James Stokes Photography: Camp Forest Springs Formal {Ghana + Wisconsin Couple}

Beth + Frank Beth contacted me a few months ago asking me to recreate a wedding day portrait shoot. After filling me in on their story and letting me know that they would like their photos to be taken at Camp Forest Springs, I was all in. I am honored to be a part of their story, which Beth was willing to share with you all. God is awesome and I am thankful he brought this couple into my life. Enjoy! When Beth left her home in Central Wisconsin to join the Peace Corps in June of 2008, she had no idea how drastically her life was about to change. She was sent to Ghana, West Africa to teach high school science in a rural community called Kumbungu. It was there that she met Frank, and in a short time they became friends as he taught her all about Ghana, his native country and the rich culture of his people. The more time she spent in Ghana, the more Beth fell in love with the friendly people, the spicy food, the interesting culture, the sense of community, and the beautiful landscape. And before she knew it she fell in love with one more part of Ghana....she fell in love with Frank. They knew it wouldn't be an easy life together. Melding two lifestyles and two cultures together has it's struggles. Despite these obstacles, both Beth and Frank felt God's hands constantly pulling them closer to each other and closer to Himself. After two years together, the couple decided to marry, and they celebrated their marriage before their entire community on August 14th, 2010. A cow was bought, rice was cooked, drummers and dancers performed and the uniting of two lives, two families and two cultures took place on that day. Now after one year of marriage, Beth and Frank have moved back to Wisconsin. They still face the challenges of an intercultural marriage. They miss Ghana and the family and friends they left behind. However, they are also excited to see what the future will hold for them and what lessons God has to teach them. They are learning to make Christ their common culture and heaven their homeland. They have laughed together and cried together and know there will be both joys and tears in the future, but through it all they are trusting God to see them through and weave his pattern through the fabric of their lives. A God who can bring a small town girl from Wisconsin all the way to Ghana, Africa to meet her husband surely has many more adventures and surprises in store for His children.