During most of our residence in South Africa mixed marriages were strictly forbidden, so much so that many a couple were arrested in early morning raids. In all the adjoining countries, this was not so. So, I was surprised when this lovely couple insisted that they had been married in South Africa.
Joyce is an orphan having been cared for in a Hindu orphanage. There she met a Christian minister who visited the orphanage regularly and in time she dropped many of her Hindu customs, though not the giving of a gift to her guests. It is a bit embarrassing to accept an invitation to her home as she often insisted that you have a gift when you leave. You had to be careful about admiring anything lest she insist that you have it.
Raymond is from Rhodesia, and Joyce is an Indian from South Africa. She was a widow with two daughters when they met in England where they had both gone on a conducted tour holiday. Their friendship blossomed and they married after they returned to South Africa.
We first met them one Sunday when they came to the church building and asked if they could worship with us as they had not been able to find the congregation they were seeking and it was getting late. Thus began long friendship. Joyce had a serious heart problem, and went through very serious surgery. We made numerous hospital and home visits while she grew stronger, and in time I baptized both of them in our church's baptistry.
Joyce has a lovely voice and is a professional singer, She often took charge of the little children in the nursery during the services.
Joyce and Raymond once invited us to a restaurant and she clearly thought one of her daughters should be paired off with our grandson, Shannon. He was shocked when he saw the young lady eating her food in that restaurant with her fingers,Indian style. Actually, he was not at all interested, but that was the absolute first and last time he was paired off with her. He is now married to a lovely young lady whom he met at church, and they now have a beautiful baby daughter and are expecting another. We now have several great-grandchildren, but they are scattered widely over the world. There are three in South Africa, one in England, one in Ohio, and one soon to be in Oklahoma. So far, we have not actually seen any of them in person.
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