The written story that I wrote several years ago is below included with several photos of the time we met! Here is the video where we tell our story and reminisce!
In 2012 I didn't really want to go to Texas for a no Greater Joy conference with my brother Luke. I am a bit shy and timid, and I don't really like being in big crowds and meeting new people. Somehow my mom and brother talked me into going though and I finally agreed to it.
In the weeks before the Texas Shindig started I would get on the No Greater Joy website and look at all the pictures of families and different people that were going to be at the Big Texas Shindig. There was one guy in particular that I thought looked really handsome, but I didn't think too much about him because I thought I didn't have a chance with such a cool and good looking guy. I figured all the girls would be constantly buzzing around him, and I must admit he seemed like he might like all that attention. No, that kind of guy is not for me I thought. One of my brothers that was looking at the pictures also said "Oh look at him, he's gonna be surrounded by all the girls". Of course I thought so too, so I just forgot about him. Honestly, I didn't totally forget about him!
I was nervous about going, but also a bit excited. Luke and I got to Texas a day early so we set up our tents and checked out the conference grounds. It was a huge place with lots of buildings, and lots of room for different things to do. It looked like lots of fun. I couldn't wait for the Shindig to get started.
The next day lots more people had showed up and I really wanted to go meet some of the people and talk to them, but I was so shy and scared, I didn't want to just walk up like an idiot and introduce myself. So I headed down to the playground where all the people were gathered and where the children playing games and sat down on one of the swings so I could just study everyone and see if i could jump in on any of the games that they were playing. I ended up playing capture the flag with some younger kids and then eventually a group of people started playing volleyball. My favorite!
Yes... now here is where the fun starts! When I was playing volleyball these three guys and their sister walked up and I recognized them right away. Right away I noticed the handsome guy that I thought would be "surrounded by all the girls". I thought hey, there’s that guy that I saw in the picture on the website! He looks really handsome and very nice! He and his two brothers and sister jumped right in the volleyball game and started playing!!! The handsome guy got on my team and I found myself talking to him a little bit here and there. I really liked him. I liked everything about him and he was so exciting to play volleyball with! He had such an awesome spirit. He didn't seem judgmental or critical of anyone! He was really friendly and he talked to everyone! I couldn't help but feel excited that he noticed me and was asking me different questions about who I was and where I was from!
When I left the volleyball court that day to go eat supper with my brother Luke I started to tell him all about this really cool guy I met named Marlin Zimmerman. I did try really hard to hold back my thoughts about him because I didn't feel like hearing Luke tease me about him the whole time we were there, but still I couldn't help but talk about him a little bit here and there! He was so intriguing to me, and I couldn't stop thinking about him.
That night I ended up talking to Marlin for about an hour. For a while Luke, a friend he met named John, and I were standing around talking with Marlin. Then Luke and John left to go do something and Marlin and I were left standing there. Oh my dear my heart was pounding and I felt like running away. I was nervous and I thought about walking away but, I really wanted to stay and talk to him so I stayed and we started talking about stuff! We talked about our beliefs and about our families and a little bit about lots of other important things. I felt a bit shy the whole time, but I knew I didn't want to walk away, and besides he kept the conversation going! So it wasn't too awkward after all! The more I seen and talked to him the more I wanted to be around him. My brother Luke really liked him a lot too, which I was really glad for! Luke and I ended up doing a lot with Marlin and his family that weekend. We played lots of volleyball together and sat together a few times for the meals! When we were getting ready to leave Marlin and my brother exchanged phone numbers. He asked for mine too but I was afraid to give it to him thinking that texting a guy I din't relly know would be a bad idea. As Marlin and Luke exchanged numbers though I was thinking "Good", that way I'll still have a way to contact him!
When the Shindig was over and it was time for everyone to go home Luke and Marlin made plans for us to follow each other on the way back home so we could all stop and eat supper together someplace on the way. So we followed each other for a while and a few hours later we all stopped at Pizza Hut! It was very nice getting to know Marlin's family a little bit better, but I was a little sad at Pizza Hut because Marlin and I ended up on opposite ends of the table so we didn't really get to talk at all. I really tried not to stare at him but I did look at him every chance I got!
When we left Pizza Hut it was really sad for both Luke and I. We felt sort of like we were leaving some really great friends. Not to mention I was totally smitten by Marlin (and was really interested in me as well! At the time, though, I didn't really know for sure if Marlin really liked me or not. I thought that he probably did because he didn't pay near as much attention to any other girls while we were at the Shindig. He sat beside me when we played games, and he was always looking at me. He even came and sat right next to me when I was sitting in on one of Mike Pearls sessions! I didn't want to get too excited about it, though. Just in case he was just being friendly and nothing more.
When I found out at the Shindig that Marlin was twenty four years old I was a little bit disappointed since I myself was only eighteen and just barely. I was thinking, "Oh no, he's going to think that I'm just a little kid". Come to find out. He was worried too. Worried that I was going to think he was an old man or something!
Once Luke and I got back home, we talked about the Shindig all the time. I ended up telling my whole family about this cool guy that I met! They started teasing me about him all the time, of course, but it didn't really bother me because for some reason I really felt serious about this guy! Somehow I knew it wasn't just a silly whim.
When I told my mom, my mom that I didn't give Marlin my phone number she seemed a little bit sad and told me that she thought that it probably would have been okay to give it to him. When I told my brother Jared about how Marlin asked for my number and I didn't give it to him he also asked, "Why didn't you give it to him"? "Y'all could have just been friends if nothing came out of it". My brother Luke was also scolding me about how I didn't give him my phone number. I really felt dumb and wished I would have given it to him! So after all of that was said, and after showing pictures of him to my dad I decided to text him and just ask how him and his family were doing! I wrote up a friendly text and showed it to my brother Grady and asked him if he thought it was too froward or anything. He said he thought it sounded fine. If I recall I had a bit of trouble pushing the send button!!! Finally I did. Then, I waited around for him to text back. Ten minutes later my phone beeped telling me I had a new text. My brothers jumped up and raced me to my phone pretending that they were going to read it first. When I got a hold of my phone I went to the bathroom and locked the door. If this text wasn't from Marlin I was going to be very disappointed and maybe even cry. I surely didn't want to hear it from my brothers!
I was so excited! The text was from Marlin! I ran out to the living room where all of my family was and read them the text! Marlin was so excited too. He texted a really nice text back to me and asked how all of my family was and told me that he couldn't wait to see Luke and I again! Then I told him it would be really neat if he or him and his family could come to our place for Thanksgiving! Wow! He jumped right on that and texted back right away saying that he would probably be able to come but he didn't know about the rest of his family! I was a little shocked and was thinking, whoa that's kind of weird. Seems like he was just waiting for me to ask him!
So during the next few weeks we texted a little bit back and forth and made plans for him and his brother to come for Thanksgiving.
When Marlin and his brother Michael pulled up in the driveway for Thanksgiving my brother Jacob and I were down in our cow pasture hitting our volleyball. When I heard his big diesel truck going up our driveway Jacob and I ran back up to the house to welcome them! Meanwhile my dad was up in our apartment doing a bit of work. So I dashed up there and blurted out that Marlin was here and told him to hurry up and come down! He just laughed at my nervousness!
We all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We played lots of volleyball and ate lots of good food! Then that Thanksgiving weekend all of my family and the two Zimmerman boys went to Cane Creek to visit Mike Pearls church. The Saturday night before church we were all playing games at a nice lodge we were staying at for the weekend. Marlin and my dad disappeared for three hours. Nobody really knew where they were. Come to find out they were in the men's bathroom talking. Marlin was asking dad if he could have permission to court me. After talking for those three hours dad told him yes! Wow! It was all so amazing! My parents are very protective and always watched out for my well being and wanted me to have nothing other than the best! It amazes me how it seemed that God gave my parents and I peace that this was the man!
The next day at the church meeting Marlin asked if he could sit by me. He said that he wanted to sing by me for the service! I was like, okay that's fine. I thought it was a little strange that he wanted to sing by me! After the service Marlin asked if he could take a walk with me before lunch time. I said "sure". So we walked down the road and he told me everything that he and my dad had talked about. He told me that he wanted to get to know me better! I was all over that and said, "Yeah, well I would like to get to know you better too". Marlin just said. "Wow"!
So he made plans to come back in two weeks to see me again! During that time we texted a little bit and talked on the phone a lot! I liked Marlin more and more every time I talked to him!
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Finally he came down to visit again and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other better and doing fun things together! Then a week or two later we went up to his place in Pennsylvania and visited him and his family! My family really liked his family and my dad was satisfied with Marlin's family! Everything just seemed to keep falling into place! It was truly a wonderful experience! We played lots of volleyball like usual and just had a wonderful time together!
Then he came to our house for Christmas. We had an awesome time! He bought me a dozen red roses for Christmas. I was surprised and very pleased! I love flowers! Our relationship moved very fast, and when he left to go back home that week we were both very sad.
About a day after he went home he turned right around and came back to surprise visit me for the weekend! I was talking to him on the phone, sitting out on the front porch when he came that night. He parked his car down by the road and said to me on the phone, "Hey, can I call you back in a minute?" I was like yeah that’s fine. So I hung up and waited for him to call me back. While I was waiting all of a sudden I saw this guy run out from behind the bush in our yard. I was like whom in the world is that? At first I thought it was my brother Gabriel playing a trick on me or something. Then I said. "That's Marlin"! I was so excited. I said to him, "What are you doing here"? Then he gave me a hug and we laughed and laughed and then we went inside!!! Twas' a lovely surprise!
Marlin and I were totally in love with each other and everything we did and said made us even more in love. God's wonderful hand was definitely in all of this working out every little detail and scattering tons of blessings along the way! I thought that I messed up a lot and did things the wrong way but God used everything I thought I did wrong to make everything perfect. It's a little bit hard to explain and may sound confusing. But hey why don't you try to explain a miracle some time!!!
Marlin was so much fun to be with! Our love for each other grew rapidly!
Then finally the day came when he proposed. It was March 17th 2013 after church on a Sunday afternoon! We took a walk back on the gravel road behind our house. It was the same one we walked on the first time he came to court me! We went up into the woods and sat on the side of the hill where I used to go and pray sometimes. After we had been talking for a few minutes Marlin got on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes! Then he put the ring on my finger and I gave him a hug! It was truly special and so memorable! I'll never forget it!
In the weeks before the Texas Shindig started I would get on the No Greater Joy website and look at all the pictures of families and different people that were going to be at the Big Texas Shindig. There was one guy in particular that I thought looked really handsome, but I didn't think too much about him because I thought I didn't have a chance with such a cool and good looking guy. I figured all the girls would be constantly buzzing around him, and I must admit he seemed like he might like all that attention. No, that kind of guy is not for me I thought. One of my brothers that was looking at the pictures also said "Oh look at him, he's gonna be surrounded by all the girls". Of course I thought so too, so I just forgot about him. Honestly, I didn't totally forget about him!
The next day lots more people had showed up and I really wanted to go meet some of the people and talk to them, but I was so shy and scared, I didn't want to just walk up like an idiot and introduce myself. So I headed down to the playground where all the people were gathered and where the children playing games and sat down on one of the swings so I could just study everyone and see if i could jump in on any of the games that they were playing. I ended up playing capture the flag with some younger kids and then eventually a group of people started playing volleyball. My favorite!
Yes... now here is where the fun starts! When I was playing volleyball these three guys and their sister walked up and I recognized them right away. Right away I noticed the handsome guy that I thought would be "surrounded by all the girls". I thought hey, there’s that guy that I saw in the picture on the website! He looks really handsome and very nice! He and his two brothers and sister jumped right in the volleyball game and started playing!!! The handsome guy got on my team and I found myself talking to him a little bit here and there. I really liked him. I liked everything about him and he was so exciting to play volleyball with! He had such an awesome spirit. He didn't seem judgmental or critical of anyone! He was really friendly and he talked to everyone! I couldn't help but feel excited that he noticed me and was asking me different questions about who I was and where I was from!
When I left the volleyball court that day to go eat supper with my brother Luke I started to tell him all about this really cool guy I met named Marlin Zimmerman. I did try really hard to hold back my thoughts about him because I didn't feel like hearing Luke tease me about him the whole time we were there, but still I couldn't help but talk about him a little bit here and there! He was so intriguing to me, and I couldn't stop thinking about him.
That night I ended up talking to Marlin for about an hour. For a while Luke, a friend he met named John, and I were standing around talking with Marlin. Then Luke and John left to go do something and Marlin and I were left standing there. Oh my dear my heart was pounding and I felt like running away. I was nervous and I thought about walking away but, I really wanted to stay and talk to him so I stayed and we started talking about stuff! We talked about our beliefs and about our families and a little bit about lots of other important things. I felt a bit shy the whole time, but I knew I didn't want to walk away, and besides he kept the conversation going! So it wasn't too awkward after all! The more I seen and talked to him the more I wanted to be around him. My brother Luke really liked him a lot too, which I was really glad for! Luke and I ended up doing a lot with Marlin and his family that weekend. We played lots of volleyball together and sat together a few times for the meals! When we were getting ready to leave Marlin and my brother exchanged phone numbers. He asked for mine too but I was afraid to give it to him thinking that texting a guy I din't relly know would be a bad idea. As Marlin and Luke exchanged numbers though I was thinking "Good", that way I'll still have a way to contact him!
When the Shindig was over and it was time for everyone to go home Luke and Marlin made plans for us to follow each other on the way back home so we could all stop and eat supper together someplace on the way. So we followed each other for a while and a few hours later we all stopped at Pizza Hut! It was very nice getting to know Marlin's family a little bit better, but I was a little sad at Pizza Hut because Marlin and I ended up on opposite ends of the table so we didn't really get to talk at all. I really tried not to stare at him but I did look at him every chance I got!
When we left Pizza Hut it was really sad for both Luke and I. We felt sort of like we were leaving some really great friends. Not to mention I was totally smitten by Marlin (and was really interested in me as well! At the time, though, I didn't really know for sure if Marlin really liked me or not. I thought that he probably did because he didn't pay near as much attention to any other girls while we were at the Shindig. He sat beside me when we played games, and he was always looking at me. He even came and sat right next to me when I was sitting in on one of Mike Pearls sessions! I didn't want to get too excited about it, though. Just in case he was just being friendly and nothing more.
Once Luke and I got back home, we talked about the Shindig all the time. I ended up telling my whole family about this cool guy that I met! They started teasing me about him all the time, of course, but it didn't really bother me because for some reason I really felt serious about this guy! Somehow I knew it wasn't just a silly whim.
When I told my mom, my mom that I didn't give Marlin my phone number she seemed a little bit sad and told me that she thought that it probably would have been okay to give it to him. When I told my brother Jared about how Marlin asked for my number and I didn't give it to him he also asked, "Why didn't you give it to him"? "Y'all could have just been friends if nothing came out of it". My brother Luke was also scolding me about how I didn't give him my phone number. I really felt dumb and wished I would have given it to him! So after all of that was said, and after showing pictures of him to my dad I decided to text him and just ask how him and his family were doing! I wrote up a friendly text and showed it to my brother Grady and asked him if he thought it was too froward or anything. He said he thought it sounded fine. If I recall I had a bit of trouble pushing the send button!!! Finally I did. Then, I waited around for him to text back. Ten minutes later my phone beeped telling me I had a new text. My brothers jumped up and raced me to my phone pretending that they were going to read it first. When I got a hold of my phone I went to the bathroom and locked the door. If this text wasn't from Marlin I was going to be very disappointed and maybe even cry. I surely didn't want to hear it from my brothers!
I was so excited! The text was from Marlin! I ran out to the living room where all of my family was and read them the text! Marlin was so excited too. He texted a really nice text back to me and asked how all of my family was and told me that he couldn't wait to see Luke and I again! Then I told him it would be really neat if he or him and his family could come to our place for Thanksgiving! Wow! He jumped right on that and texted back right away saying that he would probably be able to come but he didn't know about the rest of his family! I was a little shocked and was thinking, whoa that's kind of weird. Seems like he was just waiting for me to ask him!
So during the next few weeks we texted a little bit back and forth and made plans for him and his brother to come for Thanksgiving.
When Marlin and his brother Michael pulled up in the driveway for Thanksgiving my brother Jacob and I were down in our cow pasture hitting our volleyball. When I heard his big diesel truck going up our driveway Jacob and I ran back up to the house to welcome them! Meanwhile my dad was up in our apartment doing a bit of work. So I dashed up there and blurted out that Marlin was here and told him to hurry up and come down! He just laughed at my nervousness!
We all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We played lots of volleyball and ate lots of good food! Then that Thanksgiving weekend all of my family and the two Zimmerman boys went to Cane Creek to visit Mike Pearls church. The Saturday night before church we were all playing games at a nice lodge we were staying at for the weekend. Marlin and my dad disappeared for three hours. Nobody really knew where they were. Come to find out they were in the men's bathroom talking. Marlin was asking dad if he could have permission to court me. After talking for those three hours dad told him yes! Wow! It was all so amazing! My parents are very protective and always watched out for my well being and wanted me to have nothing other than the best! It amazes me how it seemed that God gave my parents and I peace that this was the man!
The next day at the church meeting Marlin asked if he could sit by me. He said that he wanted to sing by me for the service! I was like, okay that's fine. I thought it was a little strange that he wanted to sing by me! After the service Marlin asked if he could take a walk with me before lunch time. I said "sure". So we walked down the road and he told me everything that he and my dad had talked about. He told me that he wanted to get to know me better! I was all over that and said, "Yeah, well I would like to get to know you better too". Marlin just said. "Wow"!
So he made plans to come back in two weeks to see me again! During that time we texted a little bit and talked on the phone a lot! I liked Marlin more and more every time I talked to him!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally he came down to visit again and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other better and doing fun things together! Then a week or two later we went up to his place in Pennsylvania and visited him and his family! My family really liked his family and my dad was satisfied with Marlin's family! Everything just seemed to keep falling into place! It was truly a wonderful experience! We played lots of volleyball like usual and just had a wonderful time together!
Then he came to our house for Christmas. We had an awesome time! He bought me a dozen red roses for Christmas. I was surprised and very pleased! I love flowers! Our relationship moved very fast, and when he left to go back home that week we were both very sad.
About a day after he went home he turned right around and came back to surprise visit me for the weekend! I was talking to him on the phone, sitting out on the front porch when he came that night. He parked his car down by the road and said to me on the phone, "Hey, can I call you back in a minute?" I was like yeah that’s fine. So I hung up and waited for him to call me back. While I was waiting all of a sudden I saw this guy run out from behind the bush in our yard. I was like whom in the world is that? At first I thought it was my brother Gabriel playing a trick on me or something. Then I said. "That's Marlin"! I was so excited. I said to him, "What are you doing here"? Then he gave me a hug and we laughed and laughed and then we went inside!!! Twas' a lovely surprise!
Marlin and I were totally in love with each other and everything we did and said made us even more in love. God's wonderful hand was definitely in all of this working out every little detail and scattering tons of blessings along the way! I thought that I messed up a lot and did things the wrong way but God used everything I thought I did wrong to make everything perfect. It's a little bit hard to explain and may sound confusing. But hey why don't you try to explain a miracle some time!!!
Marlin was so much fun to be with! Our love for each other grew rapidly!
Then finally the day came when he proposed. It was March 17th 2013 after church on a Sunday afternoon! We took a walk back on the gravel road behind our house. It was the same one we walked on the first time he came to court me! We went up into the woods and sat on the side of the hill where I used to go and pray sometimes. After we had been talking for a few minutes Marlin got on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes! Then he put the ring on my finger and I gave him a hug! It was truly special and so memorable! I'll never forget it!
We made plans to get married on June 28th of 2013.
Life was quite busy from March until June but we made many beautiful memories laughing and joking with each other, taking pictures, and just having fun! There was never a doubt in my mind that God planned all this out! I felt so blessed and still do to this day to have Marlin Zimmerman as such a big part in my life! I will never stop thanking my Heavenly Father for this precious gift! God truly blessed me with the best man on this earth!!!
Starting our "Happily Ever After"
Marlin and I are very happily married now! It seems to me that I love him way more than I did before we were married! He is the best husband I could ever ask for! He has filled my life with all the happiness and joy that a Godly peaceful marriage brings!!!
Thank the Lord for my wonderful dear husband!! He’s the best!!!
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| A collage of some of my favorites! |
AW!! I love it, Rachel! It's so beautiful!!! I know you two are so happy! BTW, I LOVE your dress! It's so modest and so lovely! So perfect for you!! :) Can't wait to see more from you!
ReplyDeleteHow precious!! Blessings for all the road ahead~
ReplyDeleteSooo sweeettt!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful Love Story! Blessings on your marriage and as you raise your family for God!
ReplyDelete