Gabrielle & I in San Diego, friends since we were six.
Gab, Ashley, Ryan & I at the wedding in Julien, CA.
Who says friends can't last forever? This hasn't been the case in my life. God has blessed me over and over with treasured friends. Two, I'd like to honor in this post.
Gabrielle and I met in Mission Friends at Grace Baptist Church in Woodbridge, VA when we were around six. We both despised the Sunday night girls Bible study that taught about missions and misssionaries (ironic, I know). After my parents became missionaries, Gab and I lost touch, until my family came home on furlough in 1998. Our parents arranged for Gab and I to have a sleep over for a weekend. At first, it was super awkward, what did two 14 year olds from different sides of the world have in common. It didn't take us long to realize we both thought Jerry Springer was funny, boys were super cute and made us giggle, and the movie Grease was super fabulous!
That same weekend that Gab and I reconnected, she introduced me to a friend of her's from school, Ryan. Ryan was tall, athletic, super smart, and well CUTE! We three became dear friends and continued to write letters and emails over the 4 years of high school. Ryan even took me to his Senior Homecoming and Prom.
God blessed us each with a love for our friends and a commitment to stay in touch, despite the distance, to call each other out on tough issues and to remain loyal to one another.
Gabrielle honored me by standing as my Maid of Honor in my wedding and singing along with her dear Father in my wedding. Ryan was, as he puts it, "incarcerated" with the U.S. Navy, in boot camp during my wedding. Though he was missed that day, the third to our trio wasn't forgotten.
Fast forward five years and Gab and I were both flying to San Diego for Ryan's walk down the aisle. He had met the woman of his dreams, Ashley, while faithfully serving our country overseas. It was hard for Gab and I to believe that the three of us friends would finally be together in one place again, first time since New Years Eve of 2001.
Though we don't get to see one another often, our friendship remains. I call Gab when I'm down, I call Ryan to just shoot the breeze, we remain friends. God didn't promise life to always be easy, but with friends like Ryan and Gabrielle, life has so much more joy.
Love to you both!
Kristen
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