Every couple has their own love story, and ours is pretty unique! Fuzzy and I had our fair share of broken hearts and failed relationships in the past, primarily due to our desire to live overseas and share Truth with the unreached. Most people don’t jump at the thought of giving up “The American Dream,” leaving family and friends in America to tough it out in remote places in Africa; oddly enough, that is precisely what drew Fuzzy and I together.
I felt confident that coming home to settle down in America wasn’t for me at this time. I was living and working in North Africa, finally realizing
that after a few two-year terms on the mission field, it was time to commit my
heart to be a full-time missionary. Fuzzy had come to this decision
years before I did and assumed that marriage would not be in the cards for him
unless he found a girl willing to do life in the Horn of Africa.
Fuzzy was in the states preparing to return to The Horn, and
I was halfway through my second term in North Africa. We found ourselves
on a website designed for single missionaries to meet and share each other’s
callings. We exchanged a few messages on the website and found out that we both
have the heart and desire to live and serve in Africa.
We decided to try a video phone call to see if we had any
spark- the first call lasted for three hours! How did the African internet
withstand such a long call? - To this day, I have no idea! But I know that my
face hurt from smiling so much after the call!
We spent many early mornings and late nights sharing our
hearts, love for Our Father, and desire to see the unreached reached connected
us even though we were countries and oceans apart. After a few weeks of talking
on the phone almost daily, Fuzzy wrapped up his time in the states and prepared
to return to Africa on the first of the year. Not knowing if or when we would
be able to meet in person, Fuzzy took a giant leap of faith and purchased an
engagement ring before flying out of the country, just in case he might need it
in the coming months.
Our schedules conflicted; we could not find a way to meet in
person until early spring. Even then, it wasn’t without drama. In March, April, and May between the both of us, we had a few 12-hour bus rides,
one spurt of house arrest, one revoked visa,
6 flights, 4 passports, 6 approved visas, many dropped phone calls, a
few tears but ended with a thriving relationship and one marriage proposal!
Missionary dating is not for the faint of heart!
We thought dating across countries, continents, and time zones was challenging, but wedding
planning was much more complicated. Somehow, with the help of family and
friends, we managed to pull together a beautiful woodsy wedding at the close of
the summer. The few weeks leading up to our wedding was the most time Fuzzy,
and I had spent together, in the same place at the same time- like I said, our
love story is unique, but I’m so happy it’s ours.
