Our Story, told by Kristin

Kaleb (right) with one of his bro's, Zach

Me (left) with my sis, Ashley

2 years ago....I met this guy named, Kaleb Poth.  I had headed up to Georgia to attend the training for an 11 month long overseas mission trip I was going to embark on called, The World Race.

I'd actually already started to become friends with Kaleb since January, and a few other people that were going on the mission trip, through email.  Although we had emailed several times, we - for some reason - never really talked to each other at training until towards the end of our time there.  I remember thinking, gosh, he's quiet, haha.  But I also remember thinking, wow he is a great leader.  About one of the only times he'd speak up was to help direct people and he did a good job of it.  But that's about it, haha...never EVER did I think that one day this man would be my husband :).

At training in Georgia, our first ever picture together....yes, seriously.  I was either about to stretch or about to break out dancing...probably dancing.

It's funny how God works....I actually almost backed out of going on the World Race mission trip, yeah, literally like the DAY before we were to leave! ha!  Yep.  I had never taken such a huge step - it was literally a leap of faith for me!  Also, through praying about the trip, I think I just knew, deep down I just knew, that by going on this trip I was answering the call God had on my life to go into full time ministry work....and that was scary to me.  I just didn't feel qualified, I didn't yet know where God would send me, and I figured I'd have to raise support the rest of my life (an intimidating thought to me).  I remember processing with some of my good friends before leaving and those long, sometimes very long, conversations we'd have (you know who you are you amazing people you :) ).  God really used those friends to speak truth and encouragement to me!  By going on the mission trip, I was giving up a good job that offered security, good pay, and health insurance.  I still had a car payment to take care of and a school loan.  Some, many, thought it was pretty crazy I'm sure.  Well...I'm so happy that I obeyed the calling that God had on my life to go on that mission trip!!  And I'm so happy that I ignored my fleshly fears and leaped out in faith and TRUSTED that God knew best!  The desire that God had placed on my heart to go on that trip was just so strong, I couldn't ignore it.  I wasn't sure completely WHY God was calling me to go....I mean, I had MY thoughts and reasonings as to why (they ended up being wrong, lol), all I really knew though was just that I was to GO.  Sometimes some things God calls you to don't make sense to the world, they seem crazy and unreasonable...but I love that our God is outside of the box :).

Everyone from the mission trip in our first country, Guatemala.

So, off we went!  Living out of our hiking packs and off of about 12 American dollars a day....let the adventures begin!  And oh what adventures we all had!  I could probably write a novel telling you about all the people we got to meet and minister with and all we got to do and see and experience - and then could write a second novel on all that God taught and showed me.  But right now I want to share with you about the biggest surprise that I so briefly mentioned above...Kaleb.

Kaleb...this quiet (so I thought), funny guy who sometimes told jokes that only he understood and we would all stare at him and smile as he laughed hysterically at his own random joke, lol :).  Oh, Kaleb :).

Our friendship began to grow tremendously about the 3rd month of the trip.  For some reason, I was really comfortable with him and our friendship just felt natural.  We never had to work to be good friends, it just happened.  Now, what I'm about to say might sound crazy to some, but by the 5th month I believed that God told me I was going to marry this Kaleb guy.  I thought I was hearing things and told God that's crazy, I don't even like him like that!  haha.  It's true though, I had absolutely no feelings for Kaleb beyond friendship - I saw him like a brother.  So to me, this thought was just weird.  Weirded me out so much I started to push him away, haha.  But for some reason he wouldn't let me.  By the 6th month, I made the realization...."ah man, I DO have feelings for Kaleb!" haha.  But yet again, I thought it was spiritual warfare so prayed that God would take them away and help me to guard my heart.  As I continued to pray, the feelings just became stronger.  Thanks God, no really...thanks :).  I then changed my prayer.  I stopped fighting my feelings and I prayed that if this was of the Lord, that Kaleb would initiate a conversation with me.  A week later, he did just that.  Come to find out, he liked me to...I mean like liked me ;).  After he told me he liked me, I think I let him sit in a silent torture for about 10 minutes as I said nothing.  I was praying and trying to decide if I should tell him I liked him too.  I finally broke the silence and told him.....he just smiled and said, "I know."  Dang I thought I was smooth...guess not, LOL.

Thanksgiving '09 with our team in Mozambique

For the rest of the trip we each had someone holding us accountable for our feelings towards one another (there was a no dating rule) and we stayed friends.  As time passed, we got to know each other even more...on an 11 month mission trip, you see the good, the bad, and the ugly REAL fast.  But we only grew closer together through it all.  Our main prayer was that we would never be a distraction to one another from what God was calling each of us to...and praise God, we never were.  Time continued to pass and this Kaleb guy...the funny one that told the silly jokes...well, I fell in love with that guy ;).  He became my best friend and I just knew, knew I was to spend the rest of my life with this amazing man.  Turns out, we found out God was pointing us both in the same directions as well.  In our 10th month of the trip, Kaleb had another conversation with me.  Come to find out we'd both been researching this ministry called, Lifelines :), and had both decided separately that it was where God was calling us.  I love how God ordains things!

At our final debrief in Thailand before returning to the states

Kaleb had made it quite clear to me that after we were back in the states, he was going to pursue me.  And that he did.  We got back the end of April last year and July 10th, he popped the question.

At South Lake Tahoe, where Kaleb asked me to be his wife

On October 30th, 2010, we married - what a wonderful day :).  It's amazing to me how God can take two incredibly imperfect people and make them one - it truly is ONLY through HIM that this happens!  I feel so honored to be married to such a great man.  He is truly a man of prayer...a man of integrity and a true gentleman.  He is a man who is strong in leadership and character whom I respect a great deal.  He's got one of the biggest hearts of any other man I know.  He encourages me towards growth and calls me out in love.   He just "gets" me and I "get" him and despite my failures and my imperfections, loves me for exactly who I am...and I love him just the same, so very much :).  On top of all this, I think he's pretty incredibly good lookin' too ;).

Pictures above by our wedding photographer, Adam Nash.

I love how God brought Kaleb and I together and I look forward to continuing to grow with him, learn with him, and serve God with him for the rest of our lives...

Missions Conference

This past week Kaleb and I had the opportunity to participate in our church's missions conference.  It was a total of five days where the church brought in guest speakers and different missionaries.  The conference was a time where we got to hear some great sermons from the guest speakers and hear more from the missionaries there about how God has been working in their lives and the ministry He called them to.  There were other fun things like an international banquet one night (yum!), a men's breakfast, and a women's brunch.  It was such a great time to get to know more of the people that attend our church and just an encouraging time full of great speakers and one on one conversations.

Pastor Dave, our church's pastor, interviewing the guest missionaries during one night of the conference.

During the conference, we were excited to be given the opportunity to share more with the church about what we will be doing, how we felt called into full time ministry work and our passion for Lifelines.  I had the privilege to share more of my personal testimony at the women's brunch and Kaleb and I both were honored to be able to share more with others individually at church during the conference.

Pastor Dave: "Kaleb, what was the best thing that happened to you on the World Race?"  Kaleb: "I met Kristin."  Good answer Kaleb, good answer ;) haha.

Sharing with the church (both photos above taken by, Pat Appel - thanks for taking photos Pat! :) )

Our table we got to set up with all our info and more about what we are doing with Lifelines.

We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to share more about what we are doing and our hearts during the conference!  We feel incredibly blessed to attend a church that has been so encouraging and supportive of us going into full time ministry!

Reflections of a ....um, 30 year old...

So...it seems my birthday has come around again (gosh how the year has flown!) about a week and a half ago I turned 30, oh yes folks....it's the BIG 3-0...3...0!  haha.  Farewell 20s, it's been fun.

balloons from Kaleb's grandma and his Aunt

You know, when you're a teenager your 30s is so far away and seems so old...doesn't it?  At least to me it did, ha!  Maybe it was because I thought I was so mature and grown up when I was in high school, LOL (my parents were lucky to have such a smart, mature teenager ...ha HA ;) oh geez ).  Little do you realize at that age just how much growing up you have to do - especially when you move out on your own.  I love it how God knocks us on our butts sometimes :).  Now at 30, I definitely still have things God is growing me in.  I also don't think I ever pictured my life to be this way when I turned 30 - it's, I'm happy to say, so much better than I ever pictured :).

Kaleb got me a beautiful orchid for my bday, I love flowers :)

This time last year I was celebrating my birthday in Malaysia with my team from the mission trip Kaleb and I went on.  Never thought a year from then I'd be married, living in Cali, and still living out of a suitcase, haha, oh life and it's fun surprises :).  Although moving around a lot and living out of our suitcases does get a bit tiring, I wouldn't have it any other way right now.  This is where we both know we are called to...living by faith and we don't need a lot of material possessions to do that.  It's funny what a year long mission trip living overseas will do to you in helping you realize just how little you can live off of.  I'm grateful for that.

Soooo yeah, 30...weird.  Haha.  I will move on to other more important things now ;) ...

Since arriving back in Nor Cal, we have been staying with Kaleb's grandma until we found a place to live (this has been such an incredible blessing :) ).  We aren't sure how long we will be in the area so signing a lease at an apartment was not something we wanted to do, nor - after much prayer -what we felt God leading us to do.  But being that this area is so expensive...we just weren't sure WHERE we would find a place to live without having to sign a lease and how we could afford wherever that was....well, God, as He always does, has provided!  Kaleb and I have been blessed to find a FREE place to live while raising up ministry partners here in Nor Cal.  We will be staying with a sweet couple who has so graciously offered the upstairs of their home to us (they only live/use the downstairs of their home).  This is definitely unexpected and we are praising God for how He continues to surprise us and provide in so many amazing ways!!!!

Lovin' life :)