Engaged!!

Hello everyone!  Yes, it is me... the reclusive and elusive Sarah Lee.  Okay, I admit, I have been very preoccupied for quite a while with college, life, and.... the love of my life.

His name is Rezq and he is from Cairo, Egypt.  Yes, a very long ways away from Iowa!  Our meeting was completely by chance and the help of a dear friend on Facebook, Laverne.  I know that at different times I had seen comments or posts from Rezq on friends pages but it wasn't until Laverne suggested he be my friend on Facebook that I actually "met" the man.

Rezq is a very good and Godly man.  I can honestly say I know the moment I fell in love with him.  On his Facebook profile, he has beautiful photos that he has added the scriptures to in both English & Arabic.  He has literally over 400 of these photos.  That takes a lot of work and dedication to put those together.  As I was about photo #97, my heart was already very much in love with him.  His love for Jesus was so very evident in all those photos and just in all his posts period.

So the two of us started talking through Facebook, then Yahoo Messenger, and eventually on the video camera.  The more we talked, the more our hearts linked together.  On April 7th, I flew out of Omaha, Nebraska to Cairo, Egypt.  I had always loved Egypt and had wanted to go since I was a very little girl.  So not only was I flying out to be with the man I had grown to love, I also was going to see the land that had so captivated me since I was a small child.

However, it wasn't all a bed of roses leading up to my leaving.  I cannot even begin to tell you the number of people that ridiculed or mocked me. If anything, this whole experience has shown me who my true friends really are and also has shown me how little faith in God so many have anymore.  The most supportive of all my friends has been my sisters in Jesus - Tawnya, Tammy, Andrea, Nicole, and Linda.  Nicole was a very special jewel as she knew when I was leaving that it was to become engaged and she was just thrilled for me.  That meant a lot after so much bashing and passive aggressive meanness from my "friends." I have had to pray hard for all the other people that have hurt my heart that I would be able to forgive them for thinking so little of me and Rezq.

Despite all the mocking and prophets of "doom" I left and I'm so very glad I didn't listen to those people.  The first moment I saw Rezq in the airport, my heart leaped within me and the joy & glow of Christ was all about him.  In my heart, it was settled permanently any remaining doubts.  His family embraced me as one of their own and I finally felt as if I was home.  I cannot describe the feeling outside of that.  While there, I completely forgot about this place that I live now.  I have to admit, I didn't even think about my babies: Jeremiah & Sadie.  THAT is amazing for anyone that knows how much I love my doggies.

My New Family

That night I stayed up as late as I could but by 11:30pm Cairo time, I was exhausted and went to bed.  I slept like the dead but woke up the next day feeling great!  We went to the Seven Churches in Egypt.  Never have I seen such beautiful churches in all my life.  Rezq's cousin, Romany, and brother, Hany, joined us.  It was a wonderful experience and I got to love his brother and cousin as my own.  I cannot tell you how much I laughed with these three men.  They were all so precious and wonderful.  They also were so devoted to God in their worship.  I guarantee they were more genuine in their worship than the vast majority here.

That night, after the Seven Churches (and a nap! - ha), Rezq and I had a very long talk while his family went to pick up the rings and a sweet cake (that was awesome!)  The engagement ceremony was beautiful before his family and as I stared at my ring afterwards, that Rezq personally had picked out, I realized the finality of it all.  Rezq was the last man that I would ever be with and it overwhelmed me with thankfulness to God.  It was beautiful.

The next morning, we were going to go to the Sphinx and the Pyramids but Rezq and Hany were concerned.  The area involved is heavily occupied by Muslims and not just Muslims but as Rezq put it "bad people."   They were concerned for my safety, especially since there would not be many tourists there.  This would be my first act of submission. As I showered that morning, I decided that I would place the decision in Rezq's hands on whether or not we would go.  Even though I had long desired to go, it had to be his decision.  I could not live with myself if something happened to him or Hany because of my own dogged determination to do what I wanted to do.  In the end, it was decided we would go and I'm so glad that we did.  It was beautiful and when I saw the Sphinx I cried.  Here I was in Egypt, engaged to the love of my life, and before the very objects that I had so longed to see since I was a child.  I was undone and my thankfulness to God for making my dreams come true had me raising my hands in the sky right there and praising Him.

At the Pyramids

Monday came all too soon.  It was like taking off one of my own arms leaving Rezq the next day.  Our hearts had become so intertwined with one another.  I cried all the way back from Cairo and by the time I reached the States, I was spent emotionally.  So it definitely didn't help that I was once more berated by Customs about the foolishness of internet relationships or pulled out of line as if I was a terrorist in Amsterdam (the flight before reaching the states).  Yet despite all that, I am very pleased that I am with Rezq and that soon we will be married.

Since returning, I have had many well wishes (and I thank all of you that have done so) but I've also had a lot of backlash.  It is actually very insulting to me.  The basic overall tone is that I'm:  1. Desperate and willing to marry anyone or 2. So hideously disgusting that no man would want to marry me without some kind of agenda (i.e. citizenship).  I know some of them say these things out of concern but the bottom line is that they obviously don't think I have common sense or that I can  hear from the Lord.  To be honest, I'm most hurt that they have already judged Rezq without even knowing him.  I was so upset last night by the passive aggressive attacks that I cried myself to sleep.  This is supposed to be a time of great joy for me and it is because I know without a doubt that Rezq is sent from God.  The Lord has told me (and my Mom & Reno) as much before I left and upon returning.  I am at peace with that but all this other... Unfortunately, it has also become a great season of pain and will be until Rezq is finally here and they can see what I have seen by the grace of God.

My  heart hurts.  As I said, I've learned who I can trust and who I cannot trust.  Who is a true friend and who isn't.  I believe those that have been the worst, don't even know who I really am.  I have one set of friends that were "doom and gloom" before I left but when I returned home safe and sound, texting them to let them know I was safe & engaged, I have not heard one word from them.  Not a congratulations or even a "thank God."  Silence.

I have to just put them all in God's  hand and forgive them for their meanness.  They're the ones that will have to stand before God one day on all this, not me.  I did as God commanded me and I went by faith.  It will be by faith that I marry this man.  On May 1st, we will find out if Rezq gets one Visa he applied for quite a while back.  If he gets this Visa, he will be here within 3 months time.  If not, then we have to apply for another Visa.  Either way, he will be here eventually and I'm at peace with that.  In the meantime, I'm going to do what I need to do and praise God for being so good and so merciful to me always.

Rezq & Sarah

I love you all and I thank those of you that have supported and believed in me from the beginning.  God bless!