1st December 2010
Dear friends,
Many of you have asked about our son Asiri’s and Cheryl’s wedding, and I was waiting for some photos to send with the report. I got them today. Asiri has reduced the size of four of the photos a lot, so that you would not have problems when downloading them.
It was a lovely wedding. It has been raining really heavily in the evenings for several weeks, but on that day we had clear skies. I believe the service brought honour to Christ in exalting the love of God and many who do not know Christ said what a blessing it was. The couple had chosen readings and hymns and songs that proclaimed the saving love of Christ. I was able to finally prepare my wedding sermon after discarding about three drafts! I spoke on how the love of Christ brings joy to our homes. This, to me, is one of the most exciting things about the Christian lifestyle.
(Did you know that when newly married men are exempted from military service for a year, the reason given in Deuteronomy 24:5 is that they should stay at home to make his wives happy? This is a wonderful goal for a married man to have in life. Considering that Christians are to make love their aim–1 Cor. 14:1–and that our wives are the closest relationship and responsibility we have, I would say it is a very biblical ambition. But the bi-product of such an ambition is a happy home—the greatest wealth a home could have).
Cheryl is a jewellery designer by profession, and she designed all the ladies clothes including her own dress. We thought they were beautiful. They reflected Cheryl’s commitment to simple beauty—a theme I am very excited about, considering all the inequality in this world. I would love for creative Christians like designers and architects to devote themselves to designing things that are beautiful and affordable to the poor. This could be a new frontier in innovation for Christian professionals!
Cheryl is presently an art teacher in a school in Colombo, and she will move to Kandy in the mountains at the end of the school term next week. Asiri is working there for YFC seeking to reach westernised youth. Cheryl has been travelling up to Kandy weekly for several months, even during Asiri’s stay in USA, to help out with this work.
Rejoicing in him,
Ajith