Our Love Story - Prince & Beryl

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him.  – 1 Corinthians 2:9
 
Every love story is different. God has a way of bringing two distinct, different people together and it’s kind of amazing to see the two lives become one. Other people’s love stories have always fascinated me.  And what’s beautiful about each love story is that God, who is the author of marriage and love itself, knows exactly what and who we need and He provides in His time.
 
My own love story took place over a span of 1000 miles and somehow led me to meet and marry the man I never knew I needed. A chance encounter on a hot day in southern California began a lifetime together. I met my real life Prince in the summer of 2013 and this was the beginning of our forever.
 
In July 2013, I took a trip to visit the Loma Linda School of Dentistry. At the time, I was a pre-dental student and LLU was my top choice for dental school (Spoiler alert – God had other plans). Somehow my biggest aim in life at the time was getting into dental school and finally beginning the journey to my DDS. So needless to say I was VERY determined to complete the summer program at LLU to increase my chances of being accepted there. While I was in California, I met a guy named Prince at a local Ghanaian church. What I learned that day - he was a third year medical student at LLU, very passionate about medicine and education, currently in the middle of a psychiatry rotation, and also Ghanaian. He was a friendly, sociable person and I thought that if I ended up there, we would be good friends.

The summer program lasted about a week. One day, while the program participants were eating lunch together outside, Prince happened to walk past on his way to the library. THIS was the chance encounter that actually began our story. Also, note that the building we were standing in front of was called “Prince Hall.” Wowww!
 
As he passed, I caught his attention. We talked a little and exchanged numbers. I thought to myself, “He would be such a cool friend, especially if I ended up at Loma Linda too.” This one conversation sparked a genuine friendship.
 
I went back to Texas to continue my undergraduate studies. Prince and I began talking on the phone every now and then until eventually we talked on the phone every day. We were learning so much about each other and somehow falling in love, all over the phone with over 1000 miles between us. We started to skype and facetime.  After just a few weeks of talking, even though this was my first real relationship, I had a strange feeling that Prince was my future husband.
 
Prince decided that he would come visit me later that year so we could finally spend some time together in person. When he visited, my family got to meet him (and they immediately loved him) and we had a chance to finally go on our first real date. Thus began a long distance relationship that would culminate in our beautiful wedding on July 31st, 2016.  It wasn’t without its ups and downs but the distance actually helped us to delve deeply into many aspects of each other’s background, interests, likes, and dreams. Those long talks on the phone over the years were the foundation for the life we live together now.

​How did I know Prince was the one? Throughout our relationship, I prayed for discernment and guidance as to whether or not Prince was the man I should marry. I soon found that God was providing confirmation that Prince was the one all along the way. I met him as a young woman who was still building confidence and unsure if a man would ever truly love me with all my flaws. As a matter of fact, I spent a lot of my high school and early college years watching everyone except me find someone to love and feeling discouraged about relationships. But God knew the plans He had for me. Our dreams are limited by what we know and expect but God’s plans are bigger than our dreams.
 
It has been quite a journey from that day when I met Prince in 2013 until now and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We’ve been through dental school, medical school, residency, cardiology fellowship, long distance dating, long distance marriage, two cross country moves, planning for a baby apart, and finally beginning our journey as parents. Through it all Prince has been my rock and support system. Prince is truly a gift from God and a light in my life. I don’t know what I would do without him. I somehow met my Prince and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with him.
#BerylMetHerPrince
 
<3 Beryl