John Musgrave & Rodica Marincus Saturday, May 2, 1987

On February 23, 1983, my mother and her six children landed in Portland, Oregon. I was the oldest of those children, almost fifteen years of age at that time. It was a miracle that we touched down in Portland that evening. My father left Romania in the fall of 1981 on a visitor's visa to Bulgaria. Our country was under communist rule at that time, and we knew that it was only the Lord that opened the door for him to go. We also knew that this could be the opportunity he had waited for to continue his trip abroad and eventually get to the United States, which he did. After spending six months in Turkey in an immigration camp and six months in Ital , my father was on his way to Los Angeles, California. At the last minute, plans changed. He notified my mother that he was going to Portland, Oregon, instead. Looking back, we can see that the Lord was leading, for the first church we were brought to was the Apostolic Faith Church.

That same evening that we landed in Portland, Oregon, a young man pulled into Portland after driving for twenty-six hours straight from Hardin, Montana. His name was John Musgrave. He had been laid off from one job and offered another one, but decided it was time to move back home where his family was. Through a series of circumstances he also began attending the Apostolic Faith Church, where we met about one year later. I had seen John at church, but had never spoken to him until a friend introduced us. About a year later, after the Christmas concert, I had invited a few young people over to my house, and decided that I would invite John, his brother, and his sister, to be friendly. They came and though we spoke little that evening, we began talking more when we saw each other at church. Before long, he was going out after church with a group of friends, and he asked me to go along.

One time, a group of us went to the Organ Grinder on 82 nd Avenue. John and I tried to carry on a conversation, but the organ played so loudly that I had a hard time hearing anything he said. That, coupled with the fact that my English wasn't very good, made for an interesting evening!

On my seventeenth birthday, he took me to dinner at a German restaurant. John always found a way to make me laugh, whether it was because of something he said or something he pointed out that I said. Since my English was a work in progress, he teased me about the way I pronounced different words, but then he would help me until I said them correctly. I still give John credit for helping me learn to pronounce the word “really” without rolling the “r.”

Over the next few months, we saw more and more of each other and we talked a lot. He would come over to my house and spend time with my entire family, which gave my parents an opportunity to get to know him. Since my parents couldn't communicate with him as well as they would have liked, due to the language barrier, this was a great opportunity for them to observe his behavior around the family. He was always kind and considerate to them, and always respected them by bringing me home at their requested time.

John also took me to his house to get acquainted with his family, who lived in Redland, Oregon, about half-an-hour from Portland. He would take the scenic route there, which I always enjoyed.

It wasn't long after I met his family that I found out where his sense of humor came from! His father didn't waste any time in teasing us about anything and everything he could. I was pretty shy, but I still appreciated a good laugh.

As time went on, we talked about what was important in our lives and discovered that we had a lot of things in common. We both wanted to put the Lord first in our lives and we enjoyed doing many of the same things. Though we realized we had some cultural differences, we learned to talk openly about them and gain from each other's perspective.

As our friendship grew, we talked about the future, which always seemed to include each other. However, I still had school plans and he was changing careers. One day as we were driving, John announced to me that he knew that I was to be his wife. Though I was surprised to hear him say it out loud, I knew that what he was saying was true. The Lord had been talking to me about the same thing.

As I continued to pray about it, the Lord reminded me of my grandmother's prayers for me to have a Christian husband. She told me from the time I was a little girl that she was praying that God would bring a good man into my life who loved the Lord. She talked fondly of her husband, how it was such a blessing to have a good marriage for over fifty years.

I knew I wanted the same thing, and was praying that way. The question that remained in my mind had to do with my education. All through high school I had taken college pre-requisites. But as it was time to make those decisions about school, the Lord was asking me to surrender all my ambitions to Him. When I did, it seemed that other doors opened for school in the same field, which in the end allowed me to do what I always wanted to do.

When all that was worked out, it seemed like there were “green lights” all the way. The Lord re-assured me that John was the one for me and that He was not only answering my prayers, but also my grandmother's.

It felt good to know that it was the Lord's will for us to be together. What had been a friendship all along was now ready to grow into commitment. John proposed to me on December 6, 1986, and we were married on May 2, 1987.

Looking back to that time, I can see where the Lord led us each step of the way. John worked at a bank for fourteen years before he began working at the Apostolic Faith Headquarters Office. I worked as a medical assistant until our oldest daughter was born four years after we were married, and then was able to do medical transcription out of our home while our children were small. We couldn't have planned it that way, but God did. He has blessed our lives, and I am thankful that we can serve Him together.

His Story. . .

I am certainly blessed to be married to Rodica. Even before I was saved, I had a desire to someday marry a good Christian girl. I always imagined her to be petite with beautiful blond hair. This is what I had dreamed of. However, after I got saved on January 4, 1984, I certainly didn't feel like I deserved anything so wonderful. Yet, God truly does “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

On February 23, 1983, I returned to Portland after spending six years in Montana. I soon began attending the Apostolic Faith Church because I felt a need inside and I had been taken there for Sunday school as a young child. Before long, the rest of my family started attending church, and many of them were saved before I was.

I remember being introduced to a beautiful young lady who had recently emigrated from Romania. At different times, I saw her at the young people's choir practices and visitations. A mutual friend invited me to attend the young people's get-togethers, and she was there as well.

One of my family members who was in the church was faithful to point out some of the “eligible” young ladies to me. She would always ask me about Rodica. I would respond by telling her that she was very attractive and spiritually minded. However, she was sixteen years old and I was twenty-one. I really didn't think that she would consider me.

One time, Rodica came and sat by me during a service. Although that had little significance to her, it meant a lot to me. Later, she invited me along with some other young people to her house for a Christmas party. That made me start to think that maybe she was interested in me. It was humbling to find out later that she really was just trying to be friendly. However, armed with my false impression, I began to pursue her.

Over the next few months, I tried to sit by her at the youth activities or when we went out as a group. I also tried to sit with her in church every chance I got. Many times in order to do activities with her outside of church, I had to take her brother and four sisters with us. However, that didn't bother me at all, I just wanted to be with her.

The language barrier as well as the cultural differences made things interesting at times. On one occasion I thought that Rodica had said we could not be together anymore. I was heartbroken. After the service that Sunday morning I really prayed things through. The Lord finally got me to accept that I had to give Rodica up. It one of the most difficult consecrations I ever made. I felt like Job, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Later that day a friend of mine asked me how things were going with Rodica. I told him it was all over.

That night after church Rodica asked if we were going to the Taco House with the rest of the young people. I was so happy! Now I certainly don't miss those early misunderstandings.

On April 23, 1985, I took Rodica out on our first “official” date. It was her seventeenth birthday. Rodica and I had the same desire to please the Lord and we looked to Him together as our relationship grew. We spent a lot of time talking about the differences in how we were raised and I realized that she had a strong Christian, ethical, and moral upbringing, which was impressive to me. After spending time talking to her in person, I would take her home and then call her on the phone. Many times, we spent hours talking to each other.

It did not take me long to decide that this was the young lady that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Many times, as we talked, Rodica would tell me about her career plans. After finishing high school, she planned to go to college for at least four years, and then work in the medical field. I would quickly do the math in my head and know that this meant another five or six years. It wasn't what I wanted, but I knew for sure that I wanted to marry Rodica.

As we continued to share things, I eventually told her that I believed she was the one that God had for me. She still had definite plans and intended on following through with them. However, about four months later she told me that she also felt that this was the direction the Lord was leading.

I was certainly thankful for her flexibility and willingness to alter her plans as the Lord led. She enrolled in a faster-paced medical assisting program, and together we memorized about fifty medical terms a week. She also chased me around with a needle practicing shots on me!

On December 6, 1986, I went to Rodica's house and asked her dad for permission to request her hand in marriage. We had a nice long talk and he gave me his blessing. I drove Rodica to one of our favorite scenic places, and proposed to her there. After that we had a nice dinner and then returned to her parents' house to make the big announcement.

On May 2, 1987, I watched the girl of my dreams walk down the aisle, and we became husband and wife. I marvel to this day how God brought the perfect person for me from halfway around the world. Truly it was a “Match Made in Heaven,” and it has only gotten better. Today, more than ever, I'm thankful for the beautiful wife God gave me.

John and Rodica Musgrave are members of the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon.