Weddings are such joyous occasions. No matter where you are in the world, weddings are a sign of love and commitment. In the lives of Jeudi Jacquelin and Marie-Ange Guerine, the decision to marry carried a much deeper meaning.
Pictured: Jeudi Jacquelin and Marie-Ange Guerine
In villages like Luly in Haiti, weddings are not the norm. Haitian culture dictates that a couple should own their own home before they marry, as well as hold a formal wedding ceremony and large celebration. The expenses of feeding guests and holding a reception make it nearly impossible for many couples to marry.
With these obstacles in the way of marriage, many couples in Haiti enter into a relationship and begin living together and having children without the formal covenant of marriage. Unfortunately, couples that are seeking the Lord and desiring to please Him have to choose between following God’s heart for covenant marriage with following the pressures of Haitian culture.
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:6-9
We have seen first hand how this decision not to marry has caused much shame and regret in the lives of our Christian Haitian friends. This shame leads to a weakened local church as many feel unworthy to participate in the life and ministry of the church.
Prayerfully, WWV has been working alongside our church partners to offer financial assistance to these couples and take away the shame and regret. Instead of allowing the pressures of culture and financial burden to cause them to fall away from God, they can now choose to have a small wedding – with the help of WWV and our church partners – and follow God’s design for a Christ-centered marriage.
Pictured: Pastor Chrisner prays for the couple during the ceremony
We celebrate with Jeudi Jacquelin – a young man being discipled by Pastor Chrisner Norillus – and Marie-Ange Guerine – his beautiful bride. To God be the glory for this marriage is beautiful in His eyes!