Can’t Stop Love

DESIGN BY ADWOA TUFFOUR

We might be in a PANDEMIC, but that doesn’t stop everything, especially LOVE. Three couples answer our QUESTIONS and share their experiences. Stephen & Felecia Lee

When and where did you meet?

In December 2019, I prayed the boldest prayer in my life so far; Lord, my 30th birthday is coming up (January 4) and I’ll be working for you. I won’t be around family and friends to celebrate. So, I would like to meet a young man at GYC (an annual conference for young Adventists).

I would love to spend my entire birthday with this person. He would spend the time asking me questions and getting to know me. He would help me break down my booth as well. If I meet such a guy, I know he would be a potential spouse.” Well, I wrote the prayer down in my

i prayer app but mmediately deleted it because I thought it was a silly, trivial idea. ‘Why would God go to that extent for me? Why would some random person spend my birthday with me?’ But then a thought followed, ‘Why wouldn’t God go to that extent? Trust Him.’ Well, I uploaded the prayer again and continued praying.

However, by the time GYC came, I forgot about the prayer. I met Stephen on the second day of GYC. On my birthday, he spent the entire day with me, asking me questions, getting to know, and even helped me break down my

booth when the conference ended. When I got back to my room late that night, I remembered the “silly, trivial” prayer and realized God had answered. The rest is history!

How did you know your spouse was “the one”?

We both approached our relationship with the concept that we had a choice to make in regards to each other, rather than thinking he or she was “the one.” After learning more about each other, talking to our families and friends, and praying on the matter, we made a decision that this was a good choice to make.

The biggest question we had to answer was, “Will getting married allow God to fulfill His purpose through us or will it hinder us?” As we saw that our lives, passions, work, and ministry lined up with each other, we knew that we would be a greater blessing to the world as a couple.We also had assurance about each other because we each fit what the other was looking for and more.

Stephen fit the qualities I was looking for in regards to spirituality, stewardship, and strengths. I fit what he was looking for in terms of the type of marriage he wanted to have and long term goals. Our feelings were growing, plans aligned, peace flooded us, and it was very clear (through an abundance of circumstances) that God was leading us to be together.

When did you realize they were “the one”?

For Stephen, he knew almost right away that he wanted to pursue a relationship with the aims of marriage. But before he expressed this to me, he prayed and talked with a few people who were close to him. He wanted to be careful but he also felt sure.

I was also hesitant, naturally. The timing of our relationship was very different from what I expected and even though God answered a prayer so clearly, I wanted to be sure that we were not being presumptuous. I did not tell Stephen right away about my prayer because I did not want to force the situation. However, it gradually became clear to me that I could fully trust and move forward into marriage with him.

When my family (especially father and brother) expressed that they had no reservation about him, that added to my certainty bucket. When his family welcomed me with open hearts and arms, I became more sure. As I prayed and saw if his life lined up with the purpose God was calling me to and as I experienced complete peace from God, my certainty bucket became full!

When and where did you get married?

We got married on October 4, exactly 10 months after we met! The wedding was held at the compound of Tekoa Missions in Newport, New Hampshire. Since it was Fall and we had a mountain view, the glorious autumn colors served as a perfect backdrop for our day.

What was it like to get married during a pandemic?

The pandemic definitely changed our wedding plans. The biggest shock and change was that my immediate family was not able to attend because of travel restrictions in our home country. I cried several times about this and we prayed that it would work out for them to attend. Although plans did not pan out as we hoped, we saw God put other people in place to support us in ways we never could have imagined.

The number of attendees was another adjustment. Under normal circumstances, we know our number would have exceeded 300. However, we cut our list down to 50 guests. Zoom was definitely not something we would have consideredbut the platform allowed us to celebrate with almost 400 loved ones from around the world.

What was your favorite part of your wedding?

My favorite part of the wedding was our foot washing ceremony. We incorporated this into our wedding day as a sign of our life of service to each other.

Anything else you’d like to include?

The biggest lesson we learned as a result of getting married during a pandemic is Christ “doeth all things well” (Mark 7:37). We His power and faithfulness at work in impossible circumstances. Life never goes according to what we plan.But if we remember that the Lord has the final say even when we plan (Proverbs 16:1), our hearts can be at peace, believing that everything will work together for good.

Nicholas & Jasmine Collard

When and where did you meet?

We met at Andrews Academy in 2017

How did you know your spouse was “the one”?

Neither of us remember. It just was.

When did you realize they were “the one”?

A couple weeks in.

When and where did you get married?

We were married August 14th of 2020 in front of Jasmine’s parents’ house.

What was it like to get married during a pandemic?

Venues were closed so we opted for our front yard which worked out really nice, thankfully! We originally had close to 200 people on our guest list, but had to cut that number down to just 50. We sent livestream invites to friends and family out of state and Jasmine’s kid cousins held the livestream camera.

We could only have our immediate family and wedding party stay afterwards for the reception and food, so the rest of the guests were given to-go boxes that were prepared and handed out. Jasmine’s father made wooden benches for the guests to view the ceremony from as well as a white backdrop.

We had two ceremonies, one traditional-ish Korean, one standard American. Nick circled the front yard carrying Jasmine piggyback, which is a Korean tradition.

What was your favorite part of your wedding?

Nick’s: I was most touched by many a heartfelt speech given by friends and family. Also, the piggy-back ride.

Jasmine’s: Finally seeing Nick after not being able to all day, as well as my Daddy telling me that he is proud of me and loves me right before handing me off to Nick.

Any other tips?

Try not to micro-manage—the day will go smoothly, no problem. The wedding day itself goes by so fast, so just try to take it all in and remember it.

Edgar Luna & Katherine Figueora

When and where did you meet?

Edgar: It was my first week at Andrews. I didn't speak English and I didn't know many people. Ricky, a childhood friend was also studying Andrews, asked me to help two of her friends by taking them to Mackinac City to pick up their car that had broken down a few weeks earlier.

I agreed without knowing that the trip would be 5 hours and that on the trip I would meet the one who would become my best friend and later my wife. Katherine: We met at Andrews University in the back parking lot of HPAC on a Friday afternoon.

How did you know they were “the one”?

Edgar: In my mind, there is an ideal person for each of us. We each know what kind of qualities, mindsets, or affinities we are looking for in another person and when you find someone who meets those qualities, you know that they are the person with whom you would like to share your life.

In my case, Katy fulfilled the expectations that I had about my partner because she is a person who loves God above all things, is very friendly (which is difficult for me), supports me in my projects, and is willing to help people. I always dreamed of sharing my life with a person who had these qualities.

Katherine: He is someone I didn’t want to see my life without. He is someone that brings me closer to God and motivates me to get out of my comfort zone. He has the qualities that I lack and accepts me for me. He has been a friend to me ever since we met and still really is.

When did you decide to propose?

Edgar: Last year was very difficult for me because the pandemic affected my life and knocked down all my plans. I reached a point where I felt that I had nothing and that even though everything was confusing and difficult, the only thing that gave me life a purpose was my relationship with Katy.

So after 8 months of dating and much prayer, God placed in my heart the certainty that things would go well with her and that God was going to take care of the rest.

What was the proposal like for you?

Katherine: The proposal was everything I wanted, it was a moment I shared with the people I love so much. He went out of his comfort zone to make the moment so special.

When and where will you get married?

There will be two weddings because we want to share this moment with all the people we love. We’re getting married on August 1st and 8th. The first wedding will be in my backyard.

We have some woods where the ceremony will be held and the reception in a clear, grassy area. The second wedding will be in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, MX. It will be held in an hacienda surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes.