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...