We are almost there, literally. This dream we have had since we were dating, is coming true, and very soon. The past few weeks have been surreal.
I remember the day Landon and I started dating. I had come back from spending three months in East Africa around Thanksgiving of 2009, and we began to be romantically interested in one another very soon after that. But the day we officially started dating was also the day I got baptized. (I had been baptized as a young kid but knew that as an adult, living a redeemed life, I needed to symbolically start over). I had invited Landon to be there, along with one family member, but they were unable to come. The only person who was there ‘for me’ was Landon, and I knew it was because he was going to be with me on this new chapter of life. I knew that he was my husband.
The day was cool but sunny, and after the baptism neither of us wanted to go home. So we went on a walk around the Willamette, a four mile loop I had done numerous times. As we walked and talked we began holding hands, and a little while later we expressed vocally that we each knew the other was going to be our spouse. [I’m serious. It went something like “I know I’m going to marry you.” “Well, that’s good, because I know the same thing.” No joke.] We began talking a lot about what sort of wedding we wanted, but we also began talking about what sort of life we wanted. And the most common theme, over and over again, was that somehow, somewhere, we wanted to serve the Lord overseas.
Back then we didn’t have a lot of clarity about where or when. We would have liked to go right away, but thanks to the wise council of some close friends we realized we needed some time just being married. Time to be in a familiar place, to establish our life together. But that didn’t mean that we couldn’t make decisions along the way with this deep heart desire in mind. So that is what we did. And have done, for the past five years and ten months. We have made steps towards this move, both big and small, every day of our marriage.
And now, it’s here.
We are so amazed at how perfectly the timing of everything has happened, and how the Lord continues to orchestrate our steps. It truly has been miraculous. And I would love to write about it all, but have realized that right now I can’t do it justice. [I plan on revisiting this whole process in a little while, so stay tuned for that.] But I can say this: we are ready, we are packed (mostly) and we are so excited to board the plane on Sunday evening to go begin this adventure we have been dreaming about for years.
La Vida Nica 