« The Yellowcake Conspiracy | Main | Riots in Ouagadougou »

February 27, 2008

Four Weddings and a Fanta

“The time has now come for everyone to raise their glasses in a toast. But first of all, I want to ask those on the top table to raise your – er, well, as we don’t have any glasses – to raise your bottles, to toast the married couple.”

Everyone raised their Fanta bottles, and we celebrated Steve getting “married” for the fourth time.

Four weddings would make Steve a good Muslim– it’s just that in his case each one was to the same woman (you can see photos and read about the others here and here). This time, the whole wedding and reception was arranged in 24 hours, a feat I believe not accomplished for the original wedding in London.

We were in Markoye, near Gorom-Gorom, where Steve had started his life in Africa with me and my friends. This was his first return since his marriage, and he came with his new wife, Charlie. So Pastor Adama of Markoye decided we should celebrate their wedding once more. The church there bought Charlie a new outfit and nice blue Fulani shoes. I was invited to preach and so had the privilege as a single person of telling the married couple how to live. And then I got to pray for them and bless them. The church was filled with Muslim friends who came to celebrate with us, and afterwards we had a feast of goat meat and spaghetti. And Fanta.

It was great.

Posted by Keith at February 27, 2008 11:18 AM