Dan Tanner & Ashley Donn
"A Divine Matchmaking"
Ashley and I met at age 13 at a church camp near Newville. I was bunking with a friend from church that week. During the opening meeting, he and his girlfriend of 15 minutes introduced me to a little blond girl named Ashley.
Later that evening, during a performance by some of the counselors, I heard her say, "Look, that guy has a trumpet." I looked back and saw her pointing to the stage. Being a trumpet player myself, this definitely interested me.
The rest of the week, my friend and his girlfriend would continually ask, "Have you talked to that girl today?" "Why don't you ask her out?" Being a typical 13-year-old boy, girls had cooties, and I was more interested in spending time with the guys that week. But they persisted, and the last night of camp I finally caved and (sheepishly) asked her out.
The week ended, and we went our separate ways. A few weeks later, she wrote me a letter. Being almost embarrassed I had asked her only after being put up to it, I didn't respond, although I never forgot about her.
Fast forward seven years. I came across her Facebook page and sent her a friend request. She accepted it and, next thing I know, I got an message from her saying, "Hey this is Ashley, I saw you friend-requested me, do you remember me from camp?" My first reaction was nervousness that she would be upset with me for not talking to her for over seven years, but I apologized for it in our first conversation and told her about how I had been put up to it by my bunkmate and his girlfriend. She laughed.
Over the course of the next three months we started talking more, and on a winter vacation in Ocean City, Md., with a college buddy, I worked up the courage to ask her out. Standing on the balcony, looking out over the beach and the ocean, I took a chance and asked, and she said yes. We've been together now for two years.
Our story goes to show that God can bring two people together for a meaningful, loving relationship, regardless of how many years have gone by.
Dan Tanner, Littlestown, and Ashley Donn, Kulpmont.