I, Charelle Pennington, decided to give ChristianMingle a try, so I created a profile and asked for matches within a 100 mile radius of Atlanta, GA. Hart did the same in Portland, OR.

While browsing my matches, I noticed Hart’s profile saying he was from Portland, OR. I emailed him to say “Hi” and to tell him that I was from Portland also, but now live in Atlanta. I didn’t think that I would know him because he was a couple of years older than me.

He responded back, confirming that I lived in Atlanta, and I said yes but mentioned that he might know some of my family members in Portland. He asked their names so I sent him a few of them and he asked me about one of them in particular, and a school she may have attended.

I replied back a few days later saying, “I never asked your name to see if my cousin knows you”. When he replied back with his name, I was in shock. I then asked him if he knew twin brothers and I gave him their first names. He replied back telling me the twins’ last name and I fell out of my chair.

I said, “Oh my God, how can this be?” I emailed him back say, “You may not believe this, but you are the first boy I ever kissed 25 years ago,” and I gave him my name and number.

We began to reminisce about our past and talked about what we were looking for in our future. We talked for a few months and decided we had to see each other. I did not know it, but Hart promised God before he came to Atlanta that if I would have him, he would make a commitment to me.

When he arrived in Atlanta it was like 25 years had never gone by. We connected instantly. Before he left Atlanta, he proposed marriage and I accepted! Who would have thought that out of the hundreds of thousands of people on ChristianMingle and the fact that we are 3000 miles away from each other, and knew each other 25 years ago, that he would appear in my matches, (the only one from Portland!)? Now thanks to ChristianMingle, we are getting married!