He was from Switzerland, she was from New Zealand. They met in Mongolia when he was 13 and she was 11. Michaja and Rachael.
I was the first to know of 11 year old Rachael’s schoolgirl crush on Michaja; ironically, the awkward 13 year old me had been crushing on that same guy for the past 2 years. That night, as we huddled inside our tent in the cold Mongolian countryside, I had to either 1) swallow my feelings and hear my new friend out, or 2) get jealous and tell her to step aside because I “had” him first. I chose number 1, mostly because I was too shy to try number 2. But I can’t be more thankful of the choice I made that night, because…
1. My friendship with Rachael was one of the factors that, in Mongolia, kept me from ignoring my walk with God completely; and I have been unspeakably blessed and encouraged by her and her family throughout these years.
2. Rachael’s middle-school crush on Michaja never really died down… even after he moved back to Switzerland and she went back to New Zealand. Fast forward 10 years, and whaddya know - they’re finally engaged!!!! What a God of providence.
So congratulations, dear dear friends. It’s exciting to think that we got engaged within a few weeks of each other, and might also have anniversaries just a week or two apart!!! I can’t wait to see where He leads you two… And start planning that MRIM (Mongolian Reunion In Mongolia)!! <3
