Details ...
Wedding Day!
Sunday, February 10, 2019
The Couple is registered at:
(Click on the links below to go directly to their registry)
Target
Their Story...
David's testimony:
I first heard about Weigh Down and Remnant in 2010 when I was in Spain. My mom found it online by just typing "Dios, dieta" (God, diet) and Remnant was the first result! Most of my family has always been overweight, and constantly battles dieting and exercise, even at a very young age. With no direction and not much purpose in life, Remnant’s teachings came as a breath of fresh air to me.
During that first couple of years I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, college, etc. I was heavily drinking, weighed around 320lbs and smoked weed almost on a daily basis. I remember the empty feeling, the loneliness, and the lack of purpose. I also had great anxiety and fears that sometimes stopped me from doing some of the day to day activities that a 16-17 year old should do.
I was blessed enough to visit the church in Nashville a few times and the teachings sunk in to the point I lost 140lbs in about 8 months. I was able to move here in 2014 but left a root of greed, so I realized I mixed a bit of the old heavy exercising and Weigh Down when I originaly lost the weight. After a few years some of the weight came back on and life took some unexpected turns, but through it all my desire to have a relationship with God never changed. I wake up everyday and my purpose in life now is to be godly, which I’ve never considered before, and through this year especially God has taught me a lot, and given back in every area ten-fold- from finances to housing to friendships to relationships!
"...I fell in love with her kind heart, her smile and how no matter the situation, Sam will always stand up for what is true and what is right.” - David
Which brings me to the story of how I met Sam. It all started by going to lunch after church with the youth and seeing each other at fellowship gatherings. I started to talk to her and get to know her better and the more we were talking the more I fell in love with her kind heart, her smile and how no matter the situation, Sam will always stand up for what is true and what is right. Her servant's heart captivated me as she is always looking for the needs of everyone around her, pulling everyone in to the middle of the pack. I can't even count the number of times she's pulled people over to the middle of the dance floor or encouraged other people that needed it! She always makes it a point that we are a team fighting together for this kingdom and it makes my heart melt. She is truly the biggest answered prayer, the bravest woman I know and a blessing from heaven- beautiful inside and out. Through the months we kept getting signs from God and it seemed that this may have been what was meant to be all along! I really feel that Sam is my media naranja (soulmate in Spanish) and I'm grateful that God put her in my life.
I am eternally grateful for the leadership in this church and I have to specifically mention Tedd Anger, Durville Patton, and Rick Mendl who were amazing help through the years!
It all boils down to putting into practice what we’ve been taught here, God's timing is and always have been perfect, his decisions are perfect even though we may not understand it while we are walking through fire. Everyone has a test they need to conquer, and there are forsure miracles to be seen on the other side!
Now looking back I know the past experiences made me who I am today, they got me to this point and they’ve allowed me to get closer to God.
I am beyond thrilled to marry Sam, my true soulmate, and to continue to put this message into practice.
Samantha's testimony:
My mom and I joined Remnant Fellowship Church in 2002 when I was 9 years old. As I got older, I always kept one foot in the door at church so I'd have a place to go when things went wrong, but I longed for a life with no boundaries and no consequences. When I turned 18 I made the decision to leave the church and all my friends behind so I could live that "worry-free" life I had always wanted. I spent the next three years in a constant cycle of heartbreak, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. I was so caught up in my own life that I didn't realize how I was hurting everyone around me. I thought I needed more friends and better relationships, a new job, a bigger house, anything I could work towards to find happiness. I was really close to Denise Thissen (then MacPherson) growing up so I reached out to her one day and she offered to send me The History of the Love of God, a new book by Gwen Lara that she said might help me. I opened the cover once and then mixed it in with all the other books on the shelf.
She also sent me an invitation to her wedding and I wanted to go, but knew that I would have to swallow a ton of pride to ever sit in the church again. My mom said she was going too and that the Thatcher's offered for us to stay the weekend with them so I agreed to go. Let me tell you, there was a battle over my heart that even I could see and feel. I sat in the back for the ceremony and cried the entire time because I finally saw what I had really wanted all those years- it was all the love, joy, and peace that come from living a life devoted to God. I went home that weekend with a heavy heart because I knew what I needed to do. It took a few months for me to actually get the courage to change, but once I did, I've never looked back. I am forever humbled and grateful to God for giving me this chance to get my heart and my life right before Him.
"I am in complete awe of what God has done and I pray that our lives and our marriage are a testament to how good our God is.” - Samantha
It has not been an easy road, but I wouldn't change it for the world because this is the road that led me back to a relationship with God, this amazing church, my exceptional friends and family, and to the most incredible future husband. I am in complete awe of what God has done and I pray that our lives and our marriage are a testament to how good our God is.
How David and I met...
I was looking for a seat at church for our Purim service and an usher directed me to an open one right next to David. I had never even spoken to him before but I got butterflies just sitting down. At one point during the service I looked up at him and thought "this might be it, there might be something here." I can't fully explain it but something in my heart just knew we were supposed to be together. Of course, I got pretty curious about that so any time I went out with friends after church and youth gatherings I made sure one of the guys invited him. It didn't take long for us to realize that God was moving in our lives. When we started dating, the love and encouragement that we received from this church and from all of our friends was overwhelming, to say the least. There have been so many signs that we've prayed for both separately and together that truly confirmed this is what God wanted. It's been so encouraging to see how God answers our prayers in ways we would never have imagined.
The timing of everything was completely orchestrated by God and I have total faith that He knew what he was doing all along. I truly believe that everything God had us walk through in our lives was in preparation for bringing us together, so we can appreciate fully the amazing life we've been given by God to share together.
I truly could not have ever dreamed up a more perfect person to spend the rest of my life with. I cannot thank God enough for literally putting my soulmate right next to me.
