Wall of Faith: Kavita

How we met - God's hand at work

Bible study every morning, worship assemblies, even visiting evangelists from America at Queen Mary School in Bombay, India.  This was the Christian school, I attended from 3 years of age until I graduated at 18.  My family was Hindu and Agnostic; Mom and Dad respectively. I never believed. I went to college in Long Beach California, and after 2 years my parents felt I would be better off under my aunt and uncle's supervision in South Dakota. 

I did not want to go, it was cold, snowy like I could never image and no mall!  Vermillion, South Dakota had a population of 7000 when school was in session, this dropped to 3000 in the summer. I tried every way possible, but I could not make ends meet in California.
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Eventually, I was forced, so I decided I will try University of South Dakota  for one semester and the go back to India.  Bombay was a way bigger metropolis than the entire state of South Dakota. I purchased a 4 month return ticket so I could leave as soon as the fall semester was over and there I tried it, gave it a chance.  It's the first thing I told my counselor at USD- I am leaving in December.  

My aunt bought me a large down winter coat, she promised I would need it. My cousin, his wife and their 4 month old baby dropped me off at the dorms.  Around the first week of October, I met the RA- resident assistant of the neighboring dorm, he was on call for the night, fixing the girls toilet and the front desk that I worked at was locked. He was mad that there was one more thing for him to do at 2 am on a Friday night. I was not very sympathetic! It was his job. This was the first time I met the man who would become my husband, Uy (Wade).  

Now let me tell you how Uy got to the University of South Dakota.  

Uy was born in Vietnam of Chinese parents, his family escaped to Malaysia after the fall of Saigon to the communist in 1978. They were one of the first "boat people", if you are old enough to know about the refugee crisis then. His family was the first to arrive and last to leave the refuge camp, one year later.  They arrived in Arlington, South Dakota, sponsored by the Lutheran church in a town with a population of 1000. Uy and his family made Arlington home, the kids and parents learned English and went to church. He did not really believe.  

Uy and I went on our first date on 11/6/1990.  We would host parents night out at the Lutheran center regularly. When Uy proposed to me, we got married within the week 23 years ago at the Luther center with Pastor Nesselhoff presiding. 

We still did not believe. 

In the next 7 years we moved to Chicago, and then Vancouver, WA.  We did not believe, we were going to let our children decide which religion they wanted to follow.  We were the  perfect parents before we had children! Ha!

And then God started knocking, we visited several different churches in the area, we had children, and kept looking for a church to call home. But I was just following my husband.

Then we met members of our small group, thru our piano teacher, Jenny who also went to our church, and I said lets try this church Uy. So we did and knew it was home.  Looking back I see God was with me and Uy from the day we were born, I am so sure I was chosen by God. 

He was there all the time and I never believed.

If you consider, the odds, of two people from the opposite end of the world and obstacles and resistance we passed thru and still we met.  Proof that God's will and plan is perfect and no one and nothing can change it.  We just need to believe.