The Early Years
David and Joli’s paths providentially intersected for the first time one evening in February or March of 2001 when David was visiting his sister, Emily, at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia. Joli worked in the administrative departments of the college and had ventured into the college’s little weight room to get a little exercise as she often did after work. Emily was taking her brother through her customary regimen as a disciplined Patrick Henry student who also liked to stay fit. All three arrived in the weight room and made friendly conversation.

Go West Howard Family
June of 2002 marked the second intersection of paths for David and Joli. Mr. and Mrs. Howard were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary by taking their family on a trip across the country to see the great out west, stopping in national parks along the way from their home in Libertytown, Maryland to the California coast. The family parked their RV along the Coronado beach and visited the Chism home in San Diego. Emily Chism and Jennifer Howard had been suitemates and friends at Patrick Henry College and the Chisms extended a warm invitation to the Howard family of twelve. The families enjoyed several days of wonderful fellowship. Joli got the chance to see David’s recently purchased condo in Santee which unbeknown to either of them would later be their home!

Where Did She Go?
Over a year passed and the families lost contact. On January 12, 2004, David was driving alone one night and remembered this “Joli Howard” with some purpose. He decided to look her up. Sure enough, he found her name and contact information on a home school website and fired off a friendly email to Joli, who had just started her second semester as a junior at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Joli was pleased to hear from David and lost no time in replying. Over discussions of music, evangelism, reformed theology and people they kept each other’s inboxes full of mail. David had finally met his match for long letters full of rabbit trails and questions!

Moving Forward
After about a week and a half of fast-fire email discussions, David contacted Mr. Howard with the big question about courting a certain daughter of his. David and Joli had spent only a handful of hours face to face, yet David had the courage to initiate a courtship, Mr. Howard gave his consent and Joli responded favorably, though a little timidly at first. Then began the long phone conversations across three time zones when David and Joli would talk long into the night, needing to recharge their cell phone batteries while they talked.

David and Emily had planned a visit to Flint Michigan to see their brother, Curtis and incorporated Joli in the plans. That long weekend was something of a whirlwind with all the life-changing of thoughts of the marriage-directed purpose of courtship. Only a couple weeks later, David flew to Maryland to visit Joli’s family over her spring break. The time was delightful and less hectic and even the weather was much warmer than the Michigan trip.

Later, as phone calls, emails, instant messenger conversations and even text message conversations continued, so did the teasing. David heard it especially from his close family friends. Joli got a more severe dose of teasing from her sister-like roommate, Regina, who managed to incorporate dozens of Hillsdale friends in the excitement and teasing of the season. More importantly, as David and Joli prayed together and discussed Scripture together, honored their parents and desired to be godly in their courtship, friends were thrilled to see how God was at work in this relationship and to hear how the Lord had truly brought them together. Days went by and Mr. Chism graciously offered to fly Joli out to San Diego so that David and Joli could spend more time together. Joli had a good incentive to complete papers ahead of the game so that April 22, just a week before finals she could see David in the beautiful city of San Diego.

Pop’n the Question
Friday morning, April 23, David arrived to take Joli on a little hike up Volcan Mountain. The day was perfect with a gentle breeze and not a cloud in the sky. After a pleasant drive, they arrived at the mountain and liberally applied sunscreen. David assembled several items in his backpack. When Joli inquired if he needed anything else, David decided to take along his guitar. Joli wore the backpack and David strapped on his big guitar case. Joli thought it was a little funny to take a cumbersome guitar up a mountain, but didn’t question the idea. They hiked along, rather quietly, Joli thought. She asked a few questions, and David gave unusually succinct answers, but the quiet was pleasant and companionable, not awkward. At last they reached “the spot.” It was a place David had gone one Saturday, three months earlier, with his Bible and journal to pray. He’d then written “She’s the one,” in his journal. Joli climbed up on a rock and David picked a rock, just a little below her. They both quietly surveyed the peaceful landscape. Joli decided that since David had gone to all the trouble to carry the guitar up that mountain he should make use of it and asked David to please play her one of the songs she liked. She watched as he carried the guitar case over to a big stump to open it up then gazed out across the landscape again. David returned and got right in front of Joli and placed in her hands not a guitar, but a gigantic, pink “Necco Sweetheart” candy heart with the words in big red letters, “WILL YOU MARRY ME, JOLI?!” on it. Joli was shocked and amazed! Here was the BIG moment a girl spends her childhood dreaming about. A man had asked her to marry him and stood before her in a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts with powdered sugar on his hands repeating the words on that heart! She gave her answer, “Yes!” and jumped off her perch on the rock to give him a big hug.

David explained how from the time he was a kid, he thought it would be a cool way to propose to a girl to get a big heart custom-made by the sweetheart company. He said that six weeks before, he’d typed an email to inquire and the company had informed him that they’d never done something like that before, but decided to have a company meeting about it. They asked him what color David would want and what the heart should say. All this was BEFORE David had visited Joli at Hillsdale. Then, after David’s visit to Libertytown, they told him they were willing to fulfill his request, but they didn’t say anything about timing. A few days before Joli arrived in San Diego the company announced that they were going to mail the heart and the box was waiting on David’s patio on Thursday, when David gave Joli a tour of his place! Because the 13” heart was only ¼ inch thick, David had puzzled over how to get the thing up the mountain without breaking it. His guitar case with lots of bubble wrap offered the perfect solution.

David led Joli to the large stump where he’d opened his guitar case and they prayed together for the first time as an engaged couple. Then David read aloud the gospel of 1 John. When some hikers approached them later, David announced that he had just proposed to “this girl!” The couple was delighted and offered to take their picture. David’s and Joli’s trek down the mountain was livelier than their ascent. Then began the fun of calling family to share the news.

Joli returned to Hillsdale to announce her exciting news to her friends and to finish her exams and papers. Then she drove home to Libertytown, Maryland. David and Joli continued their phone conversations and letters amidst wedding plans for the big day of being united in Christ on August 21, 2004! May Jesus Christ be praised and glorified!