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Newlyweds for 2210 days!
ABOUT JOY
Joy is a few months away from finishing her undergraduate career at UCLA. She chose Spanish as her major after spending the summer of 1999 working at a church in Mexico City. When she found out about the Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language minor a short time later she knew right away she should work on it also. This summer she had an opportunity to put both these things to use as she taught English with her roommate April in their Mexico City church. She has worked for UCLA's student store in the Bearwear department since last summer and loves getting payed to help others shop for UCLA clothing and accessories.
ABOUT JON
Jon isn't a rocket scientist, but in his job with the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena he's writing programs for a weather satellite. He's a very active alumnus of Alpha Gamma Omega, the Christ-centered fraternity founded at UCLA and teaches an inductive Bible study of Galatians for the new members. He loves the outdoors and has helped Joy develop a love for God's creation also. Every chance he gets he pulls out a book to read (usually on theology or military history) and if he's lucky he gets to use Joy's lap as a pillow. He has also compiled information, links, and photos relating to our recent adventures on his web site.
HOW WE MET
Jon was a sixth-year senior at UCLA when Joy arrived on campus as a first-year student in the Fall of 1998. The first time we were introduced was during registration week when Jon was tabling (sitting at a table waiting for people to ask for information about AGO) on Bruin Walk. He was already a member of AGO, and Joy was already planning to join Little Sisters of Maranatha, AGO's women's auxiliary. We talked frequently during that year because Jon was nearly always home (at the fraternity house) and Joy was constantly visiting the brothers there. Jon graduated at the end of that year and before finals were over Joy had left for a two-month missions trip in Mexico City.
When Joy returned to school the next fall (1999) she found out that Jon had decided to continue living at the house and work in Pasadena rather than moving back to Virginia as many had suspected he would. We ended up spending more time together that year talking, doing ministry together, and even shopping for work clothes for Jon. Then, on March 23, 2000, we went out for coffee and hot chocolate (guess who drank which), talked, decided we were going to start dating, and walked around campus together under the stars. We talked late into the evening and haven't really stopped since.
WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED
November 11, 2001
HOW IT HAPPENED
Jon asked me to go camping on Veteran's Day weekend since I wouldn't have class on Monday. He suggested a few places but I really wanted to go back to Joshua Tree National Park. Almost a year before it was the site of our first camping trip and our first kiss (both much-awaited in our first eight months as a couple). We strated driving to the park after church and arrived just before dusk. All the signs said there were no camp sites available but we decided to check anyway. At the Jumbo Rock campground we found a site only a few yards away from where we had camped before, set up the tent, ate dinner, drank our coffee and hot chocolate, and prepared to take a walk on a nearby trail to go stargazing.
After a short time I suggested sitting on a long smooth rock and Jon thought to himself, "Well, she's decided where she's going to be proposed to." I pointed out Orion (the only constellation I can ever recognize), Jon showed me the Milky Way (which we couldn't help but see as clear as the sky was). We talked for a while about the stars and then Jon suggested looking at something with his binoculars. The case was sitting on the other side of him so he turned to open it and before I knew it he was on his knees (the rocky ground made it impossible to stay on just one) in front of me with a white box in his hands. Jon asked, "Will you marry me?" and holding his face in my hands, I smiled and answered, "I sure will." The box was still closed so Jon asked if I wanted to see the ring. I wondered if he needed to get his flashlight out but he said to just open the box. When it did the ring was lit up, almost magically, by a hidden light bulb. Inside I found a princess cut solitaire (my favorite) on a braided platinum band Jon custom ordered to symbolize the following verse:
"Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NKJV)
WHEN & WHERE
August 10, 2002
Garden Grove, CA
ABOUT THE BIG DAY
One of the best parts of any wedding is the support that friends and family show the couple with their presence. We hope that anyone who wants to show their support in this way to feel welcome to do so. If you are interested in attending the ceremony, please use the information on the following page to help you plan ahead.
You can click on the following links to see items we have registered for without navigating through the stores' web sites.
Bed Bath & Beyond
JCPenny
REI
The on-line and in-store registries at REI are not linked and many items on our registry only appear on the in-store version.
You may email bridesmaid Vandana Mistry if you have any questions.
JOY'S ATTENDANTS
Jeni
McMasters -- Maid of Honor
,
Bridesmaid
-- Joy's younger sister who has loved giving Jon a taste of what it's like to have a little sister too.
Vandana
Mistry
,
Bridesmaid
-- Joy's former Spearhead teammate and long-distance buddy from Texas.
Julie
Prosper
,
Bridesmaid
-- Jon and Joy's friend, former classmate, and sister from AGO and Little Sisters of Maranatha at UCLA.
Rakhi
Shah
,
Bridesmaid
-- Joy's roommate for the past three years and sister from Little Sisters of Maranatha.
JON'S ATTENDANTS
Mike
Prosper -- Best Man
,
Groomsman
-- Jon's former roommate and Joy's Big Bro at AGO. He, along with his wife Julie, has helped Jon and Joy learn about courtship.
Dave
Ericson
,
Groomsman
-- Jon's younger brother who is training to be an Air Force Pilot but will be flying to California in Coach.
Doug
Ericson
,
Groomsman
-- Jon's even younger brother who will hopefully be able to escape from the Air Force Academy long enough to be in the wedding. If the MPs ask, you haven't seen him.
James
McMasters
,
Groomsman
-- Joy's younger brother who would try to sell you the tux off his back (if it were from Nordstrom).
See our registries at other stores
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