I cannot but rejoice for what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for my dear daughter Leah. It is an amazing story and I know that many of you have been waiting for this post. I have been anxious to share!
This will be a long post, but it is a wonderful story of how God brought two godly young people together in His way and timing:
It Began:
Last year, 2009, Leah and Michael were considering whether or not they should go to the
OSA missions trip that was being held in
LasVegas. Michael really wanted to go, Leah was not too interested, but was willing to go if God made a way for them. They had gone to an
OSA mission trip 2 years before in Alabama and had been greatly blessed meeting people truly on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ. These are people who, like us, do all they can to reach the lost with the gospel... as well as expose the horrors of abortion and plead for unborn children lives. They decided to pray for the funds and not say anything to anyone about it. They had been reading
George Mueller's testimony of God's provisions, and were impressed to only seek God and not man for the funds. The very next day a dear friend walked up to them and offered flight and motel expenses for the trip if they wanted to go!
Mick,(my husband), and I could see it was clearly God's will for them to go and prayed for His will to be done. One day while walking and praying about the trip I asked God again why He wanted them to go when I heard Him speak to my heart. He told me Leah was going to meet her husband while on the missions trip. I didn't expect something like that, but I had such a peace in my heart that it just made me thank Him. I shared this with Mick, but not with anyone else. We both just wondered and resigned it to God and prayed for His will.
Michael and Leah went on the trip and came back being greatly blessed and excited about the opportunities they had been given. Leah didn't say she had met anyone, so it seemed I was wrong about hearing from the Lord. A few days after they came back, Leah told me she had forgotten something that had happened in LasVegas. As Leah and Michael were walking toward a group of people whom were part of OSA, she noticed a young man she had not yet met. As her eyes fell on this young man she heard the Lord Jesus say in her heart, "There is your husband." Leah was so shocked at what she heard and tried to shake it away. Leah is not the type of girl who looks for guys, she has always been very sensitive to keeping herself for the man God has for her. Leah decided to ask Michael to introduce her to this young man, they had a quick hand shake and that was all there was!
When I heard the story from Leah, I got very excited. Leah told the story to Mick and in just a few hours he had them get ready for another missions trip with
"Missionaries to the pre-Born" which was being held in Detroit MI. where they thought the young man would also attend. I am sure the Lord moved Mick, we have been careful to look to the Lord for direction in any decision made for Leah and Michael. We felt confident in His leading now. On that trip, the young man was not there. However, during the time in Detroit, Leah and Michael met many wonderful young people on fire for the Lord Jesus. They wanted to keep in touch with them and Face Book seemed to be the most popular way so they made their own accounts. After a few weeks Michael had a friend request from someone he didn't know, but seemed familiar. Leah and Michael both realized at about the same time it was, the young man, and his name was Patrick. Soon afterward Patrick requested Leah to be his friend. Mick and I were very cautious about the whole Face Book thing. If the Lord had not made it so clear to us this young man could very well be the man He had chosen for Leah, we would not have been open to her chatting with him AT ALL! We watched both Leah and
Michael's interaction with Patrick. As we checked out Patrick's wall and info, we noticed all his posts and comments were very godly and Biblical. We watched and read all the chats, Patrick was very respectful and kept them wholesome with good questions and answers. As time went on we could see he was not only loving Jesus but also very like-minded as we.
Soon Patrick was contacting Michael through phone calls. I talked with him too and was encouraged by his respectfulness. His conversation always pointed to Jesus and the Bible. Then Patrick asked to come for a visit in December. We live in Northern Wisconsin, snow and cold is a huge factor that time of year. We told him he was welcomed, but just the day before he was to arrive a winter storm hit here and he had to cancel. . .
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Leah's side of the story:
About 2 years ago Leah met a dear couple who are missionaries to Mexico. Leah had been looking for direction from the Lord for her life, she was already 20 years old, she had expected to have met her husband by now. But God was doing a wonderful work in her heart, and she became settled into willingness to not ever get married if the Lord should so will. Please read Leah's post on marriage and get an idea of her thoughts on the subject of marriage at that time.
Leah prayed about whether He would have her as a missionary. She started learning Spanish, and looked into a language school in Mexico. The school teaches Spanish to prospective missionaries as they live in the culture and around the people. While seeking the Lord about it Leah heard the Lord tell her to go learn the Language in Mexico, and then get out and go back home. Leah planned to go January 2010 if the Lord opened the doors for it.
Leah occupied herself at home with work and helping me around the house. We are involved in Pro-Life and gospel work which is also a large part of our lives each week. Leah served her family, sewing Daddy's patches on his work pants, cooking, cleaning, gardening and canning many different types of fruits and tomatoes. Time passed and Leah kept seeking the Lord Jesus, praying about Mexico, and keeping a servants heart. Leah has always blessed me and as she grew older she blessed me not only as a wonderful serving daughter, but also as a dear sister and friend in our Lord Jesus. We shared some wonderful joyful times together with fellowship in our Lord Jesus. I know it was Jesus who gave her the patience to wait on Him and to have such a loving attitude, even when times were difficult.
I hope you take some time and read this post by Leah in her blog, Glorious Hope. It will give you a good idea of her heart for the Lord Jesus:
Marriage.Also to learn more about the trip to
LasVegas read this: in
Leah's blog. You will see what I mean about her, she was loving Jesus then and she is loving Him now.
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Patrick's side of the story:
Patrick had committed himself to purity and godliness even as a young teen. He kept his eyes and heart for the Lord. At 15 he began to pray for the women God would someday have him marry. He learned to work hard and kept his mind on wholesome and godly things. He kept involved in Pro-life and gospel work which were and are an important to Patrick and his family, going weekly to plead for unborn children and give the gospel at abortion clinics. He worked at various secular jobs and learned what it means to be persecuted for his faith in the Lord Jesus.
Several years ago he noticed there was some property for sale near his parents home. One day as he passed by the property he heard the Lord tell him to buy it. The land would be for him and his own family one day. He obeyed and began and started to improve the property. By the time Patrick turned 23 he felt ready for marriage, and wondered if a girl he and his family had become acquainted with was the right one and he was given permission by her father to court her. He soon realized she was not the right one and was thankful he had not given his heart to her, not even holding her hand. Patrick prayed for direction. As he turned 26 he wondered about another girl he had met through a Ministry group. The friendship with her was very long distant and he prayed continually for direction. About this time Patrick learned OSA was having a Missions out reach in Las Vegas, he was not very interested in going but prayed about it. A friend of his family wanted Patrick to go with him and offered to pay for the trip entirely. Still Patrick was doubtful if he could go because of his job. Amazingly Patrick was given the time off from work with no difficulty, so he realized the Lord wanted him to go.
While at OSA in LasVegas a young man named Michael him came up to meet him, then Michael introduced his sister Leah to him. Patrick was uneasy,wondering, who was this girl and what did she want? He politely shook her hand and then turned and left very quickly, it seemed to him that Leah was chasing him.
When Patrick returned home he remembered Leah and told his family about a girl named Leah that was chasing him at OSA. Patrick wanted to keep himself for the girl God had for him to marry, he didn't want anything to do with a girl who would chase him!
Patrick still wondered if the girl he was keeping a long distance friendship with was the one for him. She was going to be at "Missionaries to the Pre-Born" tour in Detroit MI. and he wanted to go, but things didn't work out with his job. Patrick had a Face Book account and kept in touch with people through it, including his long distant friend who he wondered about. One day he noticed Michael and Leah on Face Book and became "friends". Some where in this frame, the Lord showed Patrick the other girl was not for him. He felt so weary of looking for the right one, so he just threw everything before the Lord and asked Him to show him, he wasn't going to look anymore.
As weeks and months passed Patrick began to notice Leah. He noticed her godliness and love for Jesus. He noticed her respect and clarity in her thoughts and reasoning's. Suddenly he understood, the Lord wanted Leah to be his wife, he felt very sure of it. In Patrick's own words on a chat he said, "Then I started finding myself comparing girls I thought I might be interested in and Leah and still didn't think of it until the Lord just really spoke to me and I asked him could it be you are trying to tell me she is the one? and it was then that the Lord really started guiding me and reminding me of things he had revealed to me during this process that revealed that about Nov. I think end of Oct."
Here are some of the things the Lord reminded Patrick of:
- God had told him several years ago he was going to take his wife to Mexico, learn the language and get out.
- God had put it into his heart to have 12 children to raise for God.
- Once when Patrick had become very sick he dreamed he was married and his wife brought him some food. In his dream his wife looked like Leah.
- There were a few other things that made Patrick understand that Leah was the one...
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Getting back to January of 2010:
Leah kept looking for an opening to go to Mexico, but the door never opened. Now, Patrick decided to re-schedule his visit to Northern Wisconsin. He finally arrived at our home after a very long 14+ hour drive. We all instantly loved Patrick. His love for the Lord Jesus was obvious to us. He and Mick really, "hit it off" and the 3 days Patrick stayed was a joy. Patrick showed great respect to Mick and I, he was kind to Michael and was very respectful to Leah, hardly looking at her. (He told us later how hard it was not to stare at her, let alone just look at her.) , Patrick was very cautious to keep from showing interest in Leah. The second night here, Mick and Patrick sat in the kitchen talking until after 2:00 a.m. At this time Patrick asked Mick if he could court Leah. Mick told him to wait and we would pray about it. He also told him not to say a word to Leah about it. Patrick respected the request and when he had left Leah still had no idea that he was even interested in her. Leah however felt a tug in her heart so she fasted and prayed with a aching heart for several days afterward. Leah kept looking to the Lord, it was her desire to keep her focus on Him and not on Patrick.
Nearly 2 weeks later Mick had a talk with Leah about Patrick, and Mexico. He revealed to her Patrick wanted to court her, and even take her to Mexico some time after they were married. The look on Leah's face was priceless, she was so happy! Mick called Patrick and let him know he could court her. We learned after talking to Mick, Patrick went out to his property and rejoiced in the Lord and unto the Lord for a good long time, thanking Him.
And so. . . began the courtship which lasted for 4 months, and they were married May 29, 2010. During the courtship and Betrothal, with all the visits, phone calls, chats, they remained pure in their relationship. Both had committed to not kissing nor holding hands until they were married. The wedding was beautiful, God honoring and a great blessing. It is such a joy to see two godly young people brought together by God.
This is my account and testimony of Leah's blessing from the Lord. Leah waited on the Lord for many years, she was sure He was going to have her married at 18, but God knew she was not yet ready for Patrick, nor Patrick for her. It is and was all God's timing, which was perfect. They both have been greatly rewarded for their patience and purity. Now we feel as if the heavens have been opened upon us and blessings are being poured on us, Patrick and Leah have announced, they are with child! Blessings and praise to God forever!
