engaged - nathan & haley - Kaitlyn Phipps Photography

Engagements

engaged – nathan & haley

There’s a lot of history behind today’s post guys. I’ve known Haley for 2 1/2 years now. It feels like longer and much shorter all at the same time. The first time we interacted, it was a text message from a random number that said “When is Fall Weekend?” aka our Cru Fall Retreat. Haley was a brand new freshman in the fall of 2012 and it was my first year on staff with Cru and she was in the quad that David and I were leading a small group. So the first week of school…I got that text from Haley. She was in. I remember being so excited that we’d made a connection with a freshman girl, and then I finally got to meet the face behind the text message at Club Fair. Haley was so bubbly and excited! I couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

And then one week she showed up to small group…and she was the only girl who showed…so instead of participating in an awkward one person small group…we went and got dinner together. And that’s when I got to see beyond the smiley face of Haley. I got to see her warm heart and her mind that was yearning to learn more about God. And that’s how the first year of staff went. Everything that happened…Haley was there, smiling and ready for whatever was going to happen. Fast forward to the end of the year and we start discipleship with another freshman, Megan…which is basically like mentorship. A commitment to share life and learn more about God together. To talk about the hard things and the fun things and everything in between. And that’s about the time that Nathan entered the picture. Haley was going on a 10 week summer missions project in New Hampshire, and who had messaged her? This North Dakota boy named Nathan. Their relationship started long distance and has always been that way. Across the country from each other, except for these specific ten weeks.

And it was in those ten weeks that God really moved. He showed Haley the man that was going to lead her towards Christ, encourage her towards growth, and bear with her in hard things. She found a best friend and a lifelong confidante. And all of that, was in Nathan. But the summer ended, and that’s when the real journey began. Sustaining a serious relationship across the country from each other. Long hours on Skype. Megan and I got to walk through of that with her. It was costly, and not easy by any means. But Haley and Nathan kept pursuing God and each other. And in June they get to say goodbye to the goodbyes! A goodbye to Skype forever. And a yes to a life lived for Christ together.

I’m so excited and still in disbelief that my dear friend Haley is getting married! Walking around her hometown of Abingdon and laughing with her and her love was so encouraging. And a sweet reminder that they are made to be together. Meet the real life Naley: Nathan and Haley.