Congratulations to Magdi and Arpad!

 
Magdi and Arpad - the happy couple!

 
A beautiful ceremony for a lovely couple.

A Special Day!
Bonnie and I woke up to below freezing temperatures and light snow. Zoltan Vekas let us use his car, and we drove to Zalau to attend Magdi and Arpad’s wedding. The trip was beautiful. At times, the snow was coming down so fast and the wind was blowing so hard that you could barely see. But, the road was excellent.

We arrived at Magdi’s house just in time to witness a caravan of cars and men marching to her front door. Arpad, backed by his army, asked for Magdi’s father. He met them at the front door. Arpad gave a speech asking to “steal” (the Hungarian translation given to us) Magdi in marriage. We enjoyed cakes, coffee, and meeting all her family. Then we began the journey to the church in Crasna.

First, we stopped for photographs in the park (snowing, 29 F, and windy). Then, the caravan of decorated cars paraded over the hills, by the lake, and through the villages to the church in Crasna. The wedding service began at 2 p.m. and lasted for two hours. There were two sermons, a brass band, two choirs, poems, the exchanging of vows, and the blessing of the marriage.

The worship service was very special time. Magdi and Arpad sat in front of the congregation on the pulpit level. Bonnie brought greetings from Teleios Ministry partners, ACTS Fellowship in Greenville, Global Women, and personal greetings from Catherine Allen. She challenged the couple to be a “light on a hill” from Matthew 5.

The reception that followed began with “snacks”—fresh mushroom spread, chicken fingers, spiced meatballs, ham, salami, cheese, breads, and fruits. Then, we had chicken noodle soup (a special Hungarian soup made with homemade egg noodles and “fresh” chicken). The third course was stuffed cabbage rolls with sour cream (Floyd’s favorite) and fresh bread.

Then we went upstairs for a time of celebration. For us, the most significant event upstairs was when Magdi and Arpad shared how they had seen the “mystery or miracle” of God’s work in their relationship. After an hour upstairs, we came back down and saw that it was 9:30 p.m. Since Bonnie and I had a one and one-half hour drive back to Satu Mare through the snow-covered hills and roads, we left early before the main course. Traditionally, after the main course comes the cakes and then the bridal cake. Magdi’s mother prepared two boxes of cakes for our ride back and for the Vekas family.

It was a great day of celebration and a special day to share with Arpad and Magdi.

 
The reception was a time of fun and fellowship.