All eyes turned to the back of the church.
There stood the bride. Beautiful in her white gown. Her two flower girls walking before her.
And I cried.
More than the beauty of Sandra Francis - who was being married to Virgil Nadar. More that the music around us. More than the beautiful and simple way the grand old Bombay Baptist Church had been decorated for this marriage.
My tears were triggered by the sight of the man whose arm the bride was holding as she walked down the aisle.
This man was not Sandra's physical father. Francis had died of cancer when Sandra was a small girl.
He was her spiritual father, pastor Joe Joemon, who was going to marry her as well.
And Joe’s handsome face was beaming as he led his spiritual daughter to the front of the church to be wed.
Even now the memory of that beautiful, proud and loving smile on Joe's face, the dignity and joy that his tall figure symoblised as he walked forward down the aisle moved forward with her, brings tears to my eyes.
I am so proud of Joe and Sunita who have poured themselves into so many - and whose love for Sandra has seen her blossom into a woman of substance.
There stood the bride. Beautiful in her white gown. Her two flower girls walking before her.
And I cried.
More than the beauty of Sandra Francis - who was being married to Virgil Nadar. More that the music around us. More than the beautiful and simple way the grand old Bombay Baptist Church had been decorated for this marriage.
My tears were triggered by the sight of the man whose arm the bride was holding as she walked down the aisle.
This man was not Sandra's physical father. Francis had died of cancer when Sandra was a small girl.
He was her spiritual father, pastor Joe Joemon, who was going to marry her as well.
And Joe’s handsome face was beaming as he led his spiritual daughter to the front of the church to be wed.
Even now the memory of that beautiful, proud and loving smile on Joe's face, the dignity and joy that his tall figure symoblised as he walked forward down the aisle moved forward with her, brings tears to my eyes.
I am so proud of Joe and Sunita who have poured themselves into so many - and whose love for Sandra has seen her blossom into a woman of substance.
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As a family we have watched Sandra for the past 10 years as her mother Shanti works with us at Jeevan Sahara Kendra. We have seen her mother care for her as a widow and seen Sandra work dilligently through college - ending up with a masters in psychology. We have watched her start working and supporting her mother. We have noted how every single week she made the long trip down to Colaba to be part of the Bombay Baptist Church there.
We knew that Sandra was an active member of BBC. We knew that she was building others up - what we didn't realise was how much she and her husband to be were part of the ministry among street children. As Sandra and Virgil start out a new life together in Panvel, serving with the GMI church branch there, our hearts are so glad.
Sandra and Virgil, we are so proud of your maturity and poise. We are so grateful for your willingness to wait for your elders. We are so blessed by your willingness and desire to script a life together for a purpose. Our prayers go with you as you step out into this new adventure together. As one!
Happy tears all around!
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