As our plans continued to change, God gently showed us that His provision often arrives in ways we never expect. This reflection is about the home He provided, the peace He gave, and the reminder that the wedding was never the destination—marriage was.
Two months before my trip to Tucson, Arizona, I began to imagine what life would look like in a new place, in a new season. There were many practical things to take care of, but beneath it all was a deeper reality—I was preparing to let go of a life I deeply loved.
I had to finish everything in the Philippines. Most significantly, I needed to resign from my role at CCT Group of Ministries. This was not just a job to me—it was a calling, a community, and a place where I had seen God move powerfully over the years. Letting go was not easy. It required obedience, trust, and a willingness to step into the unknown.
At the same time, another concern quietly lingered in my heart: Where would I stay in Tucson while waiting for the wedding?
One day, while chatting with a friend I had recently met through a Bible study group in Tucson, the topic came up naturally. I shared with her my travel plans—that I would be arriving in April, and that Dennis and I were tentatively planning to get married in July 2025.
She asked a simple question:
“Where will you stay while you wait?”
I told her I was planning to look for an Airbnb for a few months.
Then came a response I never expected.
She offered her home.
She shared that she and her husband would be moving to Costa Rica during that exact period—and that I could stay in their house while they were away.
I was in awe.
It was one of those moments when you can clearly see the hand of God moving ahead of you—making a way before you even fully recognize the need. His provision was not only timely; it was deeply personal.
Truly, it felt supernatural.
Fast forward to April 6, 2025—I arrived in Tucson.
Not only did I have a place to stay, but I was welcomed into a beautiful home unlike anything I had imagined. Right outside was a breathtaking desert view—wide, still, and quietly magnificent. The atmosphere was peaceful, almost sacred.
For three months, it became more than just a place to live.
It became my retreat with the Lord.
In the stillness of the desert, away from the busyness of my former routines, I found space to rest, to listen, and to be renewed. God was not only preparing circumstances around me—He was preparing my heart within me.
Dennis and I eventually set a date: July 12, 2025.
We had three months to plan our wedding in the U.S.
Being new to Tucson, unfamiliar with the systems, vendors, and processes, there were moments when things felt overwhelming. But this time, something was different. I was no longer holding tightly to my own plans.
I had surrendered.
And with that surrender came peace.
A deep assurance that even if things were uncertain, we were exactly where God wanted us to be.
Yet in the midst of wedding preparations, God gently reminded us of something greater.
The wedding is important—but it is not the ultimate goal.
The marriage is.
As much as every bride dreams of a beautiful wedding day, I found my heart longing more for what comes after—the life we would build together, the covenant we would enter into, and the love we would choose every day.
The wedding is a moment. A sacred, beautiful, and meaningful moment where we make our vows before God and others.
But marriage—
Marriage is the journey of forever.
And we wanted to make sure we were not just preparing for a day, but for a lifetime.
(To be continued...)