Joel and Holly’s Wedding

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was able to visit a church I had not set foot in for about 12 years. The last time I was in this church, it was to witness two of my very good friends committing their lives to the Lord and to each other. I remember coming in a little bit late to that previous wedding, but nobody noticed. All eyes were on the radiant couple and we, the witnesses, sang a congregational hymn together. The church was Terra AltaChurch of the Nazarene, and it is a log cabin church that sits atop a hill in Preston County West Virginia.

This time I was visiting to participate in another wedding. One of my old roommates, Joel Setal was getting married to another friend of mine, Holly Hayes. They are both very unique individuals. Both are passionate about their faith, about justice, and about caring for others. The are both incredible artists as well. Joel’s medium is photography, and Holly has worked with ceramics as well as painting and sketchwork.

Interestingly, they have both been part of my life for nearly ten years. They may have even crossed paths over that time span, but they didn’t really ‘meet’ until about 3-4 years ago at a Bible study at my house. It’s pretty cool to see people connect from very different worlds to become united in marriage. Joel’s family is from Guyana but he grew up in Brooklyn, and made his way to West Virginia University. Holly’s family has been in Preston County for a long time, but she has lived for a few years in Columbus, OH.

Now, they are starting their new life together in Morgantown. It was a beautiful day when they were married, and I am sure they will have even more beautiful days in their new life together. I’m grateful that I was able to be part of their special day, in a special location, and I’m hopeful for Mr. and Mrs. Setal to have an incredible life filled with adventures together.