PURITY RING
The church was filled with people mostly young people.
Purity ring had been started 1990 promoting virginity pledges or virginity before the marriage. Many known personalities like the Barlow girl, Demi Lovato, Miley Cirus, Selena Gomes have advocated this.
"We are here gathered this day to witness a vow of eight individuals who have dedicated themselves to God and intend to keep their chastity before marriage voluntarily. God paid a dear price for our salvation by dying in the cross for our sins and by his shed blood purchased us as His own. We, therefore, want our lives to be pleasing in His sight." Pastor Lemuel giving the introduction.
They had recited the purity vow and signed the certificates and had some songs and prayer.
The purity vow goes like this:
"Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to be sexually abstinent from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship."
Ely, Tony, Luz, and Joel signed as witnesses along with others.
They had heavy snacks afterward composed of chicken sandwich, spaghetti, lumpia, and Japanese ramen. They had buko juice and fresh orange with calamansi and passion fruit juice mix as beverages.
Joe was led by the Youth Pastor in a one on one soul winning in the side of the church outside.
Luz was also invited by Mrs. Grace to the church kitchen for personal soul-winning.
Ely was seen happy with her baby girl happy. He has never expected that Martha had to lead them to this path as they are looking for her even this time.
They gather outside the church, in different emotions.
" Juan, I'm happy and entrusted to God our future. I'm ready to face what challenges we may face in college. Jacky said to Juan.
"I'm happy too. Thank you, God, for the opportunity to have this relationship" This will add to my inspiration as I study far from you Jacky. Yes, let's trust God" Juan replied.
Joel walking to their direction. "I can't explain, I feel all my guilt are gone and I know I'm forgiven"
Jacky and Ely embraced him, "Welcome to God's family my son," Ely said.
When Luz went out of the church kitchen they meet her and they had a family hug.
"I'm thankful for this occasion Jacky that I met the Lord personally as Savior. I now understand that he paid my sins by his sacrificial death, what a Savior. We are now a double family in blood and in spirit" Luz said.
"Amen!" All who heard responded.
"I propose a farewell party tonight on the farm, just us, and let's talk of good things and plans," Ely said.
After the church, they bought some food to cook, and some remembrance to give for Tony, Juan, Paulo, and Ruthie. Tony also bought a small carabao made of carved ironwood for Ely, and a mortar and pestle carved from ironwood for Luz, and a beautiful lady picture carved from driftwood framed for Jacky and a pistol carved from ironwood framed for Joel.
Juan and Jacky went to a gold Smith and bought two silver rings with the inscription"I will wait for you, my love"
Juan's ring had Jacky's name, and Jacky's ring has Juan's.
" After this rings, is the engagement ring, marriage ring, sufferings..." Ruthie mumbled.
"What did you say, Ruthie? Juan and Jacky asked.
" Nothing, I just heard it somewhere". Ruthie replied.
"Probably true, but we're ready, with God's help. Jacky said
They went to the farm.
They had the farewell party like early Christmas, with exchange gifts and remembrance... Had a good meal of grilled beef steak, grilled fish, and chop suey with canned pineapple juice and a lot of lanzones, rambotan, mangosteen, and they smell something...
"I miss this smell and taste... Durian!"
Luz exclaimed.
"Darling try this creamy and delicious fruit." Luz to Ely.
"I don't like the odor of durian!" Ely said.
"You three must taste it for me," Luz said.
Tony opened a golden puyat variety of durian and proposed that they eat it at the same time.
After a few seeds of dorian, they are now fighting for the last two durian fruits.
Paul laughed amused by the scene and the change that they now all love durian. He sketched a drawing of it.
Joel thinks" I have not seen this kind of family before." I'm proud to belong.
Juan and Jacky sitting near each other singing songs with the guitar while Ruthie used a recorder or a kind of flute joining.
They sang" I am willing Lord"
"Sometimes when I am down
And I don't feel like You're around, oh Lord
Feeling so sorry for me
Not knowing that all the while You're working to see
If when I'm put through the fire
I'll come out shining like gold
Oh Lord, please don't ever stop working with me
'Til You see I can be all You want me to be
I am willing, Lord
I am willing, Lord
To be just exactly what You want me to be"
Luz her head at Ely's lap listening.
"Often when I ask why
Teach me then on You to rely, oh Lord
You surely know what is best
May I learn that in confidence and strength I can rest
Then leaning fully on You
My questions fall one by one
Dear Lord, please don't ever stop working with me
'Til You see I can be all You want me to be
I am willing, Lord
I am willing, Lord
To be just exactly what You want me to be"
Joel gets his fishing rod and throws the line with earthworm bait to the pond nearby.
Tony made a campfire nearby and he gets some empty sacks arranged it like a bed and some pillow and tried to sleep where Paulo is finishing his sketch.
The sky is clear, just some fog is covering it at times, the moon is not perfectly round.
It seems they have no plan to go to sleep, or just to rest for a while but the whispering and talking went through the night, sometimes you can hear giggles. Sometimes Jacky would pinch Juan in his side. Ruthie chuckling with them and sometimes would throw them some peanuts.
Ruthie went inside and get a saucepan and cooked some popcorn in the campfire. Then the storytelling continues with laughter, giggling and Joel joined with some of his caught fish barbecued, he offered served in banana leaves. They ate as a midnight snack. He gets some cold pineapple juice and they continued their bonding in the night.
Ruthie get the monopoly game and they played, while Paulo, Ely, Luz, and Tony went to sleep outside the hut with their sleeping bags, and empty sacks arranged beside the campfire.
Juan, Jacky, Joel, and Ruthie played monopoly till dawn.