Wait. This short and simple word is all throughout the bible
admonishing us that we should wait for the Lord. After years of prayer about my
future husband, the Lord in 2007, laid a verse on my heart—Psalm 27:14. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let
your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Thanking the Lord for this answer to prayer, I recommitted
myself to wait for the Lord and His perfect timing. After coming to Peru in 2008 and experiencing my first mission
trip and getting to know Peru Mission, I was convinced the Lord was not telling
me to wait for a husband, but to wait “for the Lord” and what He had in
store. What he had in store was a
call to the mission field. Little
did I know that this calling WAS the answer to my prayer for a godly husband.
Hermes Apolo Tómas Rocha and I met shortly after my arrival
to Trujillo in April 2009. He was
part of the young adult group at the church I attended. We sparked up a friendship and over the
course of a year and a half became good friends. In August 2010 after praying for six (6) months, he
confessed his feelings for me and declared his intentions. After much prayer and with the counsel
and consent of the mission, we began dating September 5, 2010. Over the past year, we have both grown personally
in our walks with the Lord as well as a couple walking together. We had been
praying for the Lord’s will and clear blessing upon our relationship. This past
week, the Lord answered our prayers.
As a result of prayer, counsel from good friend and mentor,
Allen Smith, and lots of his own planning, Hermes surprised me Wednesday night
before Thanksgiving and took me to a water park here in town before
dinner. I was stunned when he got
on one knee and in English asked for my hand in marriage! Of course, I said, “Yes!”
He had arranged for Sandi Smith to be there and photograph the special occasion.
Thanks to Sandi for capturing this special moment. So, not only did my friend
get to be there for the big moment, but also we have some amazing photos to
remember that night for a lifetime. After the proposal, we dined with Allen and Sandi and asked
them to be our godparents for the wedding (a Peruvian tradition). They have
been a great example to us as a godly couple as well as very close friends. We are thankful for their friendship and
discipleship.
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| Hermes and me the night we got engaged. (c) Sandi Smith |
With the blessing of God, our families and the mission, we
plan to marry next year. I plan to continue working as Administrator and
Short-Term Team Coordinator for Peru Mission. Hermes is a salesman for a company
called La Joya where he sells dairy products to local restaurants and
stores. Additionally, as a very
talented musician, he uses those God-given gifts to play with a local folklore
group comprised of musicians from our church, Cristo Rey, and as a part of the
worship team at Cristo Rey on Sunday mornings. He also serves as a deacon at Cristo
Rey.
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| Hermes with the band, Muyupampa (c) Nate Henderson |
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| Playing the zampoña. He is very talented! (c) Nate Henderson |
Hermes and I are thrilled to share this exciting news with
you. Many of you have had the pleasure of knowing him through your visits to
Trujillo and I look forward to others meeting him when the Lord provides a way
for us to return to the States for a visit or your next trip to Peru. Please
pray for our upcoming nuptials and for the Lord to provide us more
opportunities to serve Him. In a culture where marriage is rare and often not
recognized as a gift from the Lord and a part of His redemption plan, we are
hopeful that the Lord may use us as a godly example of a Christian marriage and
encouragement to other young couples.
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| We had a great time with a photo shoot when Nate was in Peru in September. (c) Nate Henderson |
