Our story

Dear Joelie,

Can it be that we have been married for 11 years?! What a wonderful, challenging, growing, full of life 11 years its has been!

Tonight we went out to eat together (after we closed on our first home!) and it was a sweet time of conversation and yummy indian food. As we were eating though, you saw a disturbance across the street that kept distracting you. It was two drunk men either fighting or something on a bench across the street from us. It was hard to see what was going on, but a family walked in and told us the police were there and that both men were super drunk. They talked with an air of disgust. It bothered you the way they were talking. You wondered if you knew the men, if they were your patients from the clinic. You wanted to walk over and talk with the police about an outreach program you are trying to start in collaboration with Volunteers of America."This is the exact thing we are hoping to try and help prevent (The one guy was being beat by his friend over a bottle of vodka we later found out. The incident ended up involving the police and fire departments, detox center, and jail and thousands and thousands of dollars I'm sure. Joel's clinic and VOA hope to be a presence in the homeless camper and high ER user community to cut down on unnecessary or preventable trips to the ER/jail.) " We walked over and my heart shattered into a million pieces. The man was so drunk and out of it that he was hard for me to look at. You did know him. You had talked to him just that day by phone. I didn't want to look at him but I did. I did because I wanted to really see what you see everyday. Most people see situations like this with disgust. You somehow see them with hope.

All this to say, that in eleven years of marriage I have never been so proud to be your partner in life. Life holds such promise with you. Each day holds such promise, and such meaning. Thank you for loving me, for hoping in me, for believing in me as well. You are an amazingly funny, kind, depthy, adventurous, hopeful man and I am just so thankful that you are my man:) I know we are both thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness throughout our relationship--what a wonder.

All my love,

Jen