How We Started Dating...

Many people have been asking me to tell them the details of how Niel and I started dating and of the proposal. Since you asked, here is the story of how we started dating from my perspective...

Niel moved to Hong Kong in the summer of 2010 to take on the role of Director of Finance for the same company that sent me to China. We met in Thailand in January 2011 as we were both there for meetings. We did not talk much or spend any time together at those meetings but I remembered thinking that he was a nice guy. 

In November of that same year, Niel came to Xi’an (where I live) to help our business by taking a look at our finances/books. While he was here, I remember thinking that he was easy to talk to and while I saw him as a colleague, I did become a little curious about him.

In January 2012, we were both back in Thailand for meetings again. We stayed at the same guesthouse for a few days before the meetings began. We ended up hanging out every day in groups and I started to see what a kind man he was and realized I really enjoyed hanging out with him. 

While we were attending our meetings, we continued to eat meals together and hang out a bit in the breaks. Someone came up to me and asked me what I thought about Niel. I said he was a nice guy but I was unsure about whether I liked him beyond a friend/colleague. She said that she had been praying that we would get together. I was embarrassed, but touched at the same time.

Well, during the week, peanut butter cups were being passed out before one of our meetings. By the time they got back to where I was sitting, there weren’t any left. I was a little bummed. Niel disappeared and I wondered where he went. 5 minutes later he reappeared with a peanut butter cup in his hand for me. That did it! I realized he was was the sweetest guy ever and that I could not deny my feelings for him any longer. 

That night I went to my friends’ room. I asked them to pray for me. I could tell Niel enjoyed hanging out with me but I did not know if there were any other intentions on his part. I asked them to to pray that I would be able to guard my heart. Well, as we were praying my friend asked the Father to help me open my heart and really feel. I was shocked. This was opposite of what I asked her to pray for. I opened my eyes and looked at her husband. He was just as shocked as me. After she finished praying she told me that she felt like I had been guarding my heart for too long and it was now time to stop doing that. 

A day or two later a group of friends went to the beach. They ended up taking a run on the beach and Niel and I were left alone to chat. I was a bit scared as we had been in groups up to this point. He was so easy to talk to and I really enjoyed our conversation. That evening our friends had something to do in town for dinner so Niel and I had dinner and ice cream together.

After our week of meetings was over, I did not hear any word from Niel. I had hoped that he would at least send me an email letting me know he enjoyed hanging out with me. I started praying about whether I should send him an email or initiate some sort of communication with him. I did not feel peace about that so I waited and prayed. My teammates were all praying with me. 

A few weeks after the meetings I let my parents know that I liked this guy who lived in Hong Kong. I told them that I’m pretty sure he liked me too but he did not know it yet. There were times in the weeks that followed that I thought about just letting it all go. Every time I felt like doing that though, I felt the Spirit prompting through verses or songs to have hope. I was also reminded of my friend’s prayer and felt like the Father was telling me to open my heart and to allow myself to really feel.

Two months after our meetings, a lady who works in another part of the country and is like an older sister to me, had a brain aneurysm. They decided to move her to Hong Kong for treatment. I went to Hong Kong to be with her and her husband and a few other friends. We did not know if she was going to make it. She did. Niel came to the hospital several evenings after work and we would end up talking for hours in the waiting room. I really enjoyed talking to him but was also frustrated at the same time. I kept thinking that I would leave again and not hear from him just like when I left Thailand. I emailed my friend and asked her to pray that I would be able to keep my heart open.

Well, by the end of the week, my friend who had the aneurysm had improved drastically. The procedure they had done had worked and they were going to move her out of intensive care. I had spent long hours in the hospital and was looking to do something else to relax. I knew that “The Hunger Games” was about to open in the theater in the States and I really wanted to watch it. I asked Niel if he knew if Hong Kong was going to show it or not. He said they were and asked me if I would like to see it with him.

We ended up going to dinner together and then to the movie. I had such a good time with him. At the end of the evening he asked if he could see me the next day. (My last full day in Hong Kong.)

The next day he came to the hospital and took me to lunch. At lunch he told me he really enjoyed hanging out with me and asked if he could date me. I suddenly got really shy and could only nod my head yes in response.

I did not know then that the following year would be the best and hardest year of my life. (Ok, maybe I am just a little dramatic. ;) Dating long distance was really hard. We tried to see each other at least once a month. He would come to Xi’an for a long weekend or I would fly to Hong Kong. We started texting each other every day and Skyping several times a week. We kept this up for a year when Niel asked me to come to Hong Kong to celebrate our one year anniversary together...

Details on the proposal to follow later.