Daneen's Version

Our love story.

 
“Fairy Tales Can Come True, It Can Happen To You“ ~Frank Sinatra

 For years, I have disliked romantic comedies and love story films.  Appalled with Hollywood and filmmakers who create impossible scenarios on how people find love and “live happily ever after.” I’ve allowed my own life’s realities and upsets to make me jaded toward the possibility of true love stories actually being possible.  Yet, deep down, I still longed for my own unbelievable love story to come true someday; for my Prince to romance me like I’m a Princess. Yet, I tried to convince myself that only happens the the movies and fairy tales.

 

Thankfully, God writes real love stories. And that’s our story. 

It’s a story of God’s great, powerful, relentless, faithful and abounding love for us.  A story that without God’s direction and guidance, wouldn’t have been possible.  A story that needs and deserves God to receive all the Glory!  We Praise Jesus for it all!

If you wonder about this God of ours and if He really can answer prayers and live up to the Throne He sits on... we hope our story will help you see the power of His love!

Joe lives in Mbita, Kenya; along the shores of Lake Victoria.

I live in Portland, Oregon; among the Cascade mountains.

Worlds apart; literally. 

He teaches Math and Bible at Christ’s Gift Academy (www.cga.org), takes care of much admin work, oversees CGA’s secondary school program and coaches a community girl’s soccer (www.subalakers.com) team.

I work for These Numbers Have Faces (www.thesenumbers.org) focusing on providing college students with scholarships and raising up future leaders in Africa; specifically, in South Africa and Rwanda.

Together, we cover pre-school through university!  :-)

Before going to Africa....

Joe was one of the youngest assistant coaches in college basketball when his Northwestern State (LA) team reached the NCCA March Madness tournament.  But God had bigger plans for him beyond his successful career in basketball.

I was...well, you know... a rocket scientist. But God knew my heart was made for a life serving and loving others, working with youth and being involved in the community.

We have both prayed - for years and years! - and desired to have a life partner; a teammate; a best friend to do life and ministry together.  And we know, and are grateful for, many of our friends who have prayed with us for our future spouse.

When you’re both 36 and single, you might be known for being picky; but I think it’s better described that we both knew what God wanted for us and kept trusting and believing that He does have His very best waiting for us. 

God did.

We met in Portland, Oregon on Oct 23^rd, 2012.

Joe was in the States for 3 months visiting family, friends and traveling around the country sharing stories and updates of the ministry of CGA with various supporters and churches. 

Our mutual and wonderful friend (and best match-maker on Earth!) Don, connected us.  Telling us we would each enjoy hearing about each other’s work and experiences in East Africa.   Joe has spent 9 years in Kenya and I lived 6 months in Zambia and 1.5 years in Uganda.

Portland wasn’t a city Joe’s visited frequently during his trips Stateside.  In fact, this was only his second time.  I moved to Portland only 5 months ago... without a job, but sensing and believing that God had something waiting for me in Portland!  He did- I now have a wonderful job that is a huge blessing. But even with a job I love, I had been struggling with wanting to settle here and dig my heels into friendships/relationships, a church and more.  I’ve had feelings of being unsettled.  For weeks, before I ever met Joe, I was trying hard to work through this unsettledness and ask God to show me why I was struggling to “fit in” in Portland, accept it as my new home, and get involved in the community in typical Daneen fashion; passionately feet first 100%.  Now, I wonder if God was just protecting my heart and preparing me for something else he had for me; something larger than I could have dreamed up on my own!

I went to a dinner gathering where Joe shared with a small group of old friends from various stages of his life.  Before I could leave, he wanted to hear more about These Numbers Have Faces.  CGA has been supporting students through secondary school and are figuring out how to continue to support their best and brightest to go on to university.

Two days later, Joe and Joyce (CGA board member) came to our office to chat in more detail about best practices for raising up leaders in Africa to change their countries.  Joe was trying to find a way to spend more time with me (it’s true), so he invited us to lunch.  We had an enjoyable time at lunch with some cute “nudges” expressing our interest in each other. We finished lunch. I would email him some information about our program. 

We said goodbye.  He hugged me!

He was leaving Portland the next day and would be leaving for Kenya in 4 weeks.

The End.

 

Nope... Just the beginning!!!  

Ministry/work related emails quickly turned personal and we both started sharing very naturally and openly about the challenges of life and work in Africa and America and trying to do it well.  Emails turned into text messages and then into phone calls.

Two weeks into the long, open and honest emails, Joe called me and invited me to come to California, where he was staying with his family.  His intentions: for us to spend time together before he went back to Kenya for another 2 years and to explore the possibility that maybe there was something worth pursing between us.   After some silence on the phone because I was speechless and truly stunned by his offer, I replied “you should know I’m smiling”! I later said “Yes” and he bought my ticket.

I flew to Cali for 5 days.  From the beginning, we had a really fun time together.  It was easy and super comfortable to be around each other! Every day got better and better.  Two days before I was supposed to leave, he asked me to stay longer.  To stay through Thanksgiving and until Saturday when he would fly back to Kenya.  Again, I was very stunned but this time he could see the smile on my face.  I said “Yes” and we changed my flight to leave after his flight to Kenya the next Saturday.

I would stay for an extra 5 days, but he would be flying to Montana for 2 of those for one last fundraising trip.  It was actually great timing; like everything in our story.  It was valuable time apart and gave us the opportunity to step back, embrace and process all that had happened in the previous week.  To pray and seek good counsel.  Make sure we were being wise and not foolish.   We each spoke with our mentors and people we look to for wise counsel in our lives.  No one...not one... had reservations.  Instead they saw the Lord’s hand and offered to continue in prayer for us.

When Joe came back from Montana he had missed me terribly!  Really, he did!  :-)  He brought back the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts for me....but there was a better gift.  He decided he wanted to delay his return to Kenya. He wanted to spend another month with me!  He wanted to come see me up in Portland and go to Pennsylvania for Christmas to meet my parents!

Again...stunned.  But smiling as the tears welled up.  After a day of thinking it through and more prayer, on Thanksgiving Day, we changed his flight, booked flights to Portland and Baltimore and changed one of my flights to coincide with his.  Everything lined up so well.  Ideal dates were available and costs were minimal; including one flight costing $5 after using miles!!  Someone wanted us to spend more time together!  :-)

Is this all really true?  Is this real?  We both kept asking ourselves.  Yet we knew-- it felt more right and more real than anything we had each ever known!!  Ever!

We both had a great sense of peace.  Peace, that in the midst of a nearly unbelievable whirlwind love story, brings clear guidance that this IS from the Lord.

Joe has continued to amaze me at his courageous acts to lead us and listen to where God is directing us. Courageous, yet in the most humble way.

I have even been amazed at myself and how, through the Spirit’s leading, I have fully trusted and respected Joe’s leading and not needed to jump-in with my own plans or ideas.  I simply recognize his honor and character and fully respect it!  For a single, independent and confident girl who loves to plan...that’s huge.  Only through Jesus does it all make sense!

We now have another 3 weeks together.  To continue to prayerfully walk through this incredible courtship and await the beautiful future that Jesus is planning!

Are we foolish for believing this love story to be true so quickly?  Not one bit.  For 3 clear reasons:

1. As it’s often said, “when you know, you know”...  We Know!!!

2. We both have a perfect peace that comes from the Holy Spirit’s guidance. 

3. Jesus has been the one to orchestrate every detail; starting with us managing to meet, our mutual love for Africa and combined work experience in the region, our balance of gifts and even how we both love to rock out in the car to 80’s, Worship or country music - never listening to a full song before wanting a new one!   :-)

When God is ready to move- He Moves! 

When God is in the center of the lives of two people who have allowed Jesus to mold them into the individuals He desires- He Rewards!

When two people continue to earnestly seek the Lord’s guidance for their lives, no matter what their hearts might desire- He Gives Us the Desires of Our Hearts.

It all simply fits and is the greatest blessing the Lord’s provided in both of our lives! We’re both confident and convinced God has a life-long story planned for us!! 

Two is better than one!

And... sometimes... you just need to listen to Taylor Swift and trust your instincts, “It’s a love story. Baby, just say Yes!”

Jesus has brought me my Prince.  And I feel like a Princess.

I suppose Cinderella stories can come true!

So....

That’s our love story. 

But really...

It’s God’s Love Story for us!

All the Glory Be To God!