With gratitude

If I could sum up in one word how I felt on our wedding day, it would be gratitude.

The frantic running around trying to sort out my visa issues, the increasing possibility of postponing the wedding compounded by the fact that most of our out-of-town wedding guests had already flown in to New York while we were living out of our suitcases in Singapore wondering when my passport would be returned... 

Andrew was amazing. He dropped everything and flew in to Singapore to be with me. He had told everyone he was returning with his bride and he wasn't going back on his word. Even writing about it now brings tears to my eyes, because this man loves me so much it's incredible.

Despite all the craziness happening around us, I was also filled with a deep immovable sense of peace. God was in control and His ways were higher than our ways. We cried, we laughed, we prayed and we waited. 

Three days before the wedding, my passport was finally ready and we literally took the next flight out. After twenty-four hours in the air, we were welcomed by a cheering mob of family who stood at the Arrival Hall waving handmade signs declaring their love and support. 

We are so, so blessed!

Wedding photography by Brian Calabrese Photography

The best decision ever

Our engagement photoshoot in Paris by French Grey photography
Before Andrew, I dated an atheist for almost three years. 

He was very much a self-made man and took a lot of pride in his talents and achievements. Christianity, he would say over and over again, was a crutch for the helpless and weak-willed. He would tell me how proud he was of me leaving church and how I absolutely made the right decision. So I shut down the part of me that believed in God and shut up about my faith altogether.

When we broke up, he told me very matter-of-factly that I should go back to church. Knowing how he felt about Christians, his words cut me deeply. So even when I felt God's call again, I resisted Him for as long as I could. I wanted to be strong on my own, and I didn't want to prove my ex right.

And then I met Andrew. On our second date, we sat across each other in a very trendy bar on Club Street and he asked me what I believed in. I was hesistant to bring up my Christian past, but I saw no reason to lie and decided to give him the whole nine yards. I figured I had nothing to lose since I thought I would never see him again.

I told him that I had converted to Christianity in high school, and how in university I had been convinced that my calling in life was to be a missionary in Thailand. I told him that my life used to revolve around church and that I used to run small groups and lead Bible Study, but eventually I was burnt out and decided to leave church altogether. I was expecting him to write me off as a religious fanatic, but instead his eyes lit up and he said it was "very cool".

"Are you being serious, or are you being sarcastic?" I asked (in those exact words!), unsure of what to make of his response. And that's when he told me his story of being raised in a Christian household and going to youth group every week, but how college and life got in the way and he was now in a very similar situation to mine.

It felt like a huge weight lifted off my chest, because for once I didn't have to pretend about anything. My faith was no longer a "shameful secret" I carried around with me. And that's just one of the many things I love about Andrew- I can be open about my innermost thoughts and know that he would never judge me, because he's just not that kind of person.

Many weeks and countless hours of conversations later, Andrew and I realized that we had been walking on the same path, and that God had brought us together to grow in faith. It still amazes me that out of more than 7 billion people on earth, God led us to each other. But what is even more amazing is how He continues to bless us in ways we never could have imagined because we both made a commitment to walk with Him. Best decision ever.


Love,
Trish

Hello, goodbye

Photo taken at Cheezz Studio
I met Christine at Bible Study Fellowship over a year ago. 
I was new to the group and didn't know anyone, and part of me felt like a fraud for even being there. I had left church several years ago and dated a string of non-Christians, and quite frankly, wasn't sure if I believed in God anymore. I wasn't ready for a church commitment but wanted to dip my toes in the faith again, and this is how I ended up in a room with a group of Christian women studying the Bible.
I know how to play good Christian. I even used to teach Bible Study myself. But I hadn't touched the Bible in years and wanted to remain low-key, for fear of being found out. Most of the women in the group were surprisingly shy, except for this one girl who was very vocal. I couldn't help staring at her. Whatever it was that she had, I used to have... and I wanted it again. 
It took a few weeks before I had the courage to talk to her. We ended up taking the train home together, and I found it so easy to open up to her. I spoke to her about my time teaching in Japan, doing my postgraduate studies in Australia, breaking up with the ex and meeting Andrew. 
To my surprise, she confessed to me that she had been crying at work that very morning, wondering where her life was headed. What I had shared about my life encouraged her greatly, and she knew that God was calling her to pursue her dreams like I did. 
I was floored. Here I was hoping for her to share some wisdom with me, and yet God had used me, imperfect as I was, to encourage her! That moment marked a new beginning for me, and it gave me the courage I needed to get back on track with my faith.
Our friendship grew quickly over the next few months.
I remember talking to her about my long-distance relationship with Andrew and how I wasn't sure about our future. "Trish, you know, I have a feeling he is going to propose very soon," she said, despite never having met him. And Andrew did get down on one knee and asked me to marry him not long after we had that conversation. 
In the meantime, she was applying to schools in the UK to do her masters. She spoke of her dreams of starting a fashion company in her hometown and giving back to the community. She worked hard on her portfolio and studied for the entrance exams. I couldn't be more proud when she told me she had been accepted into London College of Fashion.
We didn't know that we were both at the crossroads of our lives when we first met, and that God had plans for us that we would never imagine for ourselves. She is leaving for London in less than 2 weeks, and I for New York in a month's time. I'm so thankful that God has brought our paths together, and a new adventure awaits the both of us!
Love, Tricia