A New and Wonderful Life

Saturday November 5, 2011

If you had told me last may that 7 months from then I would be engaged to the girl of my dreams, I would have said you were crazy. That’s exactly how things turned out and I couldn't be happier! These past 7 months have strengthened my testimony greatly. I have truly learned to rely on the Lord and I know that He has a plan for each of us. Seven months ago I was packing to fly to Uganda where I would spend the next 4 months completing my Health Science internship for school. There were no girls that interested me at the time and I was focused and ready to go see Africa and learn all I could, but the Lord had a better plan to go along with mine. 

We set off from Salt Lake City and flew to Chicago and then took an overnight flight to London Heathrow. We had a 12-hour layover in London which allowed my best friend Kevin and I to leave the airport and go sight seeing in the city for the day (which was really our night due to time zones). I got back to the airport two hours before our flight and quickly found a quiet bench near the terminal and took a much-needed nap before our next overnight flight to Nairobi. I woke up and began to get ready to board the plane, when I noticed a very beautiful girl come and sit down with her friend. She immediately had my attention. As they called us to begin boarding, I knew I had to get in line before her so I could find my seat and watch where she was sitting. Something inside me had to get to know this girl. I quickly found my seat on the plane, which was on the left side next to the window. I leaned out to see where this beautiful mystery girl was sitting and I could see her coming down my aisle towards me. She walked right to my row with the three little seats and she stopped. My heart had to have been beating 180 bpm! She looked at her ticket and then the aisle and then told me that her seat was the one right next to mine. I was both very excited and very nervous for this plane ride all of a sudden. We quickly got settled and the introductions began. Her name, she said, was Sarah Luscher.

The captain came on the overhead and rambled on about the flight and safety tips but I heard none of it. I knew the plane ride from London to Nairobi was going to be 9 hours, but all I cared about was the fact that I was sitting next to the most gorgeous girl I had ever seen. I don't remember much of what we talked about during the flight to be honest. All I remember is how great I felt being next to her and how easy and fun it was to talk to her. I was instantly hooked and wanted to get to know her more and more. I also remember her falling asleep on my shoulder during the flight and how natural it felt to have her lay there. That morning we arrived at Nairobi and we gathered our things and left the plane (not without exchanging emails of course). That flight was the most enjoyable and best flight I have ever been on. I don't think I will ever be on another flight that enjoyable and perfect. 

We entered into a very small, very humid, and very crowded Nairobi Airport. There were people from all different nationalities there. I made my way to where the other members of our group were and we started talking about how excited we were to finally be in Africa and how great it felt. As everyone was talking about their flights and their excitements I was busy looking for Sarah. I wanted to say goodbye to her before she left for Tanzania. I couldn't find her anywhere. Her group had run off to catch their plane and she had followed. I was really disappointed I wasn't able to officially say goodbye to her but at the same time I had this overwhelming feeling of happiness and peace. I heard this voice in my head keep telling me "Hold onto Sarah. She is very special" That phrase would repeat itself many times to me throughout the summer. I didn't know that she was "the one" from that plane ride but I definitely knew I wanted to get to know her better.