What can we say? It was a beautiful, Christ-centered, and fun wedding! And not having seen Grant and Sara’s relationship develop over the past couple years, it was great for us as parents to witness their deep love and commitment to each other.

It was also a pleasure to meet Sara’s family for the first time. What a wonderful bunch of people! And it was great to see our boys together again and also have our three Papua New Guinean “sons” be a part of the big event. All in all, it was a wonderful time and we are thankful to God for His blessings.

First off, little Patrick stole the show with his side-stepping down the aisle :)

Sara’s immediate family

Absiez and Kairu (unfortunately the one picture we have of Amaechi is blurry)

The Peters and Bruners

What a lovely wedding party!

Singing the Doxology and praying for the newlyweds was a special way to end the day

Grant and Sara are currently in the Solomon Islands on their honeymoon because Sara really wanted to see where Grant grew up. Next week they’ll be HERE for six days! :)

Thanks for reading the four-part story of our whirlwind trip to America. Until next time..

TO BE IN TOUCH:

PO Box 1 (134), Ukarumpa EHP 444, Papua New Guinea – john_bruner@sil.org, j-b.bruner@sil.org.pg

** (new address) Grant and Sara Bruner, 700 Daniel Ellis Dr., Apt 10105, Charleston, SC 29412 – grantbruner27@gmail.com & sarabruner14@gmail.com

Joey Bruner, c/o Dave & Ceil Bruner, 206 Forest Trail, Isle of Palms, SC 29451 – joeydbruner@gmail.com

TO GIVE ONLINE:

https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/Bruners

TO GIVE BY MAIL:

send gifts to:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

(The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators – include a note that says it is for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

 

 

As the parents of the groom, our responsibility was the rehearsal dinner. Grant and Sara requested that we do a Mumu (or Motu as we say in the Solomon Islands) – a traditional Solomon Island/Papua New Guinea meal. A Mumu is a way of cooking using hot stones. First a pit is dug in the ground and stones are put in and then heated up. When they are hot, food like meat, sweet potatoes, and greens are put in and covered up with banana leaves and dirt and then allowed to cook.

We weren’t sure how this was all going to work in America, BUT God provided what we needed and it all came together!

• A house where the owner was fine with us digging Mumu pits in his backyard! The house was Grant’s bachelor pad he shared with some buddies.
• Sweet potatoes that were almost identical to the ones in PNG (not the American orange yam). We found them at a small Asian foods store in the small town in Arkansas where John Brown University is located!
• A nearby river that had good rocks for a Mumu.
• Two PNG boys that masterminded it – Kairu and Amaechi – and two others to help with all the work- Joey and Luke.
• And a park with a pavilion we could rent that was a minute’s drive from Grant’s house!

Grant’s house

Pits were dug and lined with rocks

The rocks were heated up

It wouldn’t have happened without Kairu and Amaechi!

The food waiting to be covered up and cooked…

…with foil (instead of banana leaves) and dirt

Before we ate, we did a mock Solomon Island/PNG bride price ceremony for Grant and Sara and her parents

We presented little carved pigs (instead of real ones!), a woven bag and hat, and then smeared mud on Grant and Sara

The menu included chicken, pork, beef, rice, noodles, greens, sweet potato (some of those things cooked in coconut milk), watermelon, and banana cake

Over 60 people came which included the wedding party and extended family (so fun to see so many people!)

What a wonderful day!

Thanks for reading and soon we’ll post the final update, The Wedding!

TO BE IN TOUCH:

PO Box 1 (134), Ukarumpa EHP 444, Papua New Guinea – john_bruner@sil.org, j-b.bruner@sil.org.pg

** (new address) Grant and Sara Bruner, 700 Daniel Ellis Dr., Apt 10105, Charleston, SC 29412 – grantbruner27@gmail.com & sarabruner14@gmail.com

Joey Bruner, c/o Dave & Ceil Bruner, 206 Forest Trail, Isle of Palms, SC 29451 – joeydbruner@gmail.com

TO GIVE ONLINE:

https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/Bruners

TO GIVE BY MAIL:

send gifts to:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

(The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators – include a note that says it is for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)