On this day two years ago, Kiko and I became a couple. Memories from the last two years flash before me and I realized, for the nth time, how good God has been to us.
On February 6, 2021, Kiko wrote a poem for me and sent it via Slowly, the “penpal” app where we first met. We had been exchanging letters for about a month when virtual sparks flew and he officially courted me. I liked him. A lot. I liked that he’s a lover of words, like I am. I liked that he’s intelligent and funny and kind — things I was sure he is, even though I haven’t met him in person. I liked him even if I didn’t want to be in a long-distance relationship (context: I live in Cavite, he lives in CamSur).
This poem was one of my “green lights” for saying yes to him.
He promised he’ll translate it for me but I couldn’t wait for him to finish class so I asked my friend Camille, who speaks the language, to translate it for me.
This was Cams’ translation:
Hindi kita masisisi
Sa iyong pagdadalawang isip at pagdududa
Kung ang lalaking sa internet mo lang nakilala
Magtatapat saiyo ng pagmamahal
Kung ang iyong isip ay puno ng takot
Makinig sa nararamdaman ng puso
Hindi lahat naiintindihan
Lalo na ang nasa loob ng puso
Kahit hindi pa nagkikita
Pero naramdaman na sa mga sulat
Ang iyong kabutihan
Na aking pinagpapasalamat
Naghihintay na tanggapin ang aking inaalay
Makasama ka ang hinahangad.
Her translation was beautiful but she said it sounds way sweeter in Bicol. You can probably understand why three days later, on Feb 9, 2021, I became Kiko’s girlfriend.
Separated by 408 kilometers (250+ miles), our relationship was sustained by late-night Whatsapp/Messenger calls (because we literally had to wait for midnight for him to get a better internet connection), text messages, YouVersion devotionals, and tons of prayers. We wouldn’t see each other for months because of all the travel restrictions back then.
We finally met each other face to face in July 2021. This is one of my favorite photos from that time.
We were all smiles, not knowing we’d be crying after we took this at the thought that we’ll be physically apart again for months. Hay… LDR is hard. We were in the same country, what more if one of us was abroad?! You can understand why we didn’t delay marriage 😅
It’s been two years since we became a couple. And we’ve been married for seven months now. I am nothing but amazed by the Great Writer who wrote and continues to write our story.
Looking back, I see that we never planned any of this. I had plans, he had his — and this relationship wasn’t part of those. Prior to meeting each other, he’d decided to devote his time to law school (which isn’t a relationship-friendly endeavor, to be honest) and I just wanted to save up and travel as much as I could. Romance and marriage certainly weren’t in our (limited) vision.
But God surprised us by putting a desire for marriage in our hearts. God met that desire by providing everything we needed leading up to the wedding and beyond.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Two years in and He continues to surprise us.
And so, dear reader, if you’re:
- single and praying for a partner
- in a relationship and praying to get married, or
- single and have no plans of being in a relationship/marriage…
Surrender your plans and desires to God and let Him surprise you. Let Him direct your feet. Whether it’s singlehood like Paul’s or marriage like Boaz and Ruth’s, God is writing your story. And I tell you, there is great joy in waiting for that story to unfold.