We met online December 2010. I saw her profile and asked 'How far away is a long distance relationship?' Her answer was ' ..two hearts that beat as one, two minds that think alike, two SOULS that live and love as one..' That was it, I knew she understood me, no matter that she lived in Saudi Arabia and I was in the US midwest. Our journey was marked by significant milemarkers, a few weeks after meeting we knew we wanted to get married. I bought her a friendship ring, a wedding band came to us from Hong Kong, through prayer it was revealed the place of our marriage would be Fiji. Fiji? I never had been out of the country, but I was ready. Every day we stayed in contact for an entire year, then in the second year, things started happening. 

I was very much a worldly man, married and divorced several times, at the time of our meeting I had dozens of online flirts but nothing serious. I still talked with ex girlfriends, ex flings, and an ex wife but had no relationship prospects--a state of affairs which had been fine with me until I met Gina. She was different, this was something truly unique, something very special, but how can two people come together from half way around the earth? I had given up drinking and smoking and physical intimacy, yet I would not have considered myself a deeply spirtual person in any way. She was very spiritual. We talked about things spiritual and began praying together, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me up to that point. I sometimes say she was my greatest crime because I stoled her heart from halfway around the earth. Soon a pastor invited me to church and then we began attending bible study--Gina was there in my ear. She was very well versed in her bible as well as the Quran, I book I cannot accept and still have not read. My spiritual self, or should I say OUR spiritual life began to grow, it was the most incredible thing I had ever experienced. Of course there are no christian churches and christians arent allowed to assemble in Saudi, but she did go to a bible study once a week which I could participate in by bluetooth even though I often couldnt hear very well and sometimes they spoke in tagalog, the language of filipinas.

By my own thoughts, I had abandoned other women flirts and friendships to concentrate on building something with her. Of course we were half way around the world, but didnt seem to phase either of us. She is a popular public speaker and event organizer and very busy person and in our second year it seemed obvious to me that those things were taking more and more of her time even though she stated she had fewer obligations than before so that we could have our time. In my spare time I began to re-establish old friendships and make new ones. It seemed alright because, as I reasoned, she still kept her friendships so whats fair is fair. Then along came Susan. I met her at work, very nice and considerate lady, single, and she paid attention to me. We had dinner together and frequent talks and soon we communicated on a daily basis. Gina continued doing everything she was doing and we also communicated daily. Gina became more and more upset as I paid less and less attention to her. Then it became apparent that Susan had other ideals than just a friendship which was all I ever professed to offer to her. Susan didnt understand my insistance on keeping a long distance relationship and seemed very perplexed that I would resist her, never crossing a line of propriety. Then thankfully Susan got to spend time with her kids over the summer which was the opportune time for me to distance myself. I encountered alot of negativity from her and soon stopped talking to her.

Meanwhile Gina had undergone emotional trauma, she still loved me and I loved her and we began to grow even closer and talk about marriage. Then we knew it was going to be Fiji. Gina bought our plane tickets and we continued our plans. The day would be 12/12/12 at sunrise. Never a question, never a doubt, we just knew. I suffered separation anxieties when phone connections were not so good and when she couldnt get a connection at an event. Often, I told her I was not even able to hear bible studies, she insisted it was fine because I was there. I knew I wasnt getting anything from the bible study and mostly didnt even know what was being studied. Our own bible studies had ceased months before, but she was always with me at church and at our bible studies. One day Gina said she was going to an event and we lost connection, she was gone for almost 2 days. I suffered anxiety attacks and when she got back she reassured me that I did not suffer as much as she had while they were stuck in the sand. Women arent allowed to drive in Saudi so they are at the mercy of drivers. They had gotten stuck in a sand drift and had to spend the night, the next day they were able to go back to the city.

We resumed wedding plans and stayed in close contact online an on the phone. Finally it was time to leave for Fiji, I had waited for this day for an eternity it seemed. She left Saudi before I left the US.