I have some photos to share. I know, I know they look like images for a possible book cover, but these are photos of my oldest daughter Leslie and her fiancé Honza. They just got engaged last week! And the truth is that they can thank NOVEL WRITING for their coming together. Well, sort of …
First: the photos …
Leslie and Honza are engaged!
Honza and Leslie in Olomouc, Czech Republic
Honza and Leslie
Second: The Story …
In 2000, I traveled to Europe with two friends Anne de Graaf and Cindy Coloma who were researching for books. I was along for the ride. My friend Anne kept telling me that I was going to get a novel idea, too, on that trip. I did, and my novel From Dust and Ashes was birthed in 2003!
We traveled through numerous countries, but I FELL IN LOVE with the Czech Republic. 
Prague
Listening to God’s voice then led the Goyers to go on three family mission trips to the Czech Republic in 2008, 2009, and 2012. We also had a Czech exchange student live with us from 2008-2009.
My daughter, Leslie, fell in love with the country, too, and she’s visited every year since 2008. A few summers ago she spent two months there, falling even more in love with the country, falling even more in love with the people. Last year she felt she needed to go back long term. She went for one year, and it’s turned into two … well, that’s not true. After meeting Honza it’s turned into to “until death do us part.” As a missionary, and soon a wife, Leslie plans on spending her whole life there.
Vacation, research trips, mission trips, a Czech exchange student, and extended visits. A special peace comes when you return to a place and realize it’s exactly where you’re supposed to be. I’ve felt that in small ways. Leslie now feels that completely.
It’s pretty amazing when a man and a woman born on opposite sides of the world find each other and fall in love. And I’m just thrilled that God used my love of writing and research to bring that about! It’s a real life fairy tale romance!
How about you? If you could go on a mission trip to any country where would you go?
Also, any tips on planning a wedding in Europe and a reception in the US are appreciated!
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I don’t have any tips but I hope you will keep us posted as the plans take shape. I hope you will also post pictures,of the wedding. Congratulations! They make a very nice looking couple. Tricia you do not look old enough to have a daughter old enough for marriage.
God Bless
Shirley
Great story, Tricia! I love seeing how little decisions play into a bigger picture that only God can see at the beginning.
I got to visit Prague once on a choir trip. Gorgeous city! Traveling in Europe never fails to remind me exactly how young our country is in comparison.
May Leslie and Honza live out their happily ever after and give you many excuses to visit the city where it all began. 🙂
Tricia, I agree with Shirley. You don’t look old enough to have a daughter that old!
If I could go to any country to be a missionary, where would I go? Well, God started talking to me about that before I was even a Christian. I moved to Australia from New Zealand in December, 1989. I started going to church on Christmas Eve of that year. I gave my heart to Jesus on the 20th of March, 1990. In between that time, there was a missionary who visited our church. She ministered in Nepal. I began to wonder what it would be like to be a missionary. I felt I was being asked by God to be willing to be a missionary. I automatically said yes, even though I wasn’t a believer at that time. I felt that God was putting Africa on my heart. I didn’t know how I was going to get there, what I was going to do etc. For years I prayed about the opportunity to go to Africa to serve Him. I believe God led me to another church. Our church supported a lot of ministries and missionaries. After a few years, our church leadership felt that it was time to change some of the ministries that we supported. Eventually a ministry in Africa began to be supported by our church. I was ecstatic! I couldn’t believe it! There was a missionary trip, and I wasn’t able to go. I was so disappointed and wondered if I’d got the whole thing wrong. In September of 2002, there was another trip to Namibia. This time going to Windehoek, its capital. There was a group of 13 going, along with our senior pastor. I so wanted to go, but being on a disability pension, I wondered how on earth I could afford such a trip. I put in my application to be considered to go on the trip. Again, I was ecstatic when I was accepted to go, and then again wondered where the money was going to come from for the trip. I saved as much as I could. Small amounts came from friends to put towards my flights. It was just weeks before our flight money was due to be paid and I really started asking God if I had it right. I couldn’t see where the finances would come from. Then the church office started getting cheques to go toward my flights. I was stunned! A week before everything needed to be paid, again, I was wondering where the balance of the money was going to come from. The staff member looking after our trip received a phone call from somebody at church. They didn’t know me. They’d never met me. They didn’t even know I was going on the trip. They said to the staff member that I was in my 30’s and some other information that only described me. She paid the remainder of my plane fare. I was totally blown away! To this day, I don’t know who that person is/was.
Not as strongly, but I have had the feeling that God could be asking me to go to Argentina. I think that’s somewhere off in the distance. I have health issues that would stop me going now, in the natural.
In the meantime, Windehoek, (pronounced Vind hook), was a blast! It really opened my eyes to a lot of things, and it was so wonderful to be used by God in such a way. 🙂
God moves in mysterious ways.
He sure does!
Wow! What a great, real-life LOVE STORY!!! 🙂
Congratulations on your daughter’s engagement, and I pray the Lord richly blesses her marriage.
Oh, Tricia! I started leaking happy tears as I read this. I feel as if I’ve had a sneak peek over the years in the unfolding of this fairy tale come true. God’s mysterious ways are so lovely. So subtle. So tender. My young heart is glad, as Anne would say. I’m glad for you, glad for Leslie and glad for your whole family as you welcome Honza into the Goyer clan. Rejoicing with you!
I just love this T! Who could’ve guessed that our adventure with Anne that seemed such a God-experience for all of us and rich with great stories (remember us trying to get OUT of the Czech Republic when they closed the borders and taking the last tiny ferry across that lake) would end up being just a tiny part of a HUGE story for your entire family. It’s how God works and no big feat for Him, but still it fills me with wonder.