Archive for 2015
For the majority of our relationship, we were on opposite sides of the ocean, with 8,000 miles between us. Linda drew this picture to remind us that even though we weren't together, our hearts were drawn together by our common faith in Christ and His amazing grace.
Across Oceans
The first time we met in person (after corresponding over email for nearly a year), Phil gave Linda a dozen roses... and Linda drew this picture to commemorate this event!
Our first meeting
While visiting Linda's parents, it snowed and Phil had to go outside to shovel the snow and he looked so cute doing it Linda just had to draw a picture for him.
Shoveling snow
Here is our year in review! Thank you all so much for those of you have been faithfully been following us and keeping us in your prayers.
Our Christmas Newsletter
This past weekend, we got the chance to attend the Women of Faith farewell tour as volunteers for World Vision.
Because this was the last Women of Faith conference (as the ministry is beginning to change focus), we were really happy to have the chance to be there together.
Yes, that's right-- we attended together... Phil was one of the handful of male volunteers in a stadium filled with ten thousand women. But because we were there together, it was still a wonderfully positive experience.
On Friday night, Glennon Doyle Melton spoke on being open and honest with one another-- although we don't agree with a lot of her viewpoints, her message still resonated with us that the church needs to be a place where we can be real with one another, rather than pretending that we have everything together. And although we got back late and were groggy by the time it ended, we were happy to see Nichole Nordeman live as she concluded the night.
On Saturday morning, Patsy Clairmont delivered a wonderful and simple message titled "Refuse, Replace, Repeat." We all have negative voices speaking in our heads-- we need to refuse them. But we can't just not think about them... and so, we need to replace them with the truth that God tells us about ourselves. And finally, we need to repeat this process time and time again because the negative voices need to be repeatedly silenced and replaced with God's voice.
Next, we heard a message from Marilyn Meberg that even though we may feel disconnected from God and the ones we love, this is never actually the case. She shared about how after her husband passed away, her son got married, and her adopted daughter found her birth parents, she felt alone and disconnected from everyone. But in the loneliness, God met her and showed her how she was never alone.
Thelma Wells spoke about leaving a legacy. She brought her daughter and granddaughter onto the stage with her and spoke about the power of investing in future generations.
Finally, Luci Swindoll shared about how she found purpose in her life. Ever since she was little, she knew that she never wanted to marry, but wanted to be a career women. But when her brothers, Orville and Chuck Swindoll, began rocking the world for Christ, she started feeling like she had settled short on God's plan for her life. But then God revealed to her that her calling was right where she was-- and she wrote a book about her decision to remain single, which was the beginning of a life-changing ministry.
We were really happy to have the chance to see the very last women of faith conference, especially since many of these great women of the faith are retiring from speaking.
Because these conferences are typically quite expensive, we wouldn't have been able to attend without being volunteers for World Vision. Even though money is quite tight for us in this stage of our lives, we're proud to continue sponsoring two children and one microloan through World Vision. If you're unfamiliar with World Vision, or if you have never given a lot about sponsoring a child, please check out the short video below.
Because this was the last Women of Faith conference (as the ministry is beginning to change focus), we were really happy to have the chance to be there together.
On Friday night, Glennon Doyle Melton spoke on being open and honest with one another-- although we don't agree with a lot of her viewpoints, her message still resonated with us that the church needs to be a place where we can be real with one another, rather than pretending that we have everything together. And although we got back late and were groggy by the time it ended, we were happy to see Nichole Nordeman live as she concluded the night.
Next, we heard a message from Marilyn Meberg that even though we may feel disconnected from God and the ones we love, this is never actually the case. She shared about how after her husband passed away, her son got married, and her adopted daughter found her birth parents, she felt alone and disconnected from everyone. But in the loneliness, God met her and showed her how she was never alone.
Thelma Wells spoke about leaving a legacy. She brought her daughter and granddaughter onto the stage with her and spoke about the power of investing in future generations.
Finally, Luci Swindoll shared about how she found purpose in her life. Ever since she was little, she knew that she never wanted to marry, but wanted to be a career women. But when her brothers, Orville and Chuck Swindoll, began rocking the world for Christ, she started feeling like she had settled short on God's plan for her life. But then God revealed to her that her calling was right where she was-- and she wrote a book about her decision to remain single, which was the beginning of a life-changing ministry.
We were really happy to have the chance to see the very last women of faith conference, especially since many of these great women of the faith are retiring from speaking.
Women of Faith
Because it was Restaurant Week coincided with our 3-month anniversary, we decided to get dressed up all fancy and head over to XIX Restaurant.
The restaurant was, in fact, so fancy that they gave us super tiny portions. But it was really good. Fortunately, they also had a salad and desert bar, which was filled with tasty morsels... and we ate so much! We talked and ate... and really enjoyed each other's company in such a nice place :).
The restaurant was on the top story of the Hyatt in Center City, so in addition to having delicious food to eat, we also had a great view to enjoy together.
Because this was such a great way to spend our 3-month anniversary together, we decided that we have to do something special every month to celebrate our monthly anniversaries. Although we won't be able to afford to return to a place like this until the next time Restaurant Week rolls around, we look forward to using our creativity to think up a cost-effective yet special way to spend next month's anniversary together :).
The restaurant was, in fact, so fancy that they gave us super tiny portions. But it was really good. Fortunately, they also had a salad and desert bar, which was filled with tasty morsels... and we ate so much! We talked and ate... and really enjoyed each other's company in such a nice place :).
The restaurant was on the top story of the Hyatt in Center City, so in addition to having delicious food to eat, we also had a great view to enjoy together.
3 months anniversary date
On Thursday, Philly had a night market -- rows and rows of food trucks filled with delicious food!
We got a spicy chicken kabob, which was definitely really spicy... but so incredibly flavorful! We decided on this vendor in particular because it was run by a ministry that purposefully hired homeless men to staff their booths.
In case you're wondering who the cute koala is... that's our newest roommate, Coca the Koala (who prefers to just to by Coca). Coca particularly enjoyed the beautiful sunset as we walked down the crowded street.
The kabob was really spicy... we tried to find some ice cream to cool our tongues... but to no avail. So, we returned home and continued our date at home, sharing delicious ice cream together.
We've found that simple dates like these are a lot of fun :).
We got a spicy chicken kabob, which was definitely really spicy... but so incredibly flavorful! We decided on this vendor in particular because it was run by a ministry that purposefully hired homeless men to staff their booths.
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We've found that simple dates like these are a lot of fun :).
Date night: Night Market
We went to the hand-drawn noodle house the other day for a date and I think we were too hungry to take a photo of the delicious beef noodle soup. But our date after that was going with our church to mini-golf and then going to a Shakespeare play in the park.
Had to add Brown and Cony in there since they didn't get to go with us.
Other dates
We've been so blessed to have an older married couple who were willing to mentor us and we definitely needed their help. About a month after marriage our conflicts were escalating and we were trying to figure out how to get two very different individuals to become one.
A great suggestion and sound advice they gave us was to do regular date nights whether that's weekly or monthly. From the secular to the religious websites there seems to be a consensus that date nights are really important:
Reclaim Date Night
http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/communication/reclaiming-date-night
Date Night Matters
http://www.foryourmarriage.org/why-date-nights-matter/
Married Couples, Don't Forget to Date
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/03/living/parents-marriage-tips/
Our first attempt at doing this was somewhat of a disaster since it was Fourth of July weekend so a lot of places were closed, including the mini-golf course we wanted to go to. But not all was lost, we stumbled upon a very small county fair where we had funnel cake and made some great memories on the way back when we ran into some fireworks.
Our second attempt was great going to the biggest park in the city:
Here we are resting and taking a selfie. We may or may not have forgotten to bring Brown and Cony along with us, but we got them in there with stickers.
A great suggestion and sound advice they gave us was to do regular date nights whether that's weekly or monthly. From the secular to the religious websites there seems to be a consensus that date nights are really important:
Reclaim Date Night
http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/communication/reclaiming-date-night
Date Night Matters
http://www.foryourmarriage.org/why-date-nights-matter/
Married Couples, Don't Forget to Date
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/03/living/parents-marriage-tips/
Our first attempt at doing this was somewhat of a disaster since it was Fourth of July weekend so a lot of places were closed, including the mini-golf course we wanted to go to. But not all was lost, we stumbled upon a very small county fair where we had funnel cake and made some great memories on the way back when we ran into some fireworks.
Our second attempt was great going to the biggest park in the city:
Dating after marriage
The wedding was a blur for us and we were really glad to have had a small one that was less overwhelming and more intimate for us.
Shortly afterwards we set off from the East Coast to Colorado.
Sometimes it got a bit rough on the road due to the weather conditions but Phil was a great driver and it really tested our teamwork capacities navigating the roads.
But it was wonderful when we finally got to our honeymoon destination in a little place about an hour outside of Denver. The view from the condo we rented was gorgeous with a lagoon and the mountains right out back.
We went hiking on the trails that were not too far away from our location. It was still a bit cold outside, some of the days we still get small flurries of snow that doesn't stay on the ground. Overall we had a great time just relaxing after the busyness of planning a wedding and getting started transitioning to life as a married couple.
Shortly afterwards we set off from the East Coast to Colorado.
We went hiking on the trails that were not too far away from our location. It was still a bit cold outside, some of the days we still get small flurries of snow that doesn't stay on the ground. Overall we had a great time just relaxing after the busyness of planning a wedding and getting started transitioning to life as a married couple.
Post-wedding - Honeymoon
This is our story
How we met
How we fell in love
How it all started
Philip's first impression...
I'd had an account with OkCupid for several years but there were only short times when I used it regularly. If you've ever tried online dating you know that you can only regularly log on before getting depressed. Scrolling through profiles until someone looks interesting. The people you find interesting aren't interested in you. The people who are interested in you are either creepy or, for one reason or another, people you'd never date.
At the time I met Linda, I was living in Taiwan and was studying Chinese full time at National Taiwan Normal University. It been a while since the last time I had left OkCupid, promising myself I'd never return for the ump-teenth time, but I decided to re-activate my account and search for Christians who speak Chinese. If nothing else, I would get some good Chinese practice. So, I figured I had nothing to lose.
Linda's profile popped up. I read it and she sounded really interesting. The only thing I really remember reading was the one thing that grabbed my attention: "I feel called to the Chinese people." I sent her a quick message introducing myself. When I got up the next day, I had a reply! I was so excited! I sent off a second message right away.
I waited for another reply.
And I waited.
I checked to see if I had a reply from Linda at least once a day. But there was nothing. Finally, I got discouraged and gave up hope. She must be blowing me off, I figured.
A month passed. Finally, I got a short reply:
Apologies for my lack of correspondence the past month. A lot has happened actually.... The thing I was convicted of by the Holy Spirit from God is that I need to grow deeper with God first and foremost. I wandered away from the cross and this is a season for me to be more intimate with Jesus. So I'm going to remove myself from this site but really wanted to keep in contact with people I would like to consider as friends. As someday I'll be going to China if that's still God's will I'd like to know if you'd still want to keep in contact.
Linda then included her email address. I was so excited! She hadn't forgotten about me! I sent Linda an email right away.
Linda's first impression....
I had friends who had pastors and themselves met their spouses online in various dating websites, so I decided to be open minded and try it out. But online dating is pretty discouraging, as often the people you like don’t seem to like you back and the ones who like you, you don’t like. It was during this period of my life that I thought I deserved a spouse because of all the things that I had done for God, not realizing that I had the “love idol” syndrome, placing the approval of people above God. It was also around this time in my life that I had wandered away from God because He didn’t give me what I thought I deserved, somehow going from being the elder daughter in the prodigal story to becoming the prodigal daughter. I decided to take things into my own hands. Sin had taken me further than I wanted to go and more than I wanted to pay. Thank God for some Jesus-loving Holy-Spirit filled sisters in Christ who dragged/prayed me back towards the Father.
By the time I received Phil’s message on OkCupid I had all but given up on any relationships in my future. I was heart-broken and knew I had broken God’s heart and honestly surrendered anything relationship related in my future to God. Phil’s initial message made me check his profile and somethings there (his half-Asianess, physics major, seriousness for God) reminded me of my best friends, who were twin sisters, from college who had pulled me back to God years before when I first started in college. Something in me (probably the Holy Spirit) told me to message him back but after that I really didn’t have the heart to continue, as my heart really needed healing. Finally, I decided to close all my online dating accounts with the quote “A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her” ringing my heart and not expecting anyone on any of those sites to actually email me. But Phil did email me and the Holy Spirit prompted me to email back because he really did remind me more and more of my best friends from college who drew me closer to God.
How our relationship developed
We continued emailing each other several times a week. The emails got longer and longer. Almost immediately, Linda suggested that we hold each other accountable for our Bible verse memorization, something that really impressed Philip. We agreed to memorize a verse between the emails which we sent to each other. We found out that we both have the same dorky sense of humor and sent each other jokes which made the person laugh and laugh. Soon, we were telling our parents about each other and dropping hints like "When I told my mom about your story..." We would probably have found out that we liked each other much sooner if it wasn't for the fact that Philip doesn't pick up on hints. Linda sent him a Chinese song, which has lyrics which translate to "I'd like to ask you if you have the same feeling for me..." but Philip's reaction was, "Yeah, I really like this singer. Here's another song she wrote that I really like..." Disheartened, Linda assumed that the answer to the question she had subtly asked was "No."
But it wasn't long before a series of awkward emails ensued which made us both realize that the other person had feelings. After Philip finally picked up on some rather blatant hints, we both finally realized that mutual feelings were present and we soon started talking about increasingly deep and personal topics. Very soon, we both came to the realization that our relationship was moving too fast because we were sharing at too personal of a level, considering that we had only been actively corresponding for two months.
After praying individually, we both agreed to slow things down. We decided to completely stop sharing anything personal. For the following 100 days, we agreed to limit our communication to only discussing a series of devotionals on the book of Acts from the Pocket Testament League, emailing each other our thoughts on each day's devotion.
During those three months, we both agreed to a partial fast in order that we would be able to pray more and get a greater sense of clarity regarding our relationship. Linda decided to commit to a vegetarian fast (inspired by the Book of Daniel) while Philip decided to fast from entertainment.
Slowing things down
Bringing our relationship to a screeching halt was difficult but we both felt like we were doing the right thing. We continued sharing our thoughts on the devotionals and while we appreciated still remaining in contact with one another, we both missed talking to one another about ourselves. But we periodically reminded each other of our commitment to refrain from sharing anything personal, with the exception of a "check-in" email which we allowed ourselves once every 40 days.
During this time, neither of us knew if our relationship would last until day 100, being that we had only been corresponding for a few months. We were both afraid that spending that length of time completely not focusing on ourselves at all would make the initial spark we had fizzle out and die... but we both knew that we had to put Jesus first. Surprisingly, we both found out that it really is true that when two people focus on Jesus together, they are drawn closer together. Instead of falling apart, we developed a deeper appreciation and respect for each other as we began understanding where we each were spiritually. Although we didn't realize it at the time, we're now able to look back on this time as an incredible blessing, as the very thing which ended up drawing us together the most was not our common interests or shared experiences, but our spiritual compatibility. This was the first of several lessons God used to teach us that putting Him ahead of our relationship, and focusing on Him instead of our relationship, is exactly what will make our relationship blossom.
On day 80, Linda informed Philip that her parents would both be visiting her in Philadelphia---not too far from Philip's family in Maryland---during the same time frame that Philip would be home from Taiwan visiting his family. Although we still weren't clear on exactly where our relationship was (or if we even had a relationship), meeting each other's families felt right. We both realized that there really was something there. We both now looked forward to day 100 even more... we even discussed cutting our 100 days short because we were already really close and needed to make summer plans if we were going to get our families together. But God intervened and Linda got sick. We really wanted to talk on the phone... and Linda insisted that the first time Philip heard her voice would be after she had recovered.
Defining the relationship
After Linda's voice was back to normal, we finally scheduled a time for us to talk on the phone. We were both really excited but very nervous. We both felt like we knew each other so well but we hadn't ever had a real-time conversation. Philip called Linda but we were both at a loss for words. We had so much to say to one another... but neither of us knew where to start. The call didn't last long. We were both left feeling a bit awkward... but it was still special.
A few days later, we talked again. This time, it felt so much more natural, having finally gotten over being nervous talking to one another. We talked for three hours. Even though we had finally allowed ourselves to begin talking about ourselves once again, at this point the majority of our relationship had revolved around doing devotions together... and so, the majority of our conversation centered around the Bible. We both really felt the presence of God in this relationship.
Finally, Philip made plans to fly home over the summer and we made plans to meet, unsure of exactly what would happen when we finally met in person. Philip would spend seven weeks in the States before returning to Taiwan to go through YWAM DTS (Youth With a Mission - Discipleship Training School). We were really unsure of whether those seven weeks would reveal that our relationship was real... or if it was based only on what we both hoped it might be.
Finally meeting
We scheduled to meet at the DC zoo. We decided to invite Philip's two youngest sisters (Abby and Amanda) to join us so that we wouldn't feel like a "first date." Having corresponded for nine months, culminating in a first date, would put too much pressure on that one day.
Just like our first phone conversation, our first meeting was awkward... but special. We weren't sure what to talk about, but Philip's sisters filled the silence for us. Linda returned home with Philip and his sisters, spending the night at Philip's parents' house. After finally being able to put the nervousness of our first meeting behind us, we had an open and honest conversation (but of course, we were not alone in the same room together, as we agreed that doing so before marriage would be unwise). We both felt assured that our relationship was real. We finally knew that we were both real people and our feelings were genuine.
We met each other's families and friends, and we quickly began to understand more and more that this relationship was really progressing somewhere. And we thanked God for bringing us together, even though we were on opposite sides of the world when we met.
Falling in love
Philip says...
The first time I realized that I had very strong feelings for Linda was the day after we met in person. Linda was staying at my parents' house and my two married siblings, Peter and Natalie (along with their families), came over for a visit. At this time, Peter and Natalie each had a little daughter of their own... and Linda and I were sitting on the floor playing with little Maddie and Audrey. That's when the thought hit me: I knew that someday, I'd be sitting on the floor next to Linda playing with kids. Except that they won't just be my siblings' kids.
But the first time it really hit me was about a week later, when Linda came back for another visit. It was a wonderful visit, but it had gone by way to fast, and Linda had to return to Philadelphia. I dropped her off at the train station, but I didn't want to let her go. I didn't ever want to have to say goodbye to her again. That's how I finally realized that I was in love.
Linda says...
Having been in very un-Godly relationships in my past, I was hesitant to go at it alone and the Christian books on how to have very Godly relationships that I’ve now been reading all recommend dating in community, so I had a community of Godly people who kept me accountable and prayed for our relationship to be directed by God. Emailing/talking to Phil had felt very natural, like how I talk to my best friends from college. By the time we agreed to meet I had started and been in Biblical counseling to work towards healing from my past and Phil knew I had issues and was very supportive. As God healed my heart, I felt attraction and feelings for Phil that I had to surrender to God over and over again because I didn’t want to make any mistakes like I did in the past. But these feelings didn’t go away and line by line and little by little with our emails and Pocket Testament League devotionals I felt an admiration and love towards Phil that only grew each time we decided to put God first and at the center of our lives.
By the time we decided to meet, I could see God working in the details with having my parents come to the East Coast during the same time as Phil coming back to the state side with an event that we couldn’t have orchestrated (my counsin’s wedding) and Phil’s family being close by where I go to school. When we finally met in person I knew God had something in mind when every member of Phil’s family seemed to like me. I’m not sure if I was very surprised by the time Phil told me the special “L” word but I had to confirm with God before I felt ready to say it to myself, having made mistakes in the past.
Apart again
While helping Philip's parents move, the two of us (Philip and Linda) were driving in a small truck together as we followed the big U-Haul. Philip was trying to hold Linda's hand as much as is possible while driving a stick shift... and that's when it finally came out that we both loved one another. We immediately began making plans to get married after Linda's graduation in May of the upcoming year, but Philip was still scheduled to return to Taiwan to go through the 5-month DTS program. Neither of us had expected our relationship to progress like this over the summer... and yet it did. Neither of us wanted to be apart again... but we knew that we had to put God ahead of this relationship. God was the one who brought us together in the first place... and we knew that unless we focused on Him instead of this relationship, this relationship would never succeed. And so, we were apart once again.
This time, being apart was even harder than being apart before having met. We both knew that we loved one another and we both knew that we'd get married. Naturally, we wanted to be together. But God kept reminding us that He needed to come first. We both cried on the phone several times... but we kept reminding each other that following God's Will more important whenever the other person was wavering. And during that time of striving to put God first, He really blessed our relationship. Once again, we were reminded how true it is that when two people focus on Jesus together, their hearts are drawn closer together. Once again, we were reminded that focusing on Jesus instead of our relationship is exactly what will make our relationship blossom.
DTS is a five-month program. The first three months are primarily lecture, while the last two months are outreach. The first month of Philip's outreach was in Cambodia. His ministry would be focused on places where Internet access would be scarce. We were both already so far apart but we were about to be torn even farther apart. Neither of us wanted that to happen. But after so many reminders from God that He needed to come first, we finally accepted the fact that this was something God knew we needed to go through if we were going to have a marriage which had Jesus as its foundation. And we both knew from our experience that even though we hated being torn apart, as long as we were focusing on God, we would be drawn together even closer than if we were focusing on each other. When Philip left for Cambodia, neither of us knew how much contact we'd have for a month, or if we'd have any contact at all beyond the 30 messages we had made for one another, one for each day.
But during this time with such little contact with one another, God taught us to cherish the time we do get together. Some couples get to see one another every day (or more), yet take the time they get together for granted. But God has reminded us that we don't deserve anything, causing us to give thanks for what we might have otherwise taken for granted. Since we have spent much of our relationship strained by distance and then lack of Internet access, we have learned to assume that there will always be more time together, but to cherish these times.
And in this way, by leaving one another and following God's plan instead of our own, He has drawn us even closer together. God has richly blessed our relationship every time we focused on Him instead of our relationship.
Soon to be together forever
In early February, Philip returned to States and formally proposed to Linda. Because he had left the country soon after we had decided to get married, he didn't have the time to pick out the perfect ring. The day he returned, he gave Linda a Chinese-English Bible which had a ribbon tied around it with the ring attached to the ribbon behind the Bible. Linda was so excited about the Bible that it took her some time to notice the ring... but when she did notice it, she was so surprised... and of course, she said yes!
And this is just the beginning of our story together! We look forward to seeing how God chooses to continue this story....
Apart again
While helping Philip's parents move, the two of us (Philip and Linda) were driving in a small truck together as we followed the big U-Haul. Philip was trying to hold Linda's hand as much as is possible while driving a stick shift... and that's when it finally came out that we both loved one another. We immediately began making plans to get married after Linda's graduation in May of the upcoming year, but Philip was still scheduled to return to Taiwan to go through the 5-month DTS program. Neither of us had expected our relationship to progress like this over the summer... and yet it did. Neither of us wanted to be apart again... but we knew that we had to put God ahead of this relationship. God was the one who brought us together in the first place... and we knew that unless we focused on Him instead of this relationship, this relationship would never succeed. And so, we were apart once again.
This time, being apart was even harder than being apart before having met. We both knew that we loved one another and we both knew that we'd get married. Naturally, we wanted to be together. But God kept reminding us that He needed to come first. We both cried on the phone several times... but we kept reminding each other that following God's Will more important whenever the other person was wavering. And during that time of striving to put God first, He really blessed our relationship. Once again, we were reminded how true it is that when two people focus on Jesus together, their hearts are drawn closer together. Once again, we were reminded that focusing on Jesus instead of our relationship is exactly what will make our relationship blossom.
DTS is a five-month program. The first three months are primarily lecture, while the last two months are outreach. The first month of Philip's outreach was in Cambodia. His ministry would be focused on places where Internet access would be scarce. We were both already so far apart but we were about to be torn even farther apart. Neither of us wanted that to happen. But after so many reminders from God that He needed to come first, we finally accepted the fact that this was something God knew we needed to go through if we were going to have a marriage which had Jesus as its foundation. And we both knew from our experience that even though we hated being torn apart, as long as we were focusing on God, we would be drawn together even closer than if we were focusing on each other. When Philip left for Cambodia, neither of us knew how much contact we'd have for a month, or if we'd have any contact at all beyond the 30 messages we had made for one another, one for each day.
But during this time with such little contact with one another, God taught us to cherish the time we do get together. Some couples get to see one another every day (or more), yet take the time they get together for granted. But God has reminded us that we don't deserve anything, causing us to give thanks for what we might have otherwise taken for granted. Since we have spent much of our relationship strained by distance and then lack of Internet access, we have learned to assume that there will always be more time together, but to cherish these times.
And in this way, by leaving one another and following God's plan instead of our own, He has drawn us even closer together. God has richly blessed our relationship every time we focused on Him instead of our relationship.
Soon to be together forever
In early February, Philip returned to States and formally proposed to Linda. Because he had left the country soon after we had decided to get married, he didn't have the time to pick out the perfect ring. The day he returned, he gave Linda a Chinese-English Bible which had a ribbon tied around it with the ring attached to the ribbon behind the Bible. Linda was so excited about the Bible that it took her some time to notice the ring... but when she did notice it, she was so surprised... and of course, she said yes!
And this is just the beginning of our story together! We look forward to seeing how God chooses to continue this story....
