And I’m back!  Neill and I had a wonderful honeymoon in St. Martin (Anse Marcel Beach, where our resort was located, is pictured above).  Thank you so much for all the well wishes and for the generous wedding gift!  I am so blessed to serve such a loving and supportive congregation here at CFC.  This has been a whirlwind few months to plan our wedding and then travel internationally for the first time since Covid began.  Navigating getting Covid tests to return to the U.S. (in French no less!) was certainly an adventure! All those years Neill took French in high school came in handy after all.  

Our honeymoon was actually the first time I’ve traveled to the Caribbean.  Of course I got a guide book and did my homework.  I was delighted to learn that St. Martin is quite a unique place for more reasons than 37 beautiful white sand beaches all open to the public.  It’s only 37 square miles and governed by France (St. Martin) and the Netherlands (St. Maarten).  Keep in mind that Colchester is 49.8 square miles according to Google.  So this is an island that is geographically smaller than our town governed by two different countries.  The border is wide open, so you might not know you’re in another country right away if it weren’t for signs that say things like “Welcome to St. Maarten, the Dutch Side” or “Welcome to St. Martin, the French Side” in various languages.  Once we explored the island more, we discovered that there are distinct characteristics, depending on where you go.  It was amazing.  There are people from more than 100 countries on this relatively small island governed by two countries.  It’s no wonder that St. Martin is known as “The Friendly Island”.

So yes, it was a beautiful place to honeymoon.  Because of the beautiful beaches and relaxing resort.  But also because of the friendly people and the spirit of the place.  It’s amazing to see and experience the diversity of God’s good creation and moments of peace and harmony in the midst of if all.  I am glad to be back and wishing everyone well as many of you are celebrating school promotions, graduations, and the beginning of your own summer adventures. 

See you in church! 
Pastor Lauren 

Photos by Rev. Lauren Lorincz Ostrout

Thursday Thoughts 6/16/22

P.S.
And for those who asked to see *more* wedding pictures (lol), here’s the Blog Post from our photographer, David Butler (sharing some of his favorite moments from our wedding):  https://butlerphotographyblog.net/lauren-neills-wedding/