A Redeeming Love - Chapter 5

A summer romance series, chronicling my love story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

After the holidays Roger and I spent more and more time together.  On Tuesday nights, after the college group, we’d stay in his office talking for hours – I knew I had to be at work early the next morning, but I didn’t care!  I didn’t want our conversations to end.  He was kind, funny, loved Jesus, and irresistibly handsome.

 As I continued to volunteer in the college ministry, it wasn’t just Roger that I was falling in love with.  I was also falling in love with college students and college ministry.  I quickly felt that I was created to minister to college students.  With an opportunity to co-lead a mission trip to Thailand and my growing love for college ministry, in Spring of 1998, I decided to leave my job at E! and pursue ministry opportunities.  Shortly after I quit my job I was on an airplane with Roger and 9 college students, bound for an adventure of a lifetime!

 Aside from being overwhelmed by the experience of traveling to Thailand and Burma, I was also thrilled to be sharing this experience with Roger.  Up until this point, we had never discussed our feelings for one another – for all I knew, he just considered me a good friend.  Roger was always a man of strong integrity and he would have never asked me to co-lead this trip with him if we were dating.  It wouldn’t be appropriate.  If he had any real feelings for me, he did a really good job of keeping them hidden.

 After a phenomenal trip, I returned to Southern California where I had packed up all my belongings, quit my job, and accepted a summer position as the head of female staff at a Christian camp just outside of Yosemite.  I had been a water ski instructor at this camp when I first graduated from college and was excited to return and minister to all the college women who would be on staff.  This would give me a real hands on experience ministering to college students more than just once a week.  It would also mean leaving Southern California and Roger, not knowing when or if I’d return.  I wondered if this big move would kill any slight chance of potential with this handsome man that took my breath away the first time I saw him, but now without a job and no concrete ties in Los Angeles, there was no reason for me to stay. 

Make Out Monday - Traveling Romance

It's Make Out Monday friends!!  In an effort to be intentional with our marriages, this is my monthly challenge to keep dating your husband! 

you can check out details of the Make Out Monday challenge here 

The theme for the month of May is

Traveling Romance

Flashback to a trip you've taken together.  Pull out the photo album.  Watch the home video.  Decorate your table with a souvenir purchased on the trip.  Cook a meal that you had on the trip.  Have fun remembering the journey together!

My husband and I worked in college ministry prior to getting married.  Prior to dating in fact!  We had the awesome privilege of leading a team of college students to Thailand and Burma on a mission trip.  Our Traveling Romance date took us to Thailand!

This beautiful fabric I bought in Thailand was our table cloth.

See... it really is from Thailand!

We have a fabulous Thai restaurant that we love to get take-out from, but in an effort to save a little money, I made a few Thai dishes. 

 Curry Tom Gai

Thai Peanut Noodles with Prawns

And for our entertainment, I pulled out the video I took while we were in Thailand.  A few years back my dad took all my mini hi8 tapes and put them on DVDs for us - such a treat!

We weren't dating on this trip, but I was so in love with him!  Throughout the video I kept pointing out to my husband, "I was so in love with you then!"

More than it being a lot of fun to remember some outrageous adventures in Thailand, it was inspirational to see the people we met there and hear their stories of God's faithfulness in their lives.  From the women at The House Of Love who were sold in the sex trade and now suffering from AIDS, to the incredible people living in refugee camps, we were changed then when we met them and blessed to be reminded of their stories as we watched the video.

It was a wonderful date.

Now it's your turn!  Pick a trip you went on with your husband - it doesn't have to be international - it could be a weekend you spent camping, your honeymoon, anything!  And create a little date around that trip and have a wonderful time remembering together.