Martha and Nur in the gondola
Martha showing the ring
The singer and accordion player
Martha and Nur with the Bridge of Sighs in the background
Martha, Nur, and Martha's sister Mary (the co-conspirator)
While I flew to New Jersey to attend my conference, Martha and Mary
flew to Rome. They spent a few days in Rome and then went to Florence
for a few days and eventually ended up in Venice on Friday night,
Oct. 1. Meanwhile my conference finished on Thursday, and I secretly
flew to Venice on Friday unbeknownst to Martha. I located a gondola
place and made arrangements for a gondola ride with an accordion player
and a singer for Saturday at noon. Then I secretly left a message for
Mary at their hotel telling her when and where to bring Martha. Mary
told Martha that the hotel had arranged for them to get a gondola
ride at noon, and she brought Martha to where I was waiting for them.
Martha was totally surprised to see me! The two of us went off in the
gondola. As we floated down a canal and the music was playing, I got
on my knee and proposed. Her response was, "I would love to be your
wife, yes."
You can imagine my surprise the next day: Saturday, October 2, 1999, a
day I will never forget. Mary came to me that morning and was very
excited because she said that she had talked to the man at the hotel
desk and that one of his friends would give us a gondola ride for
free. We were to meet this man at a certain place at noon to get this
free ride. I totally fell for this and went with her to meet this man
at noontime. When we got to the meeting place, I noticed a gondola
driver and that there was a man standing next to him and talking to
him. I took a second and third look and realized that it was Nur. I
was pretty much breathless and excited to see him because I knew that
something special was going to happen that day. Nur had gotten a
gondola for us with an accordion player and singer. Mary bid us
goodbye, and we were off for a very special gondola ride. I knew that
he would propose on this ride but didn't know exactly when. At about
12:30pm Venice time, Nur got on his knee and told me that he wanted
to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to be his wife. I
told him that I would love to be his wife and added "Yes". We sealed
this with a kiss, and he put a "temporary" ring on my finger (to have
until we were able to pick out an engagement
ring). The moment passed by so quickly, and it was hard to imagine
that this was really happening. After our gondola ride, we went to
St. Mark's church and prayed. Who would have thought that this would
happen to me--that I would be engaged to such a wonderful man and in
such a romantic way? It is truly a gift and blessing from God!
Martha showing the ring
The singer and accordion player
Martha and Nur with the Bridge of Sighs in the background
Martha, Nur, and Martha's sister Mary (the co-conspirator)