KHARKA'S WEDDING

Saturday was the first Bhutanese Christian wedding I've ever been to and I think it's probably one of the first here in Omaha. How would I determine that? The visitors seemed confused.

However, Kharka and Usha looked wonderful and seemed to be very comfortable and relaxed, confident that this was the right step to take. Kharka has been in the States for a bit over a year; Usha has been here for a couple months. They had been in love in their refugee camp, and he was so excited when her permission to come to Omaha came through and her visa arrived. They both came to the Lord in May right after she arrived, leaving their Hindu religion.

So, here's my description of the wedding, much of which I placed in an email to Susie later that day.

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The wedding today was beyond belief!!! Besides the joy, of course.

Kids ran around in the sanctuary and screamed -- parents rarely discipline their kids as they've been told that, if they do, they can be put in jail if the kids complain about them.

People talked incessantly, both cell phones and face-to-face yammering.

They walked to the front to take pictures and stood in front of Kharka and Usha and the pastor and interpreter.

Lachi [Khaka's mom] who was sitting in front of me, hollered. Mandira, my "granddaughter", told me Lachi was telling the pastor and interpreter to move out of the way so she could see Kharka and Usha during their vows. Another time she hollered at kids a row or two in front of her.

A girl, about 8, would jump across the bride's white aisle cover... and then jump back across it, thumping very loudly. Another time she grabbed her dad's camera and walked up and down the aisle taking photos of all of us.

When it was over, Dave and I spent a few minutes picking up pencils and writing pads the little kids had taken from the back of the pews and had spread around on the seats. We put those bits back so the church members wouldn't be upset when they show up next week, since the Bhutanese are rarely in the sanctuary.

At the end, besides the wonderful Indian culinary buffet in the fellowship hall, we had the blessing of spending time with our many dear ones and having a photo with our very special dear ones of that special day.