April 17--Day before Alesha's wedding

We left NY on Tuesday, April 15, in early afternoon. We picked up Erika at Jamestown Community College and headed on our way. (Jeremiah had made the trip to Texas earlier with his grandparents, because he was off school that whole week). We stopped in Fort Wayne, IN, to pick up Leah, one of the bridesmaids. Leah was one of our Gambia M.K.s, and we were all so excited she was able to be in the wedding. She goes to college in IN. We stopped for the night in Terre Haute, IN. The next day we drove to Fort Worth, TX, where we stayed with Alesha in the house that she and Nathan were renting. We got in late that night but stayed up even longer visiting. The next day we went to meet Nathan's family and spent some time at their house, then we all went to the A&M Gardens in Azle, TX, for the rehearsal.

This is the reception hall at the gardens, and the smaller building to the right were the rooms for the bridal party and the groom's party to get ready in.

This is Nathan and Alesha's pastor discussing the communion service portion with Duane. We really liked him a lot.

This is Nathan's mom and dad, Daphne and Brian, and they are a really great family. Nathan's sister, Andrea, was one of the bridesmaids.

The bride-to-be at the entrance to the sunken garden where the wedding would be held.

Rehearsing the wedding in the early evening--the rain eventually drove us under the pavilion to the left.