Details ...
Wedding Day!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
The Couple is registered at:
Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Target
Their Story...
Levi Voorhis
My family joined Remnant Fellowship in 2002 and we moved to Tennessee in 2005. However, it wasn't until 2013 that I truly joined the Church in my heart. All those years, I never once doubted the Truth we hear. However, testing did become difficult and I struggled with the lie that I didn’t have friends. As a result, I ran to food for comfort. When actually the was opposite true...and I was able finally to see that not only do I have friends, but also they are Godly loving friends. Friends who the whole time had been trying to help me get my life right because we are all running the same race, and trying to reach the same goal which is God's kingdom of Heaven—and the only way to get there is through love and obedience. Through the teachings of Remnant Fellowship I have been taught to only have one focus, God. By having that one focus I have been able to get out of self, know that I am no one, to always think of others as better than me and assume the best of everyone with no judgement in my heart. I can now say I am truly "all in" for God. All credit goes to Him and the messages we get to hear at Remnant Fellowship Church.
"This time of engagement has been so blessed and has allowed us to not only grow even closer to each other but to God as well."- Levi
I met Lilia in November of 2015, however I started to notice her in 2014. One day I was at dinner with a friend and he mentioned her, so I asked what she was like. After that I started to notice Lilia more and more, seeing her always out of self, serving even when she could be doing something else...which then opened my eyes to see she was not only gorgeous on the outside but lovely on the inside too. Someone that could help me run this race. Out of genuine respect for her and her parents, I asked permission to date Lilia...and her parents gave their blesssing. In the time of our dating, Lilia has helped me get out of self more, to not worry about what others think of me and to serve more because God always gives back every bit of time you give to his Kingdom. She helped me with so much...I knew she was the one for me. On March 11, 2017, God allowed the most perfect snowy day to propose to my Lilia. It all happened in the blink of an eye. This time of engagement has been so blessed and has allowed us to not only grow even closer to each other but to God as well.
Lilia Reyes:
My sweet mother Teresa Reyes found Remnant Fellowship Church through Weigh Down. In 2002 she was given the "Rise Above" book written by Gwen Shamblin and lost 40 lbs. She noticed instantly that she had found the pearl of great value. She applied the teachings to all the areas of her life and immediately saw the blessings that came from it. Then in February of 2002 my family joined Remnant Fellowship. Although my mother always wanted to move to Tennessee, it wasn't until 2013 when God moved my Dad’s heart with the same desire and we were blessed to get to move to Tennessee. My Dad put complete trust in God as he sacrificed so much to move us here.
It has been the biggest blessing to have been given the answers to true happiness and peace. Growing up I remember the most exciting gift I received was a Bible my mother had bought for me. She always encouraged us to put God first in our lives and that would make all the difference.
"The life we get to live is a fairytale and I am in complete awe at how personal and good God is."- Lilia
When I turned 15, I became complacent and began to be pulled by worldly desires. My attitude toward the beautiful life my mother had shown me began to change. I stopped appreciating it and became full of anger, greed, pride and selfishness. Although I knew the answer to have peace in my heart, I still chose the path of a miserable life. I gained 25 pounds because I was empty and turned to food to fill my heart. I was at a very low point in my life. Despite all this, our merciful God and my family did not give up on me. My sweet mother once again came to me graciously encouraging me to get back on the path less traveled on and my life would be filled with peace and joy. Within a month after this talk, we moved to Tennessee.
It was a little testing at first as I had not fully made the change in my heart yet. Even so, the youth at Remnant were so kind and welcomed me with open arms, even though I had pushed them away for so many years. When I saw the love for God and love for others that many of them had in their hearts, I longed for a relationship with God like theirs. I no longer wanted to be lukewarm. After sometime, I made the change and began to dig into the word and use the tools we are provided with such as Weigh Down All Access, and "The History of Love of God" book written by Gwen Shamblin. My life began to be filled with true happiness, peace and the weight came off as I fell deeper in love with our patient and merciful God. Never again will I take for granted the messages we get to hear and put into practice.
The life we get to live is a fairytale and I am in complete awe at how personal and good God is. Growing up my mother always told me to trust in God because the perfect man He would pick would be one that I could never even imagine. This came to be true when I met my sweet Levi. Levi and I both have been attending Remnant Fellowship since we were four and five years old. We had never really spoken before but in 2013 when we moved here I noticed his sweet smile. Knowing at the time I was not in a place for any relationship other than one with God, I let go of the desire of any earthly relationship and focused on my connection with God.
I began to notice Levi again and prayed every night that God would allow us to at least become great friends. In the fall of 2015, Levi and I began to grow closer. God so sweetly let our first conversation to be about our sign from God, which just so happened to be the same one! Everything that led to the start of our relationship after that was so perfectly laid out by God. He truly does know the desires of our heart. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7. I cannot believe I get to marry such a fun, gentle and selfless man who loves God. From the moment we met, Levi’s servant heart and patience in every situation has stuck out to me. One of the things that attracted me to Levi is his love for God and the Church over the world. He stood strong in tests and never strayed from the path. This is something that I admire about Levi because he has never questioned that this Church is the place to be. 1 John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” I praise God for Remnant Fellowship Church where we learn to love our Heavenly Father first and have a relationship centered around him.
The Proposal
I woke up that morning so excited because it was Purim and the story of Esther is one of my favorites. Snow is also a big favorite of mine and on March 11th there just so happened to be a beautiful blanket of snow on the ground. After our Sabbath assembly that morning our families all went to Levi’s Grandparents house for lunch. Once everyone was done eating, Levi and I grabbed our coats so that we could go on a little walk, which I had been praying for that whole morning! As we were ending our walk and started up the back porch steps, I looked out at the blanket of snow and thought to myself that there could not be a more perfect moment (little did I know there would be). I felt so thankful to God for giving me that precious time with Levi. When we got to the top of the porch Levi began sharing some of our favorite memories and how blessed our relationship has been. He then got on one knee and asked me to marry him!! I was completely surprised and so very overjoyed! I immediately said YES!! Our family's excitement was ringing through the walls and our friends soon joined us to celebrate! I am amazed at all God has done and continues to do in our lives. Waiting on God’s will and putting him first is the most wonderful thing! I am so honored and excited to get to marry the man of my dreams and join the Voorhis family this November!
