Nina has known Bri for several years having met when Bri was incarcerated at the Pocatello Womens Correctional Center and Nina was the Relief Society President there. Bri wasn’t there very long, but faithfully attended all the meetings and cheerfully took part in every way. Nina and the other women serving in the presidency just came to love her … and that was reciprocated.
Several months ago we received a “Save the Date” card letting us know that she were going to be married on April 29th in the Portland Temple. Of course we were going to save the date! A few months later an invitation to the sealing and to the reception arrived. The date was solid!
We left Pocatello early yesterday morning (April 28th) and drove the 12 1/2 hours to Hillsboro, a town a bit west of Portland. This morning we were at the Portland Temple in plenty of time. When we were ushered into Sealing Room #12, some 27 people where there to participate and witness this event. It was clear that Nic and Bri had a lot of friends and supporters! A couple of the young ladies there had driven over to Pocatello to see Bri when she was there. Many more were faithful letter writers. She had cleared up everything with family, with Nic, and with the Lord. She was so pretty sitting on the couch with her husband-to-be Nic ready to be married in the Temple and sealed for eternity. I have great confidence that this marriage will make it for at least that long.
After the sealing we met them outside for pictures. Then Nina and I went back into the Temple to do an endowment session. The Portland Temple is beautiful and quite unique. We had a delightful session. A visit to Barnes and Noble followed, then we went to the reception.
Bri and Nic are both converts to the Church. As such, their families were not able to be in the Temple with them this morning. Consequently, they arranged to do a ring ceremony, complete with groomsmen and bridesmaids at the beginning of the reception. The area was packed with a couple hundred family and friends. They are obviously well liked and very popular!
It’s been a lovely day and a great experience being here. Tomorrow we’re headed north from Portland to Seattle where we’ll spend some time with Jared, and with Wendy and her family. TTFN!