EFC-Davao celebrates 25 years of marriage
By La Donna Yap
Five proud grooms stood in the altar seeing the women they have loved for all these years walk down the aisle. Looking as beautiful as ever, the brides reminisced how they have been together for better or for worse. With tears falling down their cheeks, they walked to the front, with eyes only to their husbands. Once again, they met at the altar, and with so much pride delivered the anticipated sweet “I DO.”
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person”, as the saying goes. In this light, the Married Couples Fellowship of Evangel Family Church – Davao recognizes the importance of building a successful marriage relationship. Reaching the milestone of 25 years in marriage is not an easy achievement. For varied reasons, many couples have not even reached a decade. To rejoice over a lasting union, the event dubbed as Celebrating 25 years & beyond was birthed.
On September 26, 2014, family, friends and members of Evangel Family Church-Davao gathered together to witness the solemn and meaningful Renewal of Vows Ceremony of the five triumphant couples, namely: Engr. Avelino and Mrs. Nelly Domingo, married for 47 years; Engr. Jonadab and Mrs. Nenfa Sepulveda, married for 43 years; Mr. Felix and Mrs. Becilda Morcillos, married for 40 years; Mr. Valentino and Mrs. Minda Tamayo, married for 32 years; and Mr. Roland and Mrs. Rowena Jumawan, married for 26 years.
During the course of the preparation, it has been known that most of these couples were not wed in church. According to them, this event is a dream comes true. These couples represent the many wives who wished that they were able to walk down the aisle on their wedding day as well as the many husbands who wished that they were able to fulfill their wives’ dream. By the grace of God, the Married Couples Fellowship became an instrument to carry out the answers to these prayers.
Rev. Peter Wee, officiated the ceremony and inspired the couples and everyone with the message “MARRIAGE IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT. ” He shared that married couples rely on the wrong source of love to sustain their relationship when God is the only source of love, a love that can overcome any problem in marriage. Only God can meet our deepest need and only God can love us
perfectly, permanently and powerfully. Couples who build their marriages on the Love of God will certainly cross the finish line with great success.
It was such a tender moment to see the children of these five couples taking turns to pay tribute to their parents and honoring them with various gifts, AVPs, beautifully crafted poems and touching words of appreciations. What a delightful way to end the night’s celebration with a sumptuous buffet dinner and warm fellowship with loved ones and friends. This event would certainly be a memory to keep and the fulfilled couples were a sight to behold for a lifetime.
