :)
They made a toast with champagne... And when they popped the cork off the bottle after shaking it up, the stuff exploded all over the place... and some landed in my glass of fanta orange (Oh well--and NO I didn't drink it!!) and in poor Joshua's eye!! :(( He didn't get as upset about it as I thought he would, but man, that must've hurt!
They had amazing traditional dances that involved a lot of machetes, live chickens, and some sweet fluffy headdresses!!
Here are some of the ladies dancing right outside the home where the reception was.
And here I am (along with Sister Hanks--of the missionary couple--and Pascaline in her pretty white dress...) dancing with the ladies...right in front of the BLARING stereo! The thing was bouncing around it was so loud! Wow! I couldn't hear for the rest of the night! :P
Here's Claire during the last traditional dance. The ladies were dancing right in front of us, and as each would pass, Claire would grab their skirt and tug until they turned around and smiled at her and patted her on the head, and she'd give them her super huge cheesy grin! The reason I stopped filming this dance: if you listen closely at the end of the video you can hear Pascaline say "Dance with me!" And I say "Oh yah?" And she says "Yes!" So, I stopped filming and joined in on the fun! I even pulled Claire up with me, and we shuffled around the room with everyone. They were all laughing at us (Claire and I) to the point of tears, but it was so much fun!!!!!!!
When it is time to give gifts to the newlyweds, they all dance in! The first couple of groups of people who brought in gifts was completely awesome!!!!!! I have them on video, too, but it wasn't uploading. I'll have to try again, because it was so neat!!! They didn't just dance in to the traditional music played by the DJ guy. They all sang! It was so awesome!!! Here is the way they give the gifts. everyone comes into the room dancing up to the couple and hands them their gift. The couple both take it and pass it through to people behind them who put the gifts away to open later. I really enjoyed it and thought it very symbolic--as they are together receiving each gift from each person. Looks much more fun than a 'line', eh?? :)
Josh came with me to give them our gift. It was funny, because he wanted to make an entrance just like everyone else! We walked in, and the MC lady said, "and here we have a little boy who wants to give a gift to the happy couple!" I thought it was so fun!!
And here is my trademark photo face! Hope you enjoyed the photos!! :)
I felt SO happy and at home here at this reception! Apparently, Josh did, too, even though we didn't think so. He was fairly grumpy most of the evening, but once the traditional dances started (around 8 pm) he stopped being grumpy and just hung out on the couch watching. And after we got home, he said his personal prayers: "The reception was so much fun tonight! Please let us be able to go to another one tomorrow night!!" I felt happy about that! :)
I loved every minute of being there!!!! I would do it again in a second!!! This was the ultimate cultural experience--because it was personal. It wasn't fluffed up touristy stuff. It was real. This is what life is like for them. And I loved feeling a part of it--not that they were showing off for me--but they were celebrating for Pascaline and Edward! It was absolutely fantastic!!!
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