Boy Meets Girl...Too Far Away!
23
“Our story began like any other,” Rachel says.
“Boy messages girl, girl messages back. Boy is a devout Catholic; girl is, too. The only thing is, boy lives 1,000 miles away in New York City . . . and girl comes from a small town in Wisconsin!”
For Rachel, then 33, the classic beginning in January of 2020 turned into many massive hurdles. Why? First was how her last relationship had ended: it too had been long-distance.
“My mother had told me I should find someone a little closer to home,” Rachel explains. When Edwin messaged her on CatholicMatch, she responded with interest, but her concern quickly grew. She voiced these concerns about distance to Edwin, then 35. How did “boy” respond?
“With God, all things are possible,” he told her simply, echoing the words of Christ himself. This was exactly the encouragement Rachel needed to hear in order to give him a chance. Little did she know this phrase would become their mantra as a couple in the future.
“He truly lives in accordance with those words and it’s why I love him so very much,” Rachel says, looking back at the beginning of their relationship.
They felt instant chemistry over video chat and calls, and began to search for ways to meet in person.
With God, all things were possible, right? Rachel’s job as an inpatient nurse left her enough weekend time to fly out to New York City, so she and Edwin planned to spend Easter together in New York.
Cue the pandemic of 2020, the second hurdle for Rachel and Edwin. New York shut down all of its travel and most of its industry.
So much for meeting in person as soon as possible! Edwin and Rachel decided to submit to God’s timing, and continued getting to know each other as just friends . . . for now. Rachel felt isolated as she worked in the hospital, going through special training and preparing for the new virus to hit their hospital. She kept her spirits up by talking and praying with Edwin regularly, who was living through the most intense pandemic wave.
“He was my rock!” Rachel recalls. She lived alone, and as the social lockdowns continued, she suffered from stress and loneliness. Edwin is originally from Ecuador before he moved to New York. In an effort to mix up their phone call prayer routine, he taught Rachel to pray the Rosary in Spanish. She in turn taught him a variety of her favorite childhood and family prayers. Then they also tackled praying in Latin. All this prayer together revealed their devotions to the Lord, and grew their faith in God’s plan for them.
The whole of spring and summer passed this way, as the two began dreaming of finally being able to board a plan and meet in person. That day finally (FINALLY) came in late September, when Rachel’s flight landed in New York City for a weekend. The two decided to be an official couple, and took hikes, shared their faith, and talked about what their dating relationship might look like. It had been such a crazy year already; could they really expect things to work out?
But with God, all things are possible.
Through autumn, Rachel continued to fly to New York once a month, where she and Edwin would explore the city, continue getting to know each other, and spend time with family and friends. At Christmas, Edwin was able to fly to Wisconsin and spent Christmas with Rachel and her family. Then it was time for a really big leap of faith.
Rachel moved to New York in January, right around a year after they’d first met online. Edwin flew in to help her load up her puppies and livelihood, and they road-tripped back to New York. She rented an apartment right next to Edwin, and took up a job as a travel nurse.
“The difficulties I faced moving to such a large city and starting a job in downtown Manhattan, amidst the pandemic, were met with the most loving and supportive friend I’ve ever had,” Rachel says of Edwin’s support and love. The two spent their time outside, cooking together at their apartments, doing everyday laundry and shopping, and going to Mass.
Edwin proposed to Rachel two months later at the end of February.
With pandemic restrictions, they married on May 29th, 2021, with just a few family members and close friends in attendance. Edwin’s parents were able to fly in from Ecuador, which was an unexpected blessing!
“We know that God orchestrated every bit of our union,” Rachel says of their new marriage. She and Edwin believe God prepared their hearts over the years for the specific challenges they would face together.
“Our hope is that we can give hope to others who God has placed the desire to marry. It’s a vocation that if you discern it properly and hold tight to God, his word and promises, he will fulfill!” Rachel says. “Have faith and remember: with God anything is truly possible.”
Rachel and Edwin have their mantra engraved on the interior of their wedding rings, a constant reminder of their story and God’s grace!