Let Me Tell You A Love Story (Oh, It’s A Good One!)

There was once a girl named Steph

And a boy named Joel

I know them both well as I worked with them when I lived at the House of Life and Hope in Magdalena, Mexico and I had the opportunity to room with Steph.

Although always changing, here is a picture of all the roomies at one point.

Steph and Joel irritated each other at first…

But as God grew them both…

They developed an appreciation for each other.

Fast forward a few years, Steph was deeply in love with the sibling group of four that had been entrusted to her for over three years…

and then felt the Lord moving in her heart to adopt them.  At first, she dismissed it because she wanted these kids to have a father.  God kept working and Steph rejoiced and moved forward with adopting these four.

As for Joel, well, he was just hanging around, having grown a DEEP appreciation for Steph and with a love in his heart for those four children as well. Conveniently enough for Joel, the kids loved to be with him.  ;)

Joel asked Steph to marry him. Steph said yes…eventually (another story for another time).  :) 

as an engaged couple, Joel and Steph moved forward with the adoption.

And then this weekend under the Mexican, desert sun…

These four stood in front of church, holding hands, watching their future Mama and Papa forever promise their lives to each other, in the presence of God.

And that is what I call a HAPPY ending beginning.