Announcement from John DeGroff

[DeGroff]

I have an announcement that's. well...extremely appropriate to be made here on the Zone.� It doesn't have all that much to do with Petra or my current band, GHF, but indirectly, it's a result of the Petra reunion concert last year.

�� I'd like to announce that I have become engaged to a very beautiful lady, Jennifer Savage.� You know her as reoracer here on The Zone.� We met during the reunion concert, although not formally.

�� I saw her right after I walked out on stage. I'd only been playing clubs the last several years, and was almost shocked at the size of the audience, and to find that people were right down front. There was a line of monitors and then...people.� One of these people was this very nice looking dark haired lady in a somewhat goofy looking hat.� Being a guy who's always been attracted to dark haired women, half of my brain went on babe alert-the other half reminded me I was about to play music I hadn't played in over 25 years in front of a large group of people, at a Christian concert, no less.

�� I managed to stumble my way through the set with only minimal Chinese notes.� When the gig was over, I felt kind of intimidated about going out into the crowd.� I've always felt awkward signing autographs-my handwriting is horrible and I never know what to say.� Nonetheless, my good friend Chip Ziemet shoved me out into the crowd and told me this was something I had to do.� Jennifer says she was the first person I met and signed something for..

�� Later, I was sitting on a picnic table outside, interviewing the promoter for an article I wanted to write about the concert.� Jennifer walked past and said good night, or something.� As she walked away, I turned to look at her and saw her looking back at me.

�� Well, the article eventually saw print, but the publisher never sent me a copy as I had requested.� Later, in August, when GHF was booked in Michigan, I put a post here on the Zone asking if anyone had a copy they'd like to sell.

�� When GHF did the date in Hastings, MI, on August 28th, Jennifer showed up with a photocopy of my article.� We talked for a bit after the band finished and of course, I asked for her number.� I called her the next day, we went out the next weekend and, and have pretty much been together every weekend since then.�

�� We knew almost from the start that we were incredibly compatible.� Right around the first of this year, we started praying about the possibility of a future together.� We've both been married before and want to take our time and keep the focus on the Lord in our relationship.� We have a lot to do before we can get married, and because of that we won't be setting a date for the wedding until well into 2006.�

�� I never thought I'd ever get another chance at having a truly loving relationship.� I've been joking that Jennifer is best royalty I've ever gotten from Petra-but all joking aside, I have to say that I am truly blessed and honored to make a commitment to this beautiful lady.

John DeGroff

[calicowriter]

Congratulations to the both of you! As another John-from-Petra is fond of saying, "Our God is a God of second chances." I'm glad you and Jen are getting yours.

I am sorry I did not get a chance to meet up with you all when you were in Indy a few weeks ago. Hopefully, I'll get another chance sometime this year.

[Shell]

Congratulations, I'm happy for both of you. I've already told Jen congratulations on her livejournal...Yes, I'm nosy and I read it. She has a good sense of humor, I get a kick out of reading what she has to say.

[sue d.]

John, congratulations!

What a neat story.... I met Jennifer once down in South Bend at a Petra show.

Yours is the third Petra-related wedding that I'm aware of...You'll have to post some wedding pix for sure when the time comes.

[SkyCaptain]

Congratulations, John and Jennifer! That's awesome!

Mark

[epdc]

IP`M GONNA SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A AN AWESOME FANTASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[reoracer]

LOL I could hear you scream all the way up here from Mexico!

Thank you all for the well wishes.
I am amazed and very blessed to have found someone who fits so perfectly with me and my life as John does. He is the second wonderful gift God has given me through Petra (the first is finding my salvation through one of John S.'s altar calls in 1997...) Like John, I never thought I would find such a thing as true love. I had relegated myself to being the old lady with the house full of cats, if God so willed it. But now I know God created someone special just for me!

Yes, John did get down on one knee, and yes, I do have a ring! We will eventually have photographic evidence, as one of my best friends took a picture of the event as it happened...

For those of you who want to see what we look like together, there are a couple photos of us on
http://community-2.webtv.net/ElmsFanJen/jenandjohn/

Thanks again, and please keep us in your prayers as we make the decisions that lead us towards a life together.

Jen

[epdc]

JEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! THOSE PICS ARE BEAUTYFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AWWWWWWWWW I WANNA HUG BOTH OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! geez, you made every pethead girl fantasy come true (LOLOL): to get married with a petra member HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AWWWWWWWWWWWWW I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!! I GOTTA SAVE THOSE PICS!!!!!!!!!!

[micah]

Cool, congratulations!

Have to admit that I was a little confused because I didn't recognize the name. Then I saw why...

joined Petra: 1972 left Petra: 1979

Guess I'm not quite a big enough Petra fan to remember that sort of thing!

geez, you made every pethead girl fantasy come true (LOLOL): to get married with a petra member HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Wow, now when they decide that webhosts of Petra related sites are almost as good, I'll be set!

P.S. neoracer, might want to tone down the dimensions of the avatar. Makes the page a bit out of whack! Thanks...

[Shell]

Hehe. Leave it up to Elo to flip when she hears good news...Most of those Petra members are married and have been for quite awhile Elo.

Those are cute pictures, you look good together.

[Jonathan]

Awesome! Congrats.

[ctwomn]

From one Pethead family to the next.....Congrats!

[SamScales]

Awww, that's the most beautiful and romantic story I've heard in a loooong time. That's sooo cool that you guys met like that, at a concert no less. Isn't God just amazing, wonderful and beautiful and caring to do something like that for us??? Awwww. Thank you John for sharing. Jennifer I know you are excited. That's sooo romantic!

Congratulations to you both.

[epdc]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWW MICAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are so sweet LOLOL!!!!!!!!!!! hey webhosts of petra related sites are as good as a petra member LOLOL, ask Cat Jones about it and also to yoli renaud hehehehehehehehehe

[reoracer]

LOL John making comments about my silly bucket hat? I could comment on the first impression I had when I saw this short guy in that polka dotted shirt and red flip flops topped by a huge mane of hair onstage...

Glad we both looked past what was on the outside!

Jen

PS Sorry about the avatar. I am on WebTV, and it resizes all photos when you view them. I had no idea it was BIG, it looked the same to me as any of the others... I've removed it until I can figure out how to make it smaller.