What if the person God has for you entered your life when you were not looking at all? Our story began with a mission trip, a church introduction, an unexpected move and two people who had no idea they were beginning a lifelong journey together.
In this personal conversation, we share how we met in 1997, fell in love, navigated a long-distance Christian relationship, became engaged, and eventually began our married life.
Before Hugues had even met Shamira, two friends repeatedly told him about “a girl from their church” during a five-week mission trip to Romania. When they finally met at church in Zurich, Hugues immediately noticed her but Shamira barely noticed him.
A few weeks later, Shamira unexpectedly moved closer to Lausanne for a year as an au pair. Through mutual friends, church, youth-group activities, snowboarding trips, and camps, they slowly began getting to know one another.
There were no mobile phones, and most of their time together was spent around other people. Shamira was extremely shy, while Hugues could not tell whether she was interested. At one point, he stopped calling and waited for her to initiate which she never did!
Shortly before Shamira returned to Zurich, Hugues finally told her how he felt. She admitted that she liked him too, but wanted to move slowly and continue building a friendship.
Their relationship became a three-year, long-distance journey filled with letters, long telephone conversations, planned visits, and intentional boundaries. They believed intimacy belonged within marriage, and those years gave them time to build a strong foundation.
After two and a half years, Hugues proposed at the top of Lausanne Cathedral. Yet even after saying yes, Shamira experienced doubts and cold feet shortly before the wedding. She eventually recognized that she needed to make a decision and commitment—and peace followed.
Looking back after 26 years of marriage, we can see how important it was that we each had our own relationship with God and chose to build our life together on Him.
We also share practical Christian dating advice: work through your past before marriage, understand your non-negotiables, remain accountable to trusted leaders, and never expect another person to fulfill needs that only Jesus can meet.
Marriage is not simply two independent lives continuing side by side. It creates something new and that requires sacrifice, healing, maturity, and grace.
Would you like to hear the story of our unusual honeymoon?
Tell us in the comments!
Please like, subscribe, and share this podcast with someone navigating Christian dating or preparing for marriage.
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