Our Story - How We Met


Dennis and I met in fall of 2004. I was in the voluntary missionary and normally our missionaries spend their whole lived devoted to this calling. I was in the South Seattle area for that year with my co-worker who is a very lovely lady and still a dear friend of ours. Dennis was living with his uncle at the time and had just started going to meetings again with his uncle Jerry. Dennis and I both grew up in this faith. (A very interesting and fun side note - his uncle Jerry is visiting at our home right now)! That is the first place that Dennis and I met - and neither of us had any inclining of romance whatsoever between us.

 And, to protect my story and my heart - it's not often that I show the raw side of me and share the intricate details of what transpired next. It's probably just easiest to say that I lost the peace that I felt when I first started in the ministry. I held onto the feeling for about three or four months and then in January of 2005, I realized that I couldn't continue on in the ministry. I moved back home and was home for a couple of months until my parents moved to Central Oregon. I started renting a room from a friend and while living there, Dennis sent me a letter. In his letter, he said that I did not need to respond, so I didn't.

 Fast forward to fall of 2005, Dennis and I saw each other again at a church convention. I saw Dennis sitting on a bench and when he saw me, he came over to me and gave me a really huge bear hug! I was planning on just being there for the evening meeting on Wednesday night. Dennis and I ended up sitting together that meeting and I had forgotten my bible case. I told him so and said that it would be okay because I had most of our hymns memorized. He didn't believe me so insisted on sharing his hymn book with me during meeting. After meeting, we talked a little and he asked if I was going to come back Thursday evening, as I had to work during the days on Thursday and Friday. He also told me that he was thinking of moving to Portland and I told him that he should - and we could hang out with some of the young kids in the Portland area. I gave Dennis my phone number - he wrote it on his hand. I told him to not wash his hands until he wrote my number down on paper. I still had no thought towards Dennis in a romantic way. On Thursday during the day at work, my flip phone told me that I had a message. I was totally confused because there was no voicemail. It FINALLY dawned on me that I had a text message. Yes, this was my very first text message, sent to me by Dennis! It read "I didn't write your number down before I washed. Are you coming tonight? I have sour jolly ranchers." I was so confused and had no idea who sent me this text. Then I realized it was from Dennis. I ended up going out to convention that evening too. I had planned on going to a different convention for the weekend, but when I arrived home last Thursday evening, I just felt that I needed to go to Boring convention. And, I felt that I needed to go there for Dennis, not necessarily to date him - but definitely felt a calling to be there for him. I texted him and asked him if he would be available to help a friend set up her tent Friday evening. 

 I went out to convention Friday evening to stay for the weekend. Dennis and I did start dating that weekend. Things seemed to happen really fast, it just felt really comfortable being with him. There is a very special memory that I have during that time of the integrity that Dennis had and I am so thankful that he still has that wonderful quality. 

 The week that followed, Dennis managed to get an apartment and a job near Portland and so he planned on moving down here. We were together a lot. Our phone bills during this time were upwards of $500 - but it was so worth it. I was falling in love with Dennis and falling fast! 

 To be continued ... our dating story ... 

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