Our Father God, Though we as Your children are separated by a vast ocean, yet we can join together in [...]]]>

Following are the blessings that my dad read at the reception:
From Bill & Diana Waring of Lake Stevens, WA, near Seattle (author of Beyond Survival and Reaping the Harvest plus other historical/musical resources for home educators)

Our Father God, Though we as Your children are separated by a vast ocean, yet we can join together in this moment to ask Your blessings on this marriage. We ask that by Your Spirit, You would increasingly root Pete and Genevieve in Your love, that they would be equipped by You to see with spiritual eyes-and increasingly comprehend with their hearts and minds-the width and length and depth and height of Your love which passes human understanding. We pray for them that their love for one another would be rooted and grounded and utterly entwined in You, so that as they grow in their love for You, their human love for each other would grow ever deeper, ever stronger, ever more encompassing. We ask that You would fill them to overflowing with the fullness of God, that they may experience the riches of knowing the day-to-day reality and presence of our Savior, Immanuel, God With Us. And, that in Your presence, as Your Word declares, there would be fullness of joy. We commit this marriage and these two precious people to You. We ask this in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Love you guys,
Bill & Diana

From Alfredo and Carmen Torres of San Antonio, Texas (parents of my close friend,
Lourdes, one of the daughters in The Return of the Daughters, and a young woman who
has been a real example to me of servanthood and femininity)

Dear Pete and Genevieve,
Here is the blessing Alfredo and I have for your wedding day. Thank you for giving us this special privilege. Blessed be the Lord, God Almighty, who before the foundations of the earth knew that you were for each other. On this day He is uniting your souls until death. Together may you serve the Lord, Christ Jesus, with all your heart, mind and soul. May the love for the vision God has given you grow each passing day. May you both glorify Him in the works He has prepared for you to walk in. May you take every God-given opportunity to give the gospel to a soul in want or to serve a saint in need. May the God of life bless you with many, many children; that together they may co-labor with you to further the Kingdom of Christ on earth. May your love for Jesus Christ grow deeper each day. May He continue to knit your hearts together and grow your love for one another stronger year after year. God bless and Keep your marriage always. To God be the glory!

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

From Geoffrey Botkin of San Antonio, Texas (father of Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin,
authors of So Much More, directors of The Return of the Daughters and close friends of
mine):

Dear Craig and Barbara,

Allow me to begin with this prayerful blessing: Pete and Genevieve, for the Glory of Christ alone, may you be the deliberate and conscientious parents of thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gates of those who are determined to destroy Christendom from the face of the earth. May your children be as honorable with the Fifth Commandment as you have been, and may they all disciple millions of lesser-advantaged peoples in the Southern Hemisphere. May your family unity and example show many cultures the blessings of dominion as you extend the Crown Rights of Christ Jesus far outside the borders of Australia. May your blissful marriage recover and model the picture of the Christian home, and may your estate be a great incubator of economic success, civil society, righteousness and applied theology as you work together to build a multigenerational dynasty. And may the Lord your God sustain you both with ever-increasing happiness. So be it. Amen.

Since I have known Genevieve, I have regarded her as the kind of historical heroine about whom such a prayer and blessing would be fitting. This is one reason I have prayed so desperately to God to find her the right husband. Craig, the daughter you give away today has been very precious to our family for many reasons. In past years, I have prayed with great urgency for a good husband for Genevieve because she is such a special and important asset to the Kingdom of God.

It was with special urgency I was praying for her on her last visit to the US. I confess there were times I despaired of her finding a worthy mate in New Zealand and cried out with a mixture of emotions as Genevieve bravely and confidently returned to serve her earthly father, trusting her heavenly father for her future. She was magnificent in faith and her radiant love for her father was noticed and remembered by many in the US.

I want to tell you how sorry we all are we cannot be with you to see that victorious moment which represents God’s great sovereignty in joining Genevieve and Pete in covenantal marriage. Her marriage is especially glorious to me because it so vividly represents God’s goodness, his faithfulness, his majesty, his love and his providential plan for history in leading Genevieve to Pete at exactly the right moment in history.

Genevieve is one of the greatest heroines I know. Her testimony in standing with her father is now a popular story in the US which has become legendary for the right reasons. I believe this marriage will become legendary for the right reasons. With the greatest of affection and overflowing joy, I remain your faithful and loving friend,

Geoffrey Botkin

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve de Deugd

Issacharian Wife

G’day all, My name is Jonathan Field and in case the accent hasn’t already betrayed it, I come from the [...]]]>

Following is the speech that Pete’s best man, Jonathan Field, gave at the reception. Jonathan is also the man who recommended me to Pete. He tells the story of his involvement in our courtship in his speech.

G’day all,
My name is Jonathan Field and in case the accent hasn’t already betrayed it, I come from the West Island of New Zealand-also known as Australia. Today is a special day for all of us-most especially for Pete & Genevieve, but also for us their myriad family and friends as we rejoice in God’s goodness and anticipate God’s rich blessing both on and through this marriage.

I’m thrilled to be celebrating with you all, and thrilled to see so many in attendance. Today is a day to rejoice, and I thank you for joining the celebrations.

There are many people and unusual circumstances through which the Lord brought Pete & Genevieve together. I was one of the cogs in the Lord’s wheel, if I may so say it, and in fact have the unique privilege of being one of only three people in the entire universe who knew both Pete and Genevieve long before they finally met. This is their story, and I’d like to share it with you. But even moreso, this is God’s story, and we have all been thoroughly delighted to see His hand at work.

Pete

I first saw Pete in about July 2003 at a friend’s 21st birthday party, although I don’t specifically recall him from that event. My first recollection of Pete is roughly a year or two later (in March 2005) at a bonfire held on his parents’ farm in country Victoria, just north of Ballarat. Ballarat is roughly two and a half hours west of Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria in Australia where we live, and Pete’s parents own roughly 80 acres of land just north of Ballarat. Technically speaking, they live in Coghills Creek, a place so tiny you’ll hardly find it on the map. And I must confess that a few wrong turns jeopardized my chances of arrival, but in the darkness I finally saw the roaring flames of the bonfire and knew I had arrived. To my surprise and delight, I already knew many of the people there- invariably friends through homeschooling-and so passed a very pleasant evening. I met Henk, Pete’s father, that evening, and remember enjoying a good chat and being impressed with his sincere passion for truth and righteousness.

Many of us slept over that night-myself in an open-air hammock near the dying fire-and then attended church with Pete the next morning, heading home en-masse early or mid afternoon. I got into conversation with Pete, and we discovered much in common, and I ended up staying late into the night that Sunday after all other guests had departed. In the end I caught a few hours kip and left at some unearthly hour on Monday morning! That’s how many hours we spent in conversation!

It was truly delightful to begin to get to know Pete. I don’t think I’d ever even heard of him or his family before, but we quickly discovered much in common. Both home-schooled-and proud of it. Both running a business-him in woodworking, and myself in computer software. Both passionate about seeing Christ and His truth impact every aspect of culture and lifestyle. Both committed to seeing every aspect of life as “sacred”, instead of buying into the false “sacred/secular divide”. And despite some differences in theological background, we discovered that the outworking of our faith was very similar indeed.

And here I must stress how extremely refreshing it was to meet Pete. Those who have been running a business for any great length of time, know how very different a mindset is required for running a business than for being an employee. Not that one is good and one is bad, but simply that employed friends rarely comprehend the struggles and stresses of business life. In addition, open, honest, trustworthy, passionately committed Christian young men who really think about every aspect of their life and let Scripture shape every aspect of their thinking-such men are rare and delightful treasures indeed-and when I find them, I like to stay in touch!

These are the men with whom I hope to see Christ’s purposes outworked in the decades to come. For those who don’t know Pete, he’s an honest, reliable, hard-working, Truth-loving disciple of Christ. He’s a country fella-or “country bloke” as we say in Australia. He’s very skillful with his hands. He’s a “philosopher” in the original sense of the word-a lover of wisdom. And, taking after his God, he has a strong creative flair too-evidenced in creative innovations in business, as well as decorative woodwork, metalwork, and even the occasional prose. I am proud to call him “friend”.

Now, I should say-and this is very important later in the story-that there is another thing Pete and I had in common. And it came out quickly in conversation. We’re both very, hmmm, particular about what we were looking for in a future wife. We both knew dozens, if not hundreds, of “nice Christian women”, but we both had a very strong sense of marriage as a calling with God-ordained purposes that wouldn’t simply be fulfilled by niceness alone. And as we compared checklists, if I may be so brutally honest, we discovered even a great similarity in the kinds of things we did and did not want in a future wife.

And because it is relevant, let me take a moment to list some of the things that Pete was
looking for :

• He wanted a wife who recognized that work is not merely something that a man must do in order to survive, but is in fact a noble calling and blessing designed by God Himself.

• He wanted a wife who recognized, valued, and joyfully embraced her calling as his primary earthly helper.

• He wanted a wife who was not afraid to undertake the different, the difficult, or the new. Who knows what challenges may come in the years ahead, and a woman who crumbles at the first sign of challenge or change, is not the kind of help we need! And the calling of helper-as Proverbs 31 demonstrates-may engage the woman in ways beyond what Western tradition recognizes.

• He wanted a wife who was passionately committed to letting Scripture impact and shape every aspect of her life.
• He wanted a wife who understood and loved theology-not merely able to recite the “what”s, but also with a good grasp of the deeper “why”s.
• He wanted a wife who loves children, and looks forwards to raising a new generation of culture-shapers.
• And in case that wasn’t enough, he also wanted his wife to be of compatible sense of humor, easy-going nature (i.e. not a “stress-head”), pretty, and with a creative flair.

Understandably, Pete was having some difficulty finding the girl of his dreams.

Genevieve

I first met the Smith family four years ago in January or February 2004. I had been studying at the Reformed Theological College in Geelong, and made fast friends with a vibrant Christian man there named David Waldron-known to most of you. I love New Zealand, and travel here every few years, and David, knowing my interest in home-schooling, suggested that I meet the Smith family on my next visit to New Zealand-as they run a prominent home schooling organization in New Zealand, and are passionate committed Christians. I travel widely, and I very deliberately network very widely-especially within the body of Christ, and lengthy journeys on far more tenuous connections have been made on many an occasion.

I’d also been interested in taking my only sister with me on my next trip to New Zealand. And so it was finally organized. Sophia (my sister) and I would spend two weeks in New Zealand, on a busy schedule involving visits to Auckland, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Feilding, and Marton, visiting many friends new and old. It was a delightful time. We spent two nights with the Smiths. They were extremely busy at the time, running a conference and hosting other international guests. And so our interaction was very limited. But what interaction we had was very good. I remember cleaning up after dinner one night, I think I was trying to help with the dishes or something. Genevieve was also involved in the cleanup, and we began discussing life, the universe, and everything, as those who know me know I am wont to do. I was quickly impressed with the depth of thought behind her convictions, and with her gentle, personable manner. She was clearly a woman of many virtues.

She was also a prolific reader, having read many good non-fiction books. And she was also home-schooled, and had been exposed to some of the same influences as I. So we found a great deal in common and a great deal to discuss. I was interested in her book-importation ministry-having been interested myself in importing good Christian resources into Australia. And she had access to some excellent Christian messages on audio tape which she had license to distribute freely, and which were well worth disseminating widely. At some point during our short visit, Genevieve gave me a copy of a “wanted” poster she had drawn up-somewhat in jest-advertising for a good Godly husband. Unbeknowst to her, I had reasons for not counting her as a “prospect”, despite her many and evident virtues, and unbeknownst to me, she had her own entirely different reasons for not counting me as a “prospect”. I was trying in my manner of communication to be open and friendly but to not imply non-existent “interest”. Genevieve showed me a copy of the poster, as it was relevant to a discussion we were having, and I asked if I could keep a copy-there were a few fine young Christian men in Melbourne whom I thought at the time might find a woman of her virtues worth pursuing.

And so we parted. For my part, I was greatly encouraged to meet a woman of her passionate commitment to Christ, and her conscious, deliberate application of God’s Word. Whilst she wasn’t the woman I was looking for, it encouraged me in my wait for the one of great virtue who would be my own.

Pete & Genevieve

The art of match-making is not usually practiced by young unmarried men, but why, I ask, should old wrinkled European women get all the fun?

Yes, the allegations are true. I suggested to Pete that he find out more about this Genevieve Smith. The distance seemed insurmountable, and the suggestion went nowhere. Months later, I suggested it again. And I think a third time. But understandably, he was hesitant. His only knowledge of this lass was my report of her virtues, and my assessment of their mutual suitability, and he had no simple way of confirming things for himself. In addition, how could he begin to get to know her without risking his preliminary investigations being interpreted as an irreversible commitment? Real risks, no action taken, and many more months passed.

In the providence of God, I traveled to the USA in July 2006 to participate in some fossil digs in Texas, USA. Whilst in the USA, it worked out very neatly for me to spend a week in Virginia attending a Vision Forum conference. It so happened-we didn’t plan it this way- that Genevieve Smith also attended the same conference. It was our second time meeting and we got on well-the only two representatives from our respective countries and the two furthest from home attending the conference.

I felt strongly that she and Pete would make a great match, but how to encourage things in that direction? Further, how could I be sure Genevieve was still ‘unattached’? I plucked up courage, and at risk of having things horribly misinterpreted, I asked Genevieve why it is that she and some other virtuous Christian women we both knew or knew of, were still single into their mid to late 20s, when they are so passionate about marrying and helping their husband and raising a family? I said “Surely any astute young man would be looking for a woman like this-why haven’t they snapped you up by now?”

It was a serious question on my part. How do so many young women with such evident qualities and ready for and desiring marriage, remain unselected for so long? But in addition, I was trying to find out if she was still “available”. And I confess I felt horribly awkward asking the question, but I knew that my motivation was right and that the reason for my question would soon be revealed.

And things moved fairly quickly from there. After my return to Australia, I emailed Genevieve, and acknowledged that what I was doing was highly unusual, and didn’t fit the standard models found in the typical courtship books, but there was a very worthy young man I had commended her to, and what would be the best way for him to learn more about her without being irrevocably committed to marriage thereby? She suggested getting the young man to email her father.

I spoke with Pete, and he was cautiously interested, and willing to begin walking that road. I had raved on Genevieve’s many qualities to Pete, so he already knew something about her, but the Smiths knew nothing of Pete. So to give them the same advantage, I wrote them an email of introduction, raving on Pete’s many qualities. Both Pete and Genevieve are very rave-worthy.

Introductions made, I stepped out of the way, and the rest was up to them. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Closing Remarks

This story is a remarkable story of God’s trustworthiness. I said that there were only three people who knew both Pete and Genevieve before introductions were made. One was, of course, myself. Another was my sister Sophia who was with me in New Zealand when I met the Smiths. The third, of course-and most importantly-is Jehovah Jireh, God Himself. He knew Pete & Genevieve inside and out. He knew His calling on their lives. He knew their strengths and weaknesses, and how best to bless them and equip them for future fruitfulness. He knew, and He designed for them a “match made in Heaven”. And today we share in their joy and celebrate God’s goodness. In hindsight, it’s interesting to note that I met Pete and Genevieve within about six months of each other. Of course, I had no idea at the time that I would later be introducing one to the other, but in the providence of God, He already had it in mind.

God has done great things, and we are glad because of them. This day was made by the Lord. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Finally, I would like to briefly acknowledge the unusual-and oftentimes humorous-ways in which the Lord works. Pete met Genevieve through my introduction. But I met the Smiths- and hence Genevieve-through David Waldron’s introduction. But how did David know the Smiths? Well, he became good friends with them years ago when Mount Ruapehu started rumbling seriously. Houses were being evacuated, and without going into detail, one family offered emergency accommodation to the other, and they became good friends. Without the volcano, there might never have been that strong Smith-Waldron friendship. Without that friendship, there might never have been the Field-Smith connection. And without the Field-Smith connection, there might never have been the joyful event we’re celebrating today. Thus, in God’s good providence, and perhaps showing God’s sense of humour, we can quite literally say that God used a volcano to bring Pete & Genevieve together.

Blessing

Pete & Genevieve, may your marriage be fruitful. May joy, peace, and hospitality mark your home. May your children rise up and call you blessed, and walk in the ways of the Lord. May His favour and grace be on you and with you in all that you do. May His Word in your mouth touch people and nations. We rejoice with you, we thank God for what He’s done, is doing and will do, in, through and for you, and we stand with you, believe with you, and pray with you for God’s good pleasure to be accomplished in your lives and family, from this day forward.

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve de Deugd

Issacharian Wife

Following is the speech that my father-in-law, Henk de Deugd, gave at the reception:

“I count this opportunity to talk to this fine gathering of family and friends an honor and privilege. Let me commence by saying how proud I am of both of my sons, Andrew and Peter.

Andrew lives in [...]]]>

17 Nov 2008

Dear Girls,

Following is the speech that my father-in-law, Henk de Deugd, gave at the reception:

Opportunity & Privilege

“I count this opportunity to talk to this fine gathering of family and friends an honor and privilege. Let me commence by saying how proud I am of both of my sons, Andrew and Peter.

Andrew lives in Moree, NSW and grows the famous Australian hard prime wheat and in addition operates an agricultural contracting business. Peter operates a wood milling and wood product manufacturing business in a little place called Coghills Creek north of Ballarat in Victoria. Both Andrew and Pete are entrepreneurs, talented business men, and they both love freedom and private enterprise. They are very committed to their respective callings, they are enthusiastic, and possess thatDutch determination and tenacity.

Furthermore, they understand the importance of obedience to God’s Law-Word, and that blessings flow from that obedience. Today is a real special occasion for the de Deugd and Smith families because today marks the beginning of a whole lot of new relationships, friendships, and the formation of a much larger extended family.

A Little About Sue & I

Many of you know a lot about Pete already. I know that, because of all the emails that have been received in response to the engagement story in Genevieve’s newsletter. Recently, someone asked Sue what her secret was in training boys to grow up to be like Pete and Andrew. I won’t elaborate on what Sue said, but let me tell you a little about us, the people who have shaped the lives of both Andrew and Pete.

First, let me tell you that the shaping process started for me by marrying a Christian girl, one specially chosen and created to be my helper. Sue is Godly, gracious, gentle and loving and unswerving in her support of me as head of the family, and she is everything that I am not! Second, we provided a challenging environment for our boys, one in which their masculinity could develop. This included having old cars, go-carts, welding equipment, a pulling-thingsapart place, water rafts and going camping, hay carting through the night, hunting, and so on.

Third, we have encouraged family business which involves dad, mum and the children. Family business is a real good way to build character, practice innovation and develop entrepreneurship.

And fourth, we have built a home that encourages family worship, and around the meal table debates which tackle the tough, “Why?” questions. This, briefly, is the way we have grown together as a family.

About Pete

Let me now focus on Pete a little more, and tell you some things not commonly know. Everyone thinks Pete is a cabinet maker, a wood worker, a maker of fine furniture. This is true, but not altogether accurate. Pete is an inventor and entrepreneur. He sees opportunities everywhere. He is also a practical scientist and engineer. I think of him as a Manufacturing Process Engineer. Often we would sit at the kitchen table for morning or afternoon tea and out would come the blunt pencil, the old envelope and he would say, “I think I can shave about 30 seconds off the process by …. and this will make the product more competitive in the marketplace.” If after the conversation we agreed, then there would be a flurry of activity, and I would say to Sue late that night, “Where is Pete?” “Oh,” she would say, “He is in the shed making a new machine-you know the one that is going to take another 30 seconds off the process!”

In this context, Pete’s business continues to grow and that mainly by word of mouth. He is building a solid reputation for his manufacturing skill. Furthermore, Pete has clearly established his calling, and it is this calling that Genevieve has identified with, and really appreciates. She has seen the real opportunity in making this a family business. Her dad and others will tell more about Genevieve and how this day has come about.

About Genevieve

Now what do Sue and I think about Genevieve? Well, Genevieve, you are beautiful, attractive, chaste, modest and now married to a very special man. Not only that, you are capable, intelligent, virtuous, and your gifts, abilities, and character superbly compliment Pete’s entrepreneurial and innovative talents. I am excited to know, that you will stand by Pete, and strengthen his calling by ably complementing him in the many areas of life. I am even more excited to know that you appreciate and desire to help Pete build his family business, and be a friend to all his friends and family.

I am also pleased that you and Pete have a multigenerational focus, and want to establish a
sure foundation for your children’s, children.

About the Future

Over the last six months or so, Pete shared with me some of the conversation he has had with Genevieve about the future. Recently, I asked Pete, “How does Genevieve picture married life to be like?” He replied, somewhat starry-eyed, “She says I am really wonderful, so much so that she looks forward to a whole lot of little Petes running around. And what did you tell her I asked? He immediately replied, “Genevieve is so wonderful that I am looking forward to seeing a lot of little Genevieve running around.” Well, as I see it, both families will need more process engineers, designers, farmers, secretaries, lawyers, environmental engineers, plumbers, etc, so we look to God for His blessing in this regard.

Now, Genevieve I know you are a visionary and multigenerational thinker and this is certainly an advantage because it makes the present hardships easier to manage. In thinking long and hard about this multigenerational perspective, I thought to myself, how can I encourage you both?
Well, I snuck into the innovator’s bedroom looking for a clue for an answer to my question. Surprise, surprise, on the wall that doesn’t have exotic timbers stored against it, I noted a shelf with some interesting things on it that Pete has gathered over the years. These things obviously mean a lot to him. On this shelf is a very old decorative timber trinket box, a special old red wine glass, a ship’s captain’s wheel with a bell mounted in the centre of it, and…

Next to that ship’s wheel was something very special-something very durable. Genevieve, I quietly took this from that top shelf so that I would have the priviledge of giving it to you.

This, Genevieve, is a multigenerational gift for your little Petes. These are about 30 years old. They would have been secondhand when we got them and have been on some special little feet. This is the end of my speech but today is the beginning of the establishment of a new extended trustee family. Welcome Genevieve. We will love you like our own daughter!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve de Deugd

Issacharian Wife

Dear Girls,

The next newsletter is attached. (because there are no notes this time I am adding this below instead of in a  pdf)

Warm regards,

Genevieve

In the weeks leading up to the wedding people [...]]]>

Issacharian Daughters #088 – Wedding Reception Part 1

Dear Girls,

The next newsletter is attached. (because there are no notes this time I am adding this below instead of in a  pdf)

Warm regards,

Genevieve

ID088 – Wedding Reception – Part 1 

10 Nov 2008

In the weeks leading up to the wedding people would ask my family and I, “Are you stressed?” And in the week before the wedding people would say to us, “Now, don’t tell us that you aren’t stressed!” Days before the wedding someone bought us all little stress balls to squeeze.

And yet these comments had my family and I all flummoxed. We weren’t stressed. Rather we were really enjoying this time leading up the wedding.

We were not relieved of stress because we had handed the whole wedding over to a wedding planner and were now simply sitting back sipping pina coladas while waiting for the big day to arrive.

No, the wedding was a project that my whole family took on and we were blessed with a great deal of help from our church and from friends. We did the wedding on a budget and tried to be resourceful and creative to keep outgoings minimal. Friends donated bunches and bunches of lavender which was made up in bundles for each table at the reception.

More lavender and help was given to make wedding favour lavender bottles as well. And a friend also helped us to make chocolate cameos which were put at each place at the reception. We fashioned the reception meal after a very successful Reformation Day party dinner our church had put on. The dinner was fresh breads and buns, cold meats, cheeses and soup-very simple, but hearty, and much talked about. We figured it was the perfect menu for our reception since we would be self-catering and needed to keep preparation as simple as a meal like this allowed. Dessert was wedding cake, fresh fruit, fruit kebabs and after dinner mints. A baker at our church made all the fresh bread for us and women from church and other places made the soups-big jobs considering we were catering for 350.

One of Dad’s friends heads up a church youth group which is very service-oriented. He said that under the oversight of a talented woman he knew, the young folks could prepare and serve the food at the reception-that it would be a great service activity for the group. We gladly accepted this offer of help. It was a real blessing.

Our church loaned us lots of tables, chairs, plates and cutlery for the reception dinner and a friend with a flat-bed truck along with a crew of others helped us to transport it all to the reception venue the day before the wedding. Another friend was just closing up a portable and homebased cafe and catering business. She loaned us screeds of equipment to make life easier for the folks who were preparing and serving the food at the reception.

Our family was ever so grateful for all this help. And delighted because it made the wedding so much more of a community affair. It was very significant to me that the community I had grown up in and been influenced and nurtured by would take part in so important a step in my life.

Apart from all this help-and we couldn’t have pulled off the wedding without it-my family and I believe the occasion was so pleasant and stress-free because of:

A. Dad’s leadership. He initiated all the strategy meetings and kept things underway.

B. The way my family embraced the wedding as a family project. We had worked together on things before and enjoyed working together. It was natural to now work on the wedding together.

C. The way my sister, Charmagne, and I were at home. We weren’t having to juggle outside work. We could dedicate a lot of time and energy to the wedding in the relaxed atmosphere of our home. This was pretty key. Charmagne did a lot towards the wedding. She made and decorated the wedding cake, designed and made my wedding dress, her bridesmaid dress, the flower girl’s dress, my sister Gracie’s dress, the 14 maiden daughters dresses (drafted and cut out all though only sewed up two), cravats/European ties for Pete and his groomsman, boutonnieres for these two and Pete’s and my mothers, Mum’s outfit and she put together a feather basket for the flower girl and with the help of another friend assembled all the flower bouquets for herself, myself and the maiden daughters. And this is just the beginning! If either of us had been out working 9-5 then I think the time before the wedding would have been stressful. But it wasn’t and this was a wonderful and unanticipated blessing of being daughters at home.

Friends and enthusiastic supporters of Pete’s and my
courtship, the Schultz family, wrote and recorded a
blessing song for us. They couldn’t attend the wedding but
we played the DVD of the song at the reception.

May the Lord be Glorified
(Pete’s and Genevieve’s Song)
Groom (imagine a male voice singing):
From this moment till I die, I will love you as my life
(Ephesians 5v28, 33)
I will leave my family, and will cleave only to thee
(Genesis 2v24, Ephesians 6v31)
With God’s Word I will wash you, I will lead and protect you
(Ephesians 5v26)
As God’s faithfulness is true, with His strength I will be too
(Lamentations 3v22, 23; Psalm 119v90)
Bride (imagine a female voice singing):
From this moment till I die, I will be your chosen bride
(Romans 7v2-3; Proverbs 18v22)
And these vows that I will say, bind our hearts in Christ
always
(Ephesians 5v31, 1 Peter 3v7)
I will love and reverence you, and I will submit to you
(Ephesians 5v22, 33; 1 Peter 3v1)
As God’s faithfulness is true, with His strength I will be too
(Lamentations 3v22-23; Psalm 119v90)
Together:
Now our hearts are one in Christ, and heirs of the grace of
life
(Malachi 2v15; 1 Peter 3v7)
What God has joined together, let no man put asunder
(Matthew 19v6)
With God’s blessing we will seek, to raise Godly offspring
(Genesis 1v28; Malachi 2v15)
Now as we live man and wife, may the Lord be glorified
(1 Peter 5v10-11)
May the Lord be glorified

Pete and I treasure this blessing song, particularly the
prayer it contains that the Lord would be glorified by our
marriage.

During the reception my brother, Zach, initiated toasts to Mr and Mrs de Deugd and to my parents as well-honouring and thanking them. My brother, Alanson, toasted Pete and I. We also had speeches by Mr de Deugd, Dad, the best man and Pete. And Dad read out some blessings from people who had played a significant part in my life and who were unable to attend the wedding. I hope, Lord willing, to share these in future newsletters.

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve de Deugd

Issacharian Wife

Dear Girls,

The next newsletter is attached. Click here to read and see photos: id087-maiden-daughters2

Warm regards,

Genevieve

Welcome and History

Welcome to all [...]]]>

Dear Girls,

Attached is the next newsletter — click here  .id086-wedding-ceremony-part-4

Regards,

Genevieve

]]>

Dear Girls,

Attached is the next newsletter. Click this link to see the photos and article:  id085-wedding-ceremony-part-3

Regards,

Genevieve de Deugd

.

]]>

Dear Girls,

Welcome to all of you who have subscribed to the Issacharian Daughters newsletter over the past few weeks. It is wonderful to have you join us!

To give [...]]]>

Click on this link for the next newsletter:

Website: http://www.issacharian.com

Archived newsletters: www.issacharian.com/?page=daughters
or here: http://hef.org.nz/category/issacharian-daughters/