“Marriage, a union for life, is a symbol of the union between Christ and His church. The spirit that Christ manifests toward His church is the spirit that the husband and wife are to manifest toward each other. If they love God supremely, they will love each other in the Lord, ever treating each other courteously, drawing in even cords. In their mutual self-denial and self-sacrifice they will be a blessing to each other.” –The Adventist Home, p. 95
Most young people desire to be married one day. The challenge for some young people is that they say there are so few options in the church and so they get married outside the church. However, we are counselled. “As a child of God you are permitted to contract marriage only in the Lord. Be sure that you do not follow the imagination of your own heart, but move in the fear of God.” –A Call To Stand Apart, p. 50. True happiness in marriage can only be found if you share the same faith. Sometimes you may be required, to “Wait on the LORD,” but the promise is, “He shall strengthen thine heart.” Psalm 27:14
In 2023, three young men living in Canada patiently waited upon the Lord and each were blessed to join their lives in holy matrimony to a young woman who shares the same faith.
The Lord has someone for each person. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. Let us join in prayer for our young people that are still single, that they will patiently wait on the Lord, knowing that in the Lord’s time, He will direct and guide them to a good spouse with whom they can grow together in the Lord.
On October 2022, Jeffrey saw Flordeluna singing on the Canadian Field’s Mornings with God program and contacted her on Facebook. They immediately fell in love believing God put them together in this surprising and unexpected manner. After Jeffrey’s travelling to the Philippines three times, Jeffrey and Flordeluna got married five months later in Davao City in a civil wedding on March 24, 2023 and in a religious wedding on March 26, 2023.
Jeffrey and Flordeluna will live in Vancouver, Canada, where Jeffrey has been living for many years.
Richard and Emily met through mutual friends a number of years ago. Richard introduced Emily to the church and, over time, she began to attend, study, and read, before getting baptized in 2018. They spent this time building a strong friendship which became the foundation of their partnership. In the Lord’s time, after much patience and growth personally, with God and with each other, they got married on June 11, 2023. They will be living in Toronto, Canada in the first couple years of their marriage.
Makoto Matsumoto, (Japanese) and Ylenia Gallo (Italian) met in 2017 at the General Conference session in Italy. They have patiently waited on the Lord and had a long-distance relationship until Ylenia moved to Canada to be closer to Makoto, where he is studying in University. They were legally married on June 18, and held a reception with their Canadian friends. On July 3, they had their religious wedding in Italy.
They intend to continue living in Toronto, Canada.