The Beginning of the Rest of the Story

Once upon a time...

(about the summer of 2008)

there was a fair maiden who went on a mission trip to the country of Ukraine.

While there, she had much interaction with the summer mission team-members, who all happened to be young men of excellent calibur.

She became their friend, and they her protectors.

Throughout the course of her stay in this far-off land, there was one particular fellow in the group who especially caught her eye.

She observed him to be a bold preacher of the Gospel...

good with children...

cheerful about his work...

a serious strategist...

handy in the kitchen...

and more than happy to serve as KP help alongside her.

After 7 weeks of sojourn in this foreign land, the fair maiden journeyed home.

She returned to life as she had known it...

but not all was the same as before.

Her heart had been touched by a dark country in need of light...
and by a particular young man in need of a wife.

Time and again, she poured forth her thoughts to her Heavenly Father. She trusted Him with her deepest longings and He comforted her heart with knowledge that all would turn out well...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, a certain fair-headed fellow whose attention had been captured by this lovely maiden, was busy praying and pondering...

Three months later, while on a visit home to Colorado, he received an email from this girl's pastor inviting him to come participate in their church's first missions conference.

The young man gladly accepted the invitation, excited about the opportunity to minister as well as spend time with a certain fair maiden.

On the night of his arrival, she found herself in nervous jitters! After all, it wasn't too often that dashing young men graced her family's dinner table! Thankfully, he seemed not to notice.

He fit in quite well with her family and they enjoyed the time spent together...as friends.

His visit ended all too suddenly, and the entire family found themselves missing his presence.

As the young man journeyed home, he decided this fair young maiden was worth a valient pursuit and so, after two weeks of dedicated prayer, he contacted her father.

The father, being an amiable gentleman of great repute, graciously heard the young man's nervous petition. After a few serious questions for the would-be suitor that only a future father-in-law could ask, he granted the fellow's request with a smile.

They arranged a time the following evening for the young man to contact the young maiden while the rest of the family would be away, so he could present his proposal in privacy.

All was going along according to plan...until a change in events caused the maiden's family to return home...early.

As the family congregated in the kitchen preparing supper, the telephone rang.

The young maiden answered.

When she heard the familiar voice on the other end, she immediately placed him on speaker phone so the whole family could enjoy a little visit --- much to the young man's chagrin.

Thankfully, he was able to hide his surprise at the unexpected turn of events, and carried on a brief conversation with the whole clan.

To his great relief, the maiden whom he had called to speak with soon took him off speaker phone and retired to another room to continue the visit.

The result of that conversation was one very surprised and excited maiden who suddenly lost her appetite for supper, and one very happy fellow who couldn't stop smiling all evening.

As the days have swiftly passed since that unforgettable phone call, the fair maiden and her dashing suitor have been greatly enjoying this new experience of a deepening relationship. They usually average 2-3 hours with each telephone conversation, as they grow in their understanding of each other and the issues that are pertinent to a potential marriage.

Even with the merits of a long-distance courtship, however, it must noted that both the fair maiden and the young gentleman are eagerly counting the days until her family will be making a visit to Colorado and they will soon be able to spend time together in person!

And that, my friends, is the beginning of the rest of the story...