My wife...

This beautiful angel is my wife. Well, the one on the right is. The other angel is our daughter...

This was taken a couple of weeks ago when it was snowing in Texas...

I served my mission in Korea. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and it has shaped me and made me who I am today. There are so many things that hinged on my service on my mission that it is almost impossible to imagine how my life would be without having served. Not the least of which is the fact that my wife married me...

Rewind to 1995. In spring of 1995, YS graduated from BYU-Hawaii. She graduated with honors in Biology with a Chemistry minor (yes, she's really the brains of the outfit - I'm more of the hired muscle). She was planning to stay in Hawaii and possibly pursue a master's degree at the U of Hawaii or something. She had a good job lined up and was really looking forward to staying in Hawaii.

But she felt restless. One evening she rode her bike up to a place above the temple in Laie where she could see the ocean and feel some peace. She had often pedalled up there when feeling lonely or frustrated or otherwise down. While she was there, she felt an overwhelming need pushing her to move to Utah. Utah?!? UTAH!!! She had been to Utah several times and didn't like it. She asked "Why Utah?" and received the impression of a voice asking her "why not?" So she moved to Utah. Dropped everything and within two weeks was in Orem.

I was on my mission.

She started at a job in American Fork working for a physical therapist. She researched several schools and sent out applications to graduate programs in physical therapy. But why was she in Utah?

She was living with some friends she had made in Hawaii. One day, she was feeling ill and asked Andy Pilch for a blessing. He gave the regular blessing for healing the sick and was about to close when he stopped. He went on to describe YS's husband in some pretty interesting detail. He told her that her husband was still on his mission but would be home soon and would come from the east - over the mountains. Everyone was pretty shocked by this. She dated a couple of people and tried to fit them to the words of the blessing but nothing really fit.

I was still on my mission.

As time went on, she started to think less about the specifics of the blessing and got on with her life.

When I got home in December of 1995, I went home to a place I had never been to before. My father had recently got a new job in Roosevelt, Utah, which is east of Orem by about two hours and over the Wasatch range in the Uinta Basin area of Utah. Seeing a pattern here? I moved in with my mom's Aunt Linda and stayed there for a semester. But I didn't go to the single's ward in their stake - I went to the single's ward in the stake where I grew up. YS just happened to be in that same ward. Coincidence? I don't think so. Not after everything else.

It was a fast and testimony meeting when I first attended. I shared my testimony and mentioned that I was happy to be back from Korea. Now, I knew that YS was in the ward, because my friend Darren Chamberlain told me that there was a Korean girl in our ward. But I didn't know who she was and wanted to meet her. Later I watched her in Sunday School and thought - it would be great if we could meet and discuss the lesson in Korean - that way I could keep up my Korean skills and she could get more out of the lesson. Plus, I would be able to hang out with this lovely young lady... ;-)

We started to do this, but our feelings quickly evolved into romantic feelings. But still YS resisted. I was too young (she's 8 1/2 years older than me). She was leaving town soon to go to graduate school. And I was really just too young (not just age-wise). But I was persistent.

Then she went in for another regular blessing - this time from our Bishop - to be set apart for a calling. Same thing this time - she was set apart and got the regular blessing. As Bishop Bramwell went to close, again, he stopped. He told YS that Heavenly Father was greatly displeased by her doubt. She had received an answer to her prayers about whom to marry and He was displeased with the continued lack of faith and trust.

I was sitting out in the hall. I had driven her to the appointment and was waiting to take her home.

When she came out of the room, she had changed. She was no longer distant and stand-offish. She was warm and loving and kind and a little humbled and chastened. And the look on the Bishop's face - priceless! I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that something was different and better. Of course I wanted to marry her - who wouldn't?!? But I understood her reluctance and hesitation and I knew I could wait.

We got married on June 22, 1996. It was six months to the day from when I returned from my mission.

Now, it may come as a surprise, but I really had no intention of marrying a Korean. I had wondered what it would be like if a Korean person came from Korea to the United States and I would hate to put someone through that... Years of struggle, not having any friends or anywhere to go or anything to do - not even able to go to the library or watch TV... I couldn't ask someone to do that.

But when I met YS - so lovely, so strong, so perfect! - I was immediately impressed by her. Again, who wouldn't be?!? It was impressed on my mind and spirit at that time how wonderful she really is and that my life would be better if I could associate with her. She is intelligent, talented, and so strong... Just what I need in my life to help me as I struggle along. I am so grateful for her and for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed us to find each other...

Now for the real kicker. Remember how in an earlier post I wrote about how I was born 7 weeks early? In late October? I should have been born in December. Which would have meant that I would have turned 19 in December, which would have pushed back my mission to January or February. This would have meant that when I returned it would have been in the middle of a semester and I probably would have stayed home for that semester, earned money, and prepared to return to college in the summer or fall... which would have meant that I would have missed YS on her way to grad school. But being born when I was enabled me to get home before the beginning of the winter semester in January and be in place to meet YS and get married on her way to grad school.

I don't believe in coincidence. At least, not in these matters. This is all very miraculous and deeply spiritual and personal to me. My whole life has led to this time. Truly, the Lord has been mindful of me and has blessed me beyond measure and comprehension.