The church was packed and the atmosphere was charged with excitement. Young and old crammed into the pews, mothers bounced babies, and rambunctious toddlers climbed on the seats. What was happening? Two special members of our community were getting married.
Mike Reuter, the groom, first came to work with Fr. Rick Thomas back in 1985. He was 21 years old at the time and wanted to spend a year doing missionary work. He ended up never leaving. This was God’s call for his life, he decided. However he also felt called to marriage, but how was he ever going to convince a girl to join him in this radical lifestyle. Mike lived at the Lord’s Ranch where there is no air conditioning in the summer and no heating (except from the sun) during the winter. Floors are bare cement, bathing is limited to two showers a week, and none of the staff receive a salary. All of us are full-time volunteers, dependent on the Lord’s providence to supply our needs. Mike took seriously Matthew 6:33 where Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be given you as well.” He knew God wanted him working in this part of His Kindgom, and he trusted that the Lord would bring the right girl along. And thus began a very long wait.
God had a plan. Enter Norma Garcia, the bride. Norma was only 6 years old when Mike moved down from North Dakota to live here. God had her in mind for Mike but obviously it would take some time before she was ready to be his wife. She lived only miles from the Lord’s Ranch but their paths would not cross for many years.
Finally, when Norma was 24 years old, she came to the Ranch for the first time. She started volunteering in the ministries, and then started staying at the Ranch. After several years of being good friends, Mike could see that Norma felt called to live at the Lord’s Ranch also. So on New Year’s Eve, the feast of the Holy Family, he asked her if she would enter into courtship with him. She gave a joyful yes and they started dating. Mike proposed to Norma on Holy Saturday a few months later, which happened to be Norma’s birthday, and they announced the wonderful news after the Easter Vigil Mass. The congregation erupted with hoots and hollers at this great news.
The day of their wedding was sunny and bright. Over 450 people, including Mike’s family from up north, filled the church to celebrate this very special ceremony uniting two beautiful, dedicated servants of the Lord. After the vows everyone broke into spontaneous applause and cheers.
Mike and Norma are on their honeymoon in Italy as I write this, thanks to very generous donations from family and friends. They will make their home together in the building that also houses the chapel where Mike spent many years praying for his future wife. What’s he say about it now? “She was well worth the wait!”