A Wedding and a Circumcision all in One Day

Some of our team with the bride and groom!

From what I have gathered from Indonesians, (after spending 14 years of my childhood here and now 8 months of my adulthood,) is that they love a reason to have a ceremony or a “pesta” (party.) This is definitely an endearing part of the Indonesian culture.

                So on the day Greg went to conquer a volcano, earlier in the summer, we also had a few important things going on in our small town that I got to join in on.

We had been invited to one of our Indonesian friend’s wedding. We knew it was going to be a special experience as soon as we received the invitation in the mail two weeks before- they seem to be more elaborate here than in the States. I had been to several Javanese weddings before as a child but that mostly brought back memories of being irritated with being too hot and the ceremony being too long. So I was glad to get this new experience as an adult (even though, I do grow impatient with heat and long ceremonies still.)

We only went to the wedding reception, but there was a lot to experience culturally in that short span of time. Lots of sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. I returned rather over stimulated (so a nap was a must); this happens a lot for me especially in Indonesia. I had a friend once say, “Oh, Jenn, every part of you is sensitive!” as she ate dinner with me and I was so effected by each smell that came with the courses of the meal.  I am not sure if that was a compliment, but I choose to turn around and walk in the “gifting” of being sensitive, and let God use it for His good purpose…

The infamous MCs!

                The wedding was great. The couple wore traditional Javanese clothing- with so many colors, golden ornaments, and flowers. The reception was complete with buffet and 4 different food stations. I was ready to stay a long time and try little tastes of everything- but my stomach had different plans for that day. There were also MC’s for the reception who took on the role of singers, comedians, and fashionistas (see picture at right.) They were helpful in helping us know what to do next. What we did notice was that it seemed more about the guests than the bride and groom. So there we go…the first wedding, so much culture, and such a lovely couple. Stay tuned til later this week to hear about the “sunatan” (circumcision.)