Summer 2006. I worked at a camp called Summit Ministries. This summer-long camp brought hundreds of young, Christian men into my life, most of which became Facebook acquaintances; Ian was one of those.
Summer 2010. I went on a missions trip to Africa. Upon returning, Ian noticed me once again (thanks to Facebook) and thought that it would be a good time for us to get to know each other a little better. He wanted to know all about my trip. I took him up on his offer of a phone conversation knowing that nothing would become of our relationship due to its long distance (Ian lived in Kansas and I lived in New Mexico). I guess God had other plans.
Honestly, both Ian and I were in somewhat dark places in our lives at the time. My trip to Africa was amazing and I would not take it back for anything, but it left large emotional scares that needed healing – it was a medical mission trip and I saw more people suffer and die there than I was expecting. Ian was so deep in nursing school that he had grown apart from many of his friends. Needless to say, we both needed someone to talk to.
Our first night of talking exposed many similarities in our lives, the biggest of which was the fact that both us were in our third semester of nursing school. We had tons to talk about and our first phone conversation quickly turned into 3 hours. This turned into a spiral of long talks in which God was bringing Ian a much needed friend and me a comforting support.
After months of watching God develop our friendship into a loving relationship, it was time to see Ian face-to-face for the first time in years. I chose to go out and meet his family and spend Thanksgiving with them. I was out-of-my-mind nervous! I did not know if I was ready to face the reality of my prince-charming in person. I am happy to say that it was at the airport when he picked me up that we shared our first kiss.
Since that moment, we have come a long way. Both Ian and I are Registered Nurses working and living in New Mexico. Exactly one year after we confessed our love to one another over the phone, Ian proposed to me with the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen (and I’m not just saying that). We now are planning a small wedding for next month at a Bed & Breakfast in Colorado, the state where God originally crossed our paths 5 years ago.
Talking with Ian later, he reveals the fact that he remembered my smile and personality throughout those 4 years of no contact and often thought about me. It has been amazing to see how God was shaping us for each other during those 4 years apart. We are excited to see how God is going to continue this love story for a lifetime.
I loved being their Pagosa Springs, Colorado elopement photographer. You can see the other half of small wedding in Pagosa Springs, Colorado!!
