Today, as I was gathering photos for the site, I ran across this picture.

I proposed to Olga in the garden at dacha.  It was her grandmother’s birthday, August 28, and we were there to celebrate with her.

Earlier that morning Olga and I both felt God’s clear call for us to be married (that story will be told in a future post), so I knew that I’d ask her to marry me that day.

Before I proposed to Olga, I asked Olga’s mother to bless our marriage.  She had to sit down when she realized what I was about to do!  After she gave her blessing, I gave her a camera and asked her to take a picture when I proposed.  She was crying and it was hard for her to focus on us as she stood on the porch overlooking the garden.

It was a film camera and by the time we developed the film we’d forgotten that she took the picture.  It turned out pretty well:

By the way, this was the first time I told Olga that I love her.  We were both guarding our hearts and remembered counsel from an Elisabeth Elliot book: only say I Love You when the next sentance is Will You Marry Me.  It’s good advice.