Gochi Japanese Kitchen

Rehearsal Dinner

Church of the Messiah

Wedding Ceremony and Dessert Reception

Tanner Hall

Brunch Celebration

Updates

- Please note the time change from 10:30AM to 11:30AM for the brunch.- COVID questions should be directed to Steve Alsene, Megan's dad (407-913-6095).- Parking for both events may require some walking--if you have any accessibility needs, it may be best to carpool with another and be dropped off. Valet will not be available.- You can read about where we've been and where we're going (metaphorically speaking) in the "Our Story" tab, and you can contribute to that future in the "Registry" tab.

Our Wedding

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87193554480?pwd=aFROcXFsTWowQ0RodjZFM3BRZEUyZz09Meeting ID: 871 9355 4480Passcode: Wedding

Livestream of Our Wedding :)

ORDER OF EVENTS

Ceremony (6:30–7:00)

Seating and Prelude

Various HymnsAll That Glitters by Mino Monterosso

Processional

The Lord Bless You and Keep You by John Rutter

Bridal Processional

For the Beauty of the Earth

Parents' Blessing

Welcome and Introductory Remarks

Introductory Remarks

Scripture Reading

Jackson Hammond - Philippians 2:3-11Amanda White - Psalm 67

Message

Marriage Vows

Presentation of the Rings

Congregational Hymn

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,Just to take Him at His WordJust to rest upon His promise,Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord!" Jesus, Jesus, how we trust Him!How we've proved Him o'er and o'erJesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!Oh, for grace to trust Him more! Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,Just from sin and self to ceaseJust from Jesus simply takingLife and rest, and joy and peace.

Congregation's Blessing

Dedicatory Prayer

Dr. Randy Richards, professor and friend of the bride and groom

Proclamation of Marriage

Recessional

Lord of the Dance/Simple Gifts

Invitation to Reception

Reception (7:00–9:30)

Drinks and Coffee Available Please Sign Our Guest Scroll!

Welcome (7:30)

First Dance (7:35)

If You're the Coffee by The Arcadian Wild

Father-Bride and Mother-Groom Dances (7:38)

You'll Find Your Way by Andrew Peterson

Prayer (7:40)

Steve Alsene

Let Them Eat Cake! (7:45)

Toasts (8:15)

Mingle

Exit with Petal Toss (9:30)

Order of Service

Registry

Our first time seeing one another was when Megan toured Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) as a prospective student in Spring 2015. As part of her tour, she visited the Elementary Hebrew class that Josh was in. No words were exchanged or notice taken. Later on, when Megan became a student at PBA in Fall 2016, we had Intermediate Hebrew together, since she had already taken Elementary as a dual enrollment before college. We were just classmates, but Josh passingly thought Megan was pretty. We went on to become Greek classmates when we both finished Intermediate Hebrew, and in the midst of Elementary Greek, we also started Advanced Hebrew in Spring 2018--a class that was just the two of us and the professor . . .

Classmates

Advanced Hebrew being just us two meant that during that time we developed a much deeper friendship. Josh was reluctant at first to be closer friends with Megan, but he felt God's nudging that he would be remiss if he did not take the opportunity for this new friendship--fathoming nothing of that which was to come. While working out the conundrums of Habakkuk's Hebrew and banging our heads against the wall over difficult sentence diagrams, we found we enjoyed working together and each other's company. Our professor who leads trips to the Middle East recruited Megan and re-recruited Josh to go on the trip for that year. As the semester closed and the trip approached, we began to text on a regular basis, both maintaining and growing our friendship. In six short months we went from being acquainted classmates to close friends.

Friends

Over that trip, Josh's feelings transitioned from a passing thought that Megan was pretty to a kind of captivation with her beauty and character that was gradually becoming more and more noticeable (clearly that sentence was written by Josh ;) ). One evening towards the end of the trip while sitting outside, Megan asked what was wrong, since Josh was clearly troubled. Of course, he was troubled by the fact that he was captivated by Megan and did not know what to do about it, but even more so, the purpose of the trip took precedence over any personal feelings--there was a task to do and the emotions were getting in the way. Yet for Megan to ask meant having to tell her the situation. You can see the sort of conundrum this was. So, after a very long time of thinking (and some Turkish coffee), Josh managed, "I . . . like you." In response to the implied question of reciprocation, Megan replied that she did not know how she felt. Josh encouraged the waiting and the thinking since the trip was no time to get bogged down on things like that. Of course, there was no trial dating period or something after the trip because just a month or so later, Megan was off to Edinburgh, Scotland, for her study abroad semester and would not return for several months. During that time, we began to talk on the phone, eventually graduating to FaceTime-ing nearly every night. We instituted a tradition of having prayer together each night. Alongside whatever we prayed about, we would ask God to guide us in the question of our relationship. We were definitely not in a relationship. Right?

Friends?

When Megan returned from Scotland, Josh drove to Orlando to see her for a few hours before driving back to West Palm Beach (still just friends, right?). We set a time in January 2019 to discuss the question of relationship. When that time came, we went out to the lovely horse trails in the southern half of Okeeheelee park in West Palm Beach. We found a nice spot in the woods to sit and opened the conversation. Josh said, "I like you," and Megan responded, "I reciprocate." (We chuckle about that one.) We went on talking about what all of that means, observing that anyone from the outside would call our relationship a dating relationship; we concluded that we guess that means we're dating. Weird. So, we left to find our way back to the car (which took a while) and went to drink some Dunkin' coffee while we both absorbed the shock and surreal quality of discovering that we're dating. From that time on we had many good times and many hard times, ups and downs, cheers and tears, and through it all, the cultivating of a deep, deep appreciation of how we complement one another. In the midst of all of this, we transitioned into our Master's degrees and into deeper academia.

We guess it's called "dating"

On October 30, 2021, after nearly three years of dating, Josh proposed to Megan. Of course, it was much more interesting than that. We went back to that same place in Okeeheelee where we started dating and had a picnic. We talked and enjoyed nature for a while. Josh made an extremely awkward transition to a new topic. He started to share about how integral she had become to him and he to her, and about how a future where they are not companions is one that is increasingly difficult to imagine. He then said, "I have a question for you," and proceeded to reach into his bag, presented a little box, and asked, "Do you reciprocate?" Megan hugged Josh and he said, "And what I mean to say is, will you marry me?" She started nodding. Of course, nods won't do for something so momentous, so he said, "That's not a binding response." We chuckled and she said, "Yes." Only after that did she look at the ring. ;) Afterwards, we went to Josh's parents' house where most of the Alsenes also had gathered and we had a party to celebrate (and we FaceTimed the few members of the Parker and Alsene families who were unable to attend).

Engagement!

All the story preceding this has been the history up to now: the "What was." Now, we are wedding planning, of course, and are looking forward to the time we will get to spend with all of you. Yet, there are many other things going on. In the last year and a half, Megan has gotten to engage in scholarly work under one of our professors, including co-authoring two scholarly articles and writing a thesis that is slotted to be presented at a United Kingdom-based scholarly association this upcoming summer. Josh has had the honor to work with and benefit from mentorship by another of PBA's professors for whom he has done research work and given assistance on projects, including working as an assistant co-editor for an upcoming scholarly volume. Under this professor, Josh has gotten to spend a gratuitous amount of time studying ancient manuscripts, including an obscure writing form of Greek called Greek Shorthand, or Greek Stenography. We're also finishing up our usual semester's coursework and trying to make plans for our next steps.

What was and what is

On June 11th we'll be married! We're excited. Even more than the day that that change sets in, though, we are excited for the time to come. We are both aiming to pursue PhDs next and, from this foundation, we desire to see the blessing of the knowledge of the living God, knowledge both of the mind and of the heart, promulgated across age and demographic, geography and culture; companion-ing together through these goals, even as it is the LORD who inspires and who fulfills, is what excites us most. In what follows, we will try to give a (somewhat) brief picture of our respective research interests. Megan's PhD research area is primarily the book of Lamentations and trauma studies in the Old Testament. One of the questions that motivates the research is how a traumatized individual (whether by war trauma, sexual assault, or legal or social injustices, etc.) can profitably read a text like Lamentations, among others, as the Word of God. Our experiences can sometimes help and other times hinder us from knowing God, so how does the teacher help guide a traumatized person through texts that recall their experiences? A particular question that the research will explore is how a trauma narrative (a narrative produced by a collectively traumatized community) encodes history, addressing the scholars' age old question of how much history does or can Lamentations report (a modern example would be trying to get details at the scene of a horrific car accident from one of the people in shock who was in the car accident). This work will shed (hopefully) new light on what Lamentations can tell us about the events of the Kingdom of Judah's exile in 587 BC, and illuminate how we may understand and bridge the gap between trauma narrative and traumatic event, perhaps opening avenues for authentically therapeutic and/or cathartic means of ministering to those who (perhaps quietly) suffer from trauma in our congregations. These are difficult and many times heavy questions to deal with and matters to think about, but the reality of traumatic experiences for many in the US and many, many more in the world at large demands a more reasoned response than merely "giving it to God" (which certainly should also be done), because as much as God works through miracles, even more does he work through the "mundane" things of life to reconcile all things to himself.

What is to come, God willing (Part I - Megan)

Josh's proposed PhD research area is in the area of Greek manuscripts--old papyrus and parchment documents that people of the Roman and Byzantine empires wrote Greek on. Archaeologists dig up these manuscripts and find all sorts of exciting and interesting things like Bibles, novels, poetry, and epics like the Iliad, as well as much more mundane things like tax records, receipts, contracts, court proceedings, lawsuits, summonses, marriage documents, letters, students' homework, and much more. Many scholars work on all of these kinds of documents to learn more about the ancient world, including biblical scholars who seek to understand better the background of the New Testament. One question that was opened 150 years ago by German scholars and that has been mostly unengaged in the last 90 years is that of Greek stenography, or shorthand, which is believed to have been used for rapidly taking down dictation. Several documents utilizing this writing system survive. Unfortunately, the system was never deciphered. One such document is found in Wadi Murabba'at in the Judean wilderness overlooking the Dead Sea. The document, called Mur 164, is too long to be a common receipt or somesuch, and what can be discerned of its contents advises against reckoning it to be just a long list, making it probably a contract, or perhaps something more. Curiously, one line of the document has what appears to be X with a bisecting P (the Greek letters corresponding to Ch and R), which was a common Christian symbol in the early church, used to represent the name of Christ (XPICTOC Christos 'Christ'). See the pictures below where the symbol is boxed in blue on a screenshot of Mur 164 alongside two other examples of the symbol. What is a Christian symbol doing in a shorthand document? That is one of the key motivating questions for Josh's research. Of course, deciphering a writing system as complex as Greek shorthand is no small task, and as one eats the proverbial elephant one bite at a time, so must research proceed in an orderly and gradual nature. One of the main questions that the research is seeking to address currently is how the Greek non-alphabetic symbols (think how an &amp; means "and" but does not resemble any alphabetic symbols, i.e., letters), which includes shorthand signs, have worked through ancient, classical, and early medieval history, which will include some work on Mur 164. At this point, head awhirl, you might ask, "So what? What's the payoff?" The payoff is multifold. First, Greek shorthand is an undeciphered writing system; the more we learn about it, the closer we get to understanding it, and with the unearthing of new manuscripts all the time, being able to read them is of great importance. Second, while it may likely be a contract or personal letter, there is a chance that Mur 164 could be a Christian document, possibly dating to around 130 AD, which would make it the earliest extant Christian manuscript discovered to date. Third, a number of Biblical manuscripts make use of the Greek non-alphabetic symbols for all kinds of abbreviations; understanding these symbols better can improve the work of scholars in that field. Fourth and finally, it opens up our understanding generally to better grasp the world around the New Testament and the early church.

What is to come, God willing (Part II - Josh)

Talking about all this research and these hopes is one thing. Doing them is quite another. This is where our story becomes not just the story of Megan and Josh, but also the story of all of you--if you will--who are celebrating with us on the momentous day soon to come. We cannot do it alone, and indeed, we are not alone; we have each other, we have you all, and we have God our creator, sustainer, and perfecter. If you want to help--to be a part of our story--then we first and foremost ask that you pray on our behalf for effectiveness in and adherence to the work God has given us to do, for provision of every kind, for blessing and favor before institutions and organizations and persons who are of great esteem, for the acute grace of God sufficient for every need to be available in every way and perceptible in our weakness, and above all, for God, by the Spirit, to faithfully continue to conform us to the image of the Son and guide us in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake that he might be glorified, the church be edified, and we in him be satisfied; he brought us to this point, he sustains us at this moment, and he will bring us hence. If one does nothing else, we ask that you pray for us, but if you would do something else in addition to prayer, there is another great need. Doctoral studies are expensive. Coupled with living in another country, the expense can be prohibitive apart from massive debt. We have been praying regarding this issue and strategizing ways to minimize cost and maximize income. Regardless, however, the cost for 2 PhDs from the University of Cambridge excluding living costs, is over $200,000. We are, of course, applying for as much funding as possible and trying to knock that number down some, but it is still a daunting figure. For this reason, if you are able, if you believe in us and the value of our research, and if you feel comfortable doing so, we humbly ask that you consider contributing to assist us in what lies ahead. We already have a cash fund set up on this website for you to be able to donate on behalf of our studies.

What is to come, God Willing (Part III - You!)

All this to say, we are grateful for you. We are grateful for the role that you all have played in our story, bringing us to where we are now through your love and support. We look forward to see what the next chapter holds! Much love,Josh &amp; Megan

That's All, Folks!

Our Story

Photos

Airports

If you're flying into town, the best airport will likely be the Orlando International Airport (MCO). The Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) may also be an option with some airlines.

Hotels

Flamingo Crossings Hotels (two hotels across the street from each other)

The link will take you to our wedding's specific web page for booking with the discounted room rate. - This is our recommended hotel for families with kids as they have a great curvy slide at the pool. :)- Both queen suites (2 queen beds) and king suites (1 king bed with a pull-out couch) are available.- Includes a full kitchen.- Complimentary breakfast included.

Homewood Suites (Flamingo Crossings)

The link will take you to our wedding's specific web page for booking with the discounted room rate. - Only king suites (1 king bed with a pull-out couch) are available.- Includes a full kitchen.- Complimentary breakfast included.

TownePlace Suites Orlando (Flamingo Crossings)

International Drive Hotel

Josh's parents and extended family plan to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn. If you would like to join their block of rooms, please contact Josh's mom, Maudine Parker, (561) 603-4144.

Hilton Garden Inn Orlando (International Drive North)

Other Hotel Options

This is a great option for someone looking for an antique-y style, quirky hotel rather than a modern, traditional option. Edgewater Hotel is super cute and is right in the middle of downtown Winter Garden -- about a 10 minute walk from the wedding venue. Unfortunately, wedding-specific rates are not available.

Edgewater Hotel

Wedding guests are offered 15% off the current hotel rate if they use the above code or mention "wedding rate" when talking to an associate over the phone. As this is not a room block, a specific rate is not guaranteed.

Hampton Inn & Suites Clermont

Travel

Live music event every Friday evening in downtown Winter Garden

Downtown Winter Garden's "Fridays on the Plaza"

Downtown Winter Garden's Saturday Farmers Market

Think: Disney, Universal, water parks, Fun Spot, and more! There is seriously a lot of stuff to do if this sort of thing is up your alley.

Orlando Theme Parks!

Personally, I highly recommend a visit to Disney Springs. It's the only actually free part of Disney (parking is even free!) full of fun shops and good places to eat (Blaze Pizza and Erin McKenna's Bakery are my gluten-free favs).

Disney Springs

This is a great little escape room near downtown Winter Garden!

Escape Goat

A great spot for Florida "hiking" -- but be forewarned, it can get muddy after a rainy day!

Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve

The bimonthly exhibition for June and July at the SoBo gallery is 2D and 3D artworks playing on the theme "About Face."

SOBO Art Gallery

Leu Gardens is a beautiful botanical gardens, and it's one of Megan's favorite spots to for walking in the greater Orlando area. :)

Harry P Leu Gardens

Things to Do in Winter Garden (& Orlando)

Local Winter Garden Restaurants

Thai Blossom

<a href="https://www.mythaiblossom.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.mythaiblossom.com/</a> Our favorite Thai food in the area. We usually like to get spicy fried rice. Highly recommended!

Aji Sushi Teppan

<a href="http://www.ajisushi.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.ajisushi.com/</a> If you are in the market for sushi, this is a local sushi place that Megan recommends.

The Whole Enchilada

<a href="https://www.twefreshmex.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.twefreshmex.com/</a> While Josh hasn't had the opportunity to try it yet, this Mexican restaurant comes highly recommended by the best man.

Market to Table

<a href="https://www.market2table.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.market2table.com/</a> This restaurant comes recommended by Megan and her brother Ryan, one of the groomsmen, who has also worked there. Their food is locally sourced! *Please note that this restaurant ends lunch at 2:00 PM and starts dinner at 5:00 PM, leaving a slimmer window for eating if this is one's choice for dinner before the ceremony.

Matthew's Steakhouse

<a href="https://www.matthewssteak.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.matthewssteak.com/</a> This is one of the leading non-chain steak houses in Winter Garden. While none of us have eaten there before, it comes highly rated.

San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant

<a href="https://sanjosesoriginal.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://sanjosesoriginal.com/</a> This is a Sunday afternoon favorite of the Alsenes. Josh likes to get the colossal California burrito; everyone else shares piles of fajitas, and their chicken soup is quite good. This is very highly recommended.

Cariera's Fresh Italian

<a href="https://carierasfreshitalian.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://carierasfreshitalian.com/</a> This local Italian place is small and endearing, the owner personable and present, and the food delicious.

<a href="https://www.gochijapanesekitchen.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.gochijapanesekitchen.com/</a> This is a local Japanese restaurant. Megan really likes their sushi and they have a nice atmosphere.

Other Options

We have tried to list above some of the best local places you can try. There are, of course, plenty of chains that are delicious, too! These include: Longhorns, UNO...

Coffeeeee ;)

Axum Coffee

https://axumcoffee.com This is the downtown Winter Garden classic. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">146 W Plant St</a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Winter Garden, FL 34787</a>

Foxtail Coffee Co.

https://www.foxtailcoffee.com Foxtail is the place that the hipsters go for coffee. Espresso. Home-roasted beans. Their Ethiopian blend is really great, I often buy it to use in my AeroPress at home. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">276 W Plant St</a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Winter Garden, FL 34787</a>

Piccolo

18 N Boyd St, Winter Garden, FL 34787 This is a new find for me and Josh. We really like their espresso and Americanos.

Restaurants in Winter Garden

We would be remiss if we did not address the weirdness of these COVID times. Things seem to have found a new normal and we hope that COVID concerns will not affect our wedding plans. However, we still know that everyone who travels and everyone who attends a gathering of people is taking some manner of risk, even if that risk has become smaller. And while we will do our best to continue to follow CDC guidelines and to thereby minimize concerns about COVID, we cannot control how the world will be in June. We hope that you will feel safe coming to our wedding and that you will join us in this precious moment we get to share together, but we also do hope to set up some manner of “remote” option involving livestreaming for those who are unable to join us.

Megan & Joshua