How We Met: Our Love Story - by Bethany

Before heading off to the Philippines as an LDS missionary in 2003, I spent 9 weeks in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Utah attempting to learn how to preach the gospel... in Tagalog. It was a very humbling experience to arrive with no language training at all, but I could (kind of) pray in Tagalog by the end of my first full day there! Three weeks in, I was really starting to get it.

It's a photo of a photo. I didn't have a digital camera back then!

That's when the new missionaries arrived. They seemed so young and green. They stopped by our classroom to be wowed by how far they would come in just a few short weeks. We showed off our skills to the new elders, including one from Riverton, UT. If we only knew then what we know now, maybe we would've taken more notice of each other!

Paul's "batch". He's the one with the glasses.

My relationship with Paul was a casual one for the next six weeks. In fact, neither of us remember much about each other from the MTC. We were kind of friends, but he was overly uptight and nerdy, so we didn't hang out much. We saw each other at church on Sundays, and at mealtimes, gym time, and laundry time, but we mostly stuck with our own "batch". 

My batch: me, our American teacher, and five islanders. We had lots of fun!

I do have one memory of Paul from the laundry room. An elder from his batch was using bad language, and I was getting upset with him. The elder thought it was funny to keep riling me up, and he wouldn't quit. Paul stepped in (as his district leader) and got him to stop. My knight in shining armor!

Paul remembers the day I got my travel papers. Apparently, I came up to him all excited and showed them to him. (As I recall, I did that to pretty much every person I knew, and even some I didn't know!) Then I was off to the Philippines Olongapo Mission, never to see or hear from Paul again. No love lost there. He soon left for the Philippines Quezon City Mission, and I'm sure he didn't lie awake at night thinking of me either. We were just never really that close.

The only proof that Paul and I were in the MTC together at all.
He took this picture where you can see the top half of my head. 

I was supposed to serve for 18 months, but with time off for sickness, it ended up taking me about 2 years to finish. That's just when Paul was done with his mission, so fate landed us in the same Tagalog culture class at BYU the next semester. We both recognized each other the first day, and even remembered each other's names - at least LAST names:) But we each had other mission buddies in the class, so we didn't talk much.

I was living with Heather at Stadium Terrace Apartments at the time. We were a force to be reckoned with on the dating front. Both of us dated A LOT, and we weren't afraid to be a little bit assertive if we had an open weekend. We pushed each other to get ourselves out there, be social, and to ALWAYS have boys over for Sunday dinner. 

One Sunday, I didn't feel up to finding a guy to have over. I was between boyfriends, I'd had a bad date the night before, and I was in a very slow-moving probably-we'll-be-more-than-friends-someday hang-out relationship with another guy. Heather was in a very serious relationship, and wanted our regular double date dinner, and kept pushing me to find ANYONE to invite over. I wasn't in the mood to flirt or put myself out there, so I decided to call Paul. He was somewhat of a friend, and I had no interest in him. Perfect.

He agreed to come over on very short notice. Who can resist roast beef? Well, apparently Paul can. He barely ate, and I was a little offended. I found out later that he had already eaten, but that he really want to come over and spend time with me, so he came anyway:) He was good company, and we had a nice talk afterwards, which ended in him asking me out on a date for the next Thursday. Score!

I had some time before Paul picked me up for our first date. I wasn't particularly excited to go out with him, but I was in the mood to get pretty, so I did my make-up and hair and got all dressed up for the black and white party at the BYU Museum of Art. He had dressed up too, complete with a bow tie and bowler hat! I could tell he hadn't dated much when he didn't open doors for me, or slow down to walk with me in my heels, but he was an eager student. 

We spent some time looking at black and white art and eating from black and white chocolate fountains. Then we found an empty bench by the flower gardens and fountains in front of the administration building where we just sat and talked. Paul told me later that he knew this could turn into something because we didn't default to talking about our missions. It was a huge cool thing we had in common, but it wasn't what our relationship was based on. I was still indifferent towards him, and definitely still looking. Heather showed me her brand new engagement ring that night:)

This is actually an engagement photo, but it's on a bench at least, so it goes with the story, right?

For the next few weeks, I became increasingly more unhappy with my life. I spent my days at school, work, and doing homework, then spent my evenings killing time with friends and roommates, or dating guys I didn't like. I felt like I was in a rut. Meanwhile, my roommate/sister was getting all ready for her upcoming wedding. Our mom came one weekend to shop with her. Paul happened to ask me out for a second date that weekend, and Mom asked if she needed to meet him. I told her nothing would ever come of it.

We went on a date with Paul's parents to see his one and only sibling, Lynne, in a high school choir concert. I like that kind of stuff, which really impressed Paul. It wasn't weird at all to be with his parents, even when they paid for our dinner at Fazoli's. When he took me home afterward, we ended up going for a walk, talking for a long time, and he even put his arm around me! I was starting to like this guy... but not enough to rule out other guys, of course:)

I didn't see Paul for a few days, but then he came with me and some of my mission buddies to volunteer at the MTC. He left immediately after, while the rest of us went to my place to watch a Filipino movie. I called Paul halfway through to see if he wanted to come over, and he came. We cuddled under a blanket, and he held my hand! I wrote in my journal that night: "I don't know for sure how much I like Paul. We're good friends and he's nice and really smart and he takes me on dates, but I don't know if it'll ever work."

The next night, Paul had me over to his apartment for dinner. The day after that, he visited me at work. I liked him, but I was still spending a lot of time with a lot of other guys. I did invite him to sit with me and all my cousins at the football game that Saturday, so I must have had some inkling that things were happening. 

Hanging out with friends, roommates, and Paul at my apartment. I'm the one being crushed!

That Sunday, Paul was driving to Rexburg at 5 AM for a mission companion's homecoming. I offered to go with him, mostly because I felt bad that he'd be driving all that way alone and sleepy. We had nice talks the whole drive, looked at mission pictures, told mission stories, and met a lot of people. We didn't quite know what to introduce ourselves as, but it wasn't awkward. On the drive home, Paul sang songs to me as we cuddled up together. I was finally admitting to myself that I REALLY liked him!

Two days later, he brought me cookies because I was having a bad day. He just let me talk and talk about everything in my life that was bothering me. We started seeing each other almost every day. One evening, after studying and hanging out at his apartment, we were walking to the parking lot so he could take me home. All of a sudden, he pulled me towards him and kissed me! I was surprised, but I didn't resist! When we got to my doorstep, I asked him if he wanted me to break my date for that weekend. (The slow mover finally asked me out on a real date after months of just hanging out together every day. You snooze, you lose, buddy!) I cancelled the date, and Paul and I were official!

We went to a Halloween party together as Clark Kent (can you see the Superman shirt underneath?)
 and Alice in Wonderland.

We went to Idaho to visit my family, along with the engaged couple. (We're on the right.)

After four more months of getting to know each other better, going on dates, meeting each other's families, studying together, kissing a lot, fighting a little, one short break-up (yes, the slow mover showed up again to pick up the pieces, only to be disappointed the next day when we got back together), and plenty of gross public displays of affection, Paul got down on one knee in front of the Salt Lake Temple and asked me to marry him! I was so surprised that he asked three days before Valentine's Day, but catching me off-guard worked!

At the Boise temple for Heather's wedding.

Hanging out with Heather, Austin, and my parents at my extended family bridal shower.

It's not easy finishing up a bachelor's degree while engaged - we stayed up way too late every night, and had a lot to do to prepare for our upcoming wedding/life together - but we both got amazingly good grades that semester, and were all ready for our new adventure!

I had to wait three more years for Paul to get HIS bachelor's degree!

Whitney took our engagement pictures.

On June 10, 2006, Paul and I were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. It was the best day of my life, and the beginning of a truly happy eternity with the man I love. I'm so glad he chose me, and that I get to be with him forever! I love you, Paul!

Seven years later!