“Love recognises no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” This sentiment from the late great African American poet and author, Maya Angelou, echoes the journey of faith and love taken by The Powells.
Mona Halliman-Powell and Leighton Powell first met at the Full Truth Church of God Deliverance Centre in 2015. Leighton, who is an ordained deacon at the church, initially kept the interaction with Mona biblically platonic. “His presence was a little too much for me as I was not in search of a relationship,” she told Island Wedding. The deacon found her to be antisocial. But when faith and fate collided, the two, on their journey to serving the Lord, developed a deeply spiritual bond with each other. In 2019, they officially entered into a loving relationship.
Noble, delightful, loyal, affectionate and thoughtful. These words, according to Mona, are the epitome of Leighton’s character.
“He often gives of himself to maintain our relationship. This for me was commendable as I think it nicely complements me and what I would find myself equally doing,” she added.
She noted, too, that her beloved has contributed significantly to her spiritual growth. “His love for God is infectious. I always admire how he would read the Bible, pray and spend quality time with God. That encouraged me to do more for God. Our inclination to the direction of God is what nurtured and kept our relationship over the years. A relationship that depends heavily on God is bound for success as there is always the written rubric of the Bible to follow.”
Describing Mona as loving, kind, spontaneous, productive and creative, Leighton shared that in her display of maturity and balance, their relationship blossomed quickly.
“Mona is beautiful and has a genuine love for people. She always has something to give and likes when things develop naturally. She has contributed to my personal growth by motivating me every step of the way in anything that I pursue.”
He continued, “I realise she was the one at the beginning of our relationship. We were together for almost a year before I proposed to her.”
On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, Leighton decided to level up even further by asking the love of his life to be his wife. “It was difficult to surprise my wife because she is a quick thinker. With the help of my sisters-in-law, I was able to pull off the unexpected at her workplace,” he said, with great pride. Mona, who had just landed from a flight and headed to her place of employment, was amazed by the proposal.
The bride-to-be wasted no time in planning the nuptial event. She opted not to have a wedding planner and instead relied on assistance from family and friends who were so supportive from beginning to end. “The process was overwhelming at a point, but I could always lean on my family for unwavering support.”
On August 1, 2020, before God and in the presence of a small number of specially invited guests, Leighton and Mona joined in holy matrimony to become husband and wife. Both the wedding ceremony and reception took place at a family residence in Jacks Hills, St Andrew.
The wedding was by far a joyful and happy moment for the newly-weds. “It was certainly one I prayed for. The best moment for me was at the reception where some spiritual and heart-warming toasts were given to me and my wife,” the dapper groom remarked.
While, for the blushing bride, the wedding was nothing short of spectacular. “The caterer, the decor and the all-white colour scheme came to light so beautifully. The theme was rustic elegance and everything came together so well,” Mrs Halliman-Powell gushed.
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