Engagement Day!!!



The bride and groom in their new clothes.

I've become friends in my time here with one of Ruth's nieces.  Shortly after I met her, she had a 5 minute meeting with the man she is going to marry.  My first trip to Hyderabad last month was for the meeting of her family and his to decide if there was going to be a wedding and to finalize an agreement for this arranged marriage.  Yesterday, I got to be there for her engagement.  We arrived in town late the night before and went to her home this morning.  After a short time there, we went to the location for the festivities.  People from both sides of Ruth's family had come for the occasion so they enjoyed some time visiting together while final preparations were made to the stage and we awaited the arrival of the groom's family.  The stage was set up with two large, red, throne-like chairs in the center.  When it was time to start, the groom was escorted up by his family and then my friend was taken up by hers.  Various pastors from the family spoke and prayed.  The groom's family presented gifts to the bride of food, flowers and a new sari.  The bride's family also gave the groom a new outfit and they both went off to change while two of Ruth's nieces sang a few songs.  The couple came back in their new clothes, the families joined them on the stage and they exchanged rings.  Then they stood there while the bride's relatives came up by families to bless them and take a picture.  We all ate lunch and then the photos continued as the groom's family filed across the stage.  The fathers also spent time with various other family members to discuss the details of the wedding.  The date is set for February 14 and now that they are engaged, my friend and her husband to be can finally begin getting to know each other through phone conversations.  We escorted the bride and groom back to the bride's home and then the groom left with his family.  We said our good-byes and started the long drive home.  We had barely pulled away from the house when I was trying to get a couple of bugs out the window and realized too late that I had grabbed a BEE!!!!  I'd never been stung before and it proved difficult getting the stinger out of my thumb.  My thumb thobbed for the first hour or so of the trip!  Bee stings are painful!!!  But otherwise, it was a great day!  =)