Bulongish couples delay weddings
It’s time for weddings among the Bulongish people of Guinea.
“In general weddings take place in the dry season months,” wrote Micha Montgomery. “Most of these weddings are what our neighbors call futi kiri.”
Futi kiri means the couples getting married have been together for a few years – sometimes as long as 30 years.
“Picture if you will, getting married where your kids, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are present,” Micha wrote.
Weddings are often delayed because of the expense involved. “So most men ‘borrow’ their wives until they have the means to marry their wives officially,” Micha wrote.
A Bulongish wedding has two parts: a big dance, and a ceremony at the meeting place with the local religious leaders. Usually those take place in a couple of days. But sometimes the man will have enough money for one part only, so they’ll do that and have the other part later, sometimes years later.
A delay in the wedding – with the men borrowing their wives – is actually the norm among the Bulongish people. “I’ve been to very few weddings where the couple is doing the big wedding at once before they start living together,” Micha wrote.
Because of the expense involved, most men “borrow” their wives until they can afford a ceremony.
Pray for Micha as she and the others on the missionary team to the Bulongish people build relationships and learn the culture and language, in preparation for sharing God’s Word and planting a church.