While attending The Becker Evangelical  Free Church  from 2004 to 2009, I got to know Chris Salvevold and his family.

Chris serves as  the Youth Pastor at Becker Free. I always enjoyed the Salvevold family. They are good people. 

I now attend The Snake River Free Church, where my great, great uncle was the original pastor and I serve as a pianist. However, I’m grateful that my path still crosses with the Salvevolds.

I heard that Chris and Kristin’s daughter, Maci, had married Chase Klotz earlier this summer (Saturday, July 23rd). 

The wedding was held at Land of Promise in Buffalo. It rained much of the day and the outdoor ceremony was almost moved indoors due to the rain. 

Miraculously, the skies cleared up at the time of the wedding at 5 p.m.!

The family tells me they had a beautiful evening wedding and celebration. 

Another miracle that day was the fact that the bride’s   youngest sister, Jensyn, was able to attend the wedding. 

The bride (Maci’s) one wish for her wedding was that her five year old sister, Jensyn,  be her flower girl. 

Jensyn even got her new wheelchair just in time for the big event and another sister, Jakely, pushed Jensyn down the aisle, announcing the coming of the bride. 

Kristin shared these sentiments about the special day: “Jensyn making the wedding was a really big deal and a tremendous blessing. She was critically ill in April and May and we kept her close to home all summer because there is always a risk that she will get sick. History has shown that when Jensyn gets sick, it usually requires hospitalization.”

Jensyn has always had a very special relationship with her sister Maci, and it would have devastated Maci to not have her at the wedding. 

The family was so thrilled that Jensyn was well enough to be there and stay all day for the festivities. 

Jensyn’s diagnosis is Trisomy 5p. It is an extremely rare genetic disorder that causes respiratory failure, seizures, and developmental delay. Jensyn is dependent on oxygen and is wheelchair bound.

 She has endured many hospital stays and two near-death illnesses. Despite all Jensyn has been through, she maintains an amazingly postive attitude. 

Jensyn rarely goes out in public because she is so medically fragile, so it was a big weekend for her being able to participate in Maci’s wedding.

We can learn much from seeing how Jensyn and the Salvevold family live with Jensyn’s rare genetic disorder with such a positive attitude. It is encouraging to see God’s love displayed in the Salvevold family as they trust God day by day and show love to their beautiful daughter. 

Jensyn celebrated her sixth birthday last week. Praise God! Life is a precious gift.