Sanmi and Martina Adesokun, Married 12/30/11 – (photo by our granddaughter, Alicia Stokes)
“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot wash it away . . . . Song of Songs 8:6-7a (NIV)
Last night I went to sleep bathed in the afterglow of a perfect day. Our daughter, Martina, and Sanmi were married in the morning—before the fireplace at the gracious clubhouse in our condo community. Salvation Army Major Dale Hunt officiated at the ceremony, which was relaxed and beautiful in every detail—even down to the background harmonies of George Winston’s arrangement of “the Pachabel”, as Joe presented Martina to her groom.
Sanmi and Martina are both in their mid thirties. Neither one has ever been married before; they’ve waited a long time for each other. They met during the 4 years in which Martina taught in Nigeria, at the American School in Abuja. Martina returned to the States in 2010, and is currently teaching Language Arts in the middle school at Spring Green, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Sanmi and Martina applied for Sanmi’s visa in the fall of 2010. The process of obtaining the visa took nearly a year. Then additional weeks were spent in preparation for Sanmi’s arrival at O’Hare, from Nigeria, on Christmas Day of 2011.
I know that some of you readers have prayed for this wonderful event, and the marriage which we celebrated yesterday. Many thanks! Our family is grateful for your prayers! 
Margaret L. Been, 2011
P. S. The above Scripture is emblazoned like a “seal” on my heart! I had the privilege of reading the passage at our granddaughter Nicole Been’s marriage to Travis Conradt on 8/7/10. Forever more, those words will come to my mind when I attend a wedding!
