Our begining... Not edited yet (work in progress)

Many plans are in a man's heart,But the counsel of the LORD will stand. Proverbs 19:21

    Before I tell you how God precisely placed Nathan and I exactly where he wanted us both to be and how he was preparing our hearts at the exact same time. I need to give you some key information on where we both came from. I am truly in awe with how God took us from completely different sides of North America and strategically placed us together as one flesh. Bear with me as I attempt to share exactly what God was doing. Being merely human I cannot portray the vastness of God's plan or even pretend to mimic how wonderful he truly is and how he laid out each piece. We are mere witnesses to His redemptive stories in both of our lives and are eternally grateful for the work He is doing and continues to do each and every day.

* God's Placement *

    From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee and soon to the palmettos of South Carolina is where God strategically placed me. In 2005 my family left our quaint town of Monticello Minnesota to travel 1,800 miles to a rural town of Bristol Tennessee. My dad was blessed with a new job opportunity to run and partially own the East Tennessee Auto Auction. With such a wonderful opportunity how could he turn it down. My parents and I came up with a game plan. I would live with them and attend Tennessee high for my first semester of senior year and then I would go back to Monticello to finish second semester and graduate with all of my friends. I attended school with the same people from kindergarten all the way to senior year and it was very important to me to graduate with all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed being the new kid at school and met some very wonderful people. Then it was another 1,800 mile trip back to Minnesota. Our house had not sold yet so my mom and I were able to live there while I finished out school. My dad's boss was so understanding with the situation he payed for all my dad's flights back and forth from MN to TN. My dad didn't miss a beat he attended lacrosse games, band concerts, senior musical and much more.
As I graduated my mom went back home to Tennessee and I went off to college in Saint Paul Minnesota to a small christian school called Northwestern. This is where the Lord began to dig in deep and mold my beliefs, convictions, theology and so much more. He revealed himself to me so clearly at Northwestern through my professors, classes (Old Testament History, New Testament History, Evangelism and Missions, Principles of Biblical interpretation, Gospel of Mark, and Prison letters just to name a few), new friends, and mission opportunities. He was truly equipping me for some many things that I was totally unaware of at that time. He was laying the foundation for what was to come...
Nathan at this point... Highs school, soccer, adoptions, graduation, South Africa.

* Trials and Tribulations *

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. James 1:2

    Unsure of exactly what the Lord was doing with my life at this point I was wrestling with some major illnesses. It was the second semester of my sophomore year and I was growing immensely by being fed daily by God's word through Northwestern. It was at this point that God made it very clear to me that I was going to have to leave the place I treasured so much and go back "home" to Tennessee. Plagued with seizures, chronic daily headaches, anemia and fatigue I made the 1,800 miles trip back with my grandpa. It was a wonderful time together and one that I will always remember and hold dear to my heart. I mean who gets to spend 24 hours straight with there grandpa in a car just the two of them. It was wonderful. When we got home I went through rigorous testing to find the cause of what was making me so sick. Trips to Vanderbilt and many other places all seemed to be made in vain. No progress was made and none of my symptoms decreased. The Lord at this point was teaching me to trust and to trust only Him. I see now why there was never an answer and still why there has not been one yet. He is giving me a daily reminder to trust and to find joy in all things. By His grace alone the seizures have stopped but the headaches remain. It took one entire year for the doctors to give me the clear to drive again and to return to school if I wanted to. After being home so long I decided against making the 1,800 mile trip back to Minnesota and sought out for a school a little closer to home. A friend at the time suggested the college of Charleston. A liberal arts school with southern charm located in the heart of the low country. I had never heard of Charleston South Carolina before and decided to give it a try. With odds stacked against me I was accepted to the College of Charleston for the fall semester of 2007.

* It all begins *

    In June of 2007 an excited high school graduate and soon to be freshman at the College of Charleston is introduced to a social networking website called Facebook. Nathan with his new discovery is learning every aspect of this new way to connect with friends, family and strangers. A very eager Nathan is interested in how many "Christians" are at the College of Charleston and how many of them are truly "sold out" for the cause of Christ. Facebook has this lovely feature called the search engine. It gives you the ability to search about pretty much any topic within your social network. Nathan decides to type in Jesus into the search engine and see how many "Christians" there will be at CofC. Needless to say Nathan had no idea that this simple search would change his life forever. As he clicked enter he viewed the staggering number of almost 84,000 results. The very first result however was the most intriguing to Nathan. It was the facebook page of a Hilary Ann Halseth. Nathan began to send out a few messages of those facebook pages that intrigued him. He was simply concerned with witnessing opportunities provided at CofC.
In June of 2007 an office worker at East Tennessee Auto Auction was taking a break in her busy day to do a little internet browsing. Not knowing that the usual time to check her facebook would change her life forever. That was me Hilary. I was working for my Dad that summer preparing to attend CofC in the fall as a junior transfer. Like usual during lunch I would check my facebook. As I was checking to see the latest news and catch up with some dearly missed friends I had a message awaiting me from a Nathaniel Mansell. I had no idea who this guy was and I had never heard of him before. Quite skeptical if this was a virus I proceeded to read his simple but to the point message.

"Hey I know this is random but I typed Jesus in the search link and you popped up. I was just wanting to meet some new people at CofC that were like minded so that when school started I could surround my self with believers. I am also looking for a ministry group I can get involved in. I know there is Campus Outreach, Campus Crusades for Christ, and Baptist College Ministry. Have you heard of any of these or know what you are going to get involved in? I know this is random but I look forward to talking with you soon."

    As I finished reading his message I was very encouraged and Nathan and I continued to message each other back through out the summer. We shared what God was teaching us and how we were applying his word. We had talked about past and present missionary experiences. Nathan was telling me all about his plans to go to South Africa and I was able to express my passion about Africa in general. Nathan went to South Africa and I finished up working for my dad. We sent maybe one message to one another and then were off to our new endeavors. I don't think that Nathan and I forgot about one another but I do think that God had us separated for a time to mature us in so many ways. Nathan and I finished our 1st semester at CofC and never once spoke to one another. Not on purpose we just never had the opportunity.

* Second Semester *

    It is now January of 2008 and back to school we were. With Christmas break never lasting long enough Nathan and I both started our new line of classes. Nathan was enrolled into math 101. A class that he had to fight to get himself into literally. His guidance counselor said he needed to take calculus and Nathan insisted that his class schedule was to intense to add such a rigorous course. He opted for the easy Math 101. With math not being my strong suit at all I was enrolled into Math 101. After attending my first day of math like always I was a bit discouraged and not to excited about the class. I think God heard my prayers of attempting to find the joy within this class and gave me just what I needed. A husband. Well not yet-really. As I got back to my dorm room before I began my hours of homework and studying I decided to check my facebook. There I found a message from a long lost acquaintance of mine Nathaniel Mansell. Taken a back I was excited and nervous to read his message.

"Hey I am not sure if you remember talking to me over the summer but I am pretty sure you are in my math class."

The next day of math sure enough Nathan and I were in the same math class. I was a bit shy and stand-offish the first few classes until the grades came out. In our class we took weekly group quizzes. My group that week scored an 8 out of 10 on our quiz and Nathan's group scored a 10 out of 10. I just knew that I was going to struggle already on my own in this class and thought to myself a group that scores 10 out of 10 would only help me. Selfish thinking yes but I think God was planting seeds. I humbly asked Nathan if I could be in his group next time and still to this day I don't live that question down. Its all in fun and games I know. Math continued on like all classes and my grade remained an A for the first time in math ever. I think that was to the tutoring of Nathan that helped me. I can honestly say that we had a true student to student friendship and both desired to do well in class but mainly to do well in the eyes of Christ. We were able to encourage one another midst a very dark school.

* You just know *

Finals came and went and it was time to go home for the summer. Nathan and I both decided it would be nice to get coffee together to say goodbye. As we sat across from one another I felt a prick in my spirit. It was like at that moment I knew I was going to marry this man that sat before me. I wrestled with this thought for a few moments before I blurted out I think I am going to marry you. Shocked and taken a back Nathan stumbled over his words about marriage... what get married... I have never thought about... what... I mean... I don't think... I know we are going to get married. A saying I have heard very often in my life is when you know you know. I know that it was God's perfect timing in our lives and it was the Lord that at that point revealed a part of his plan to us. The Lord was honestly preparing Nathan and my hearts at the same time. It is so wonderful to now sit back and look at the joy, pain, confusion, and trust that the Lord was taking us both through come to full circle and now seeing God's purpose for it but while it was going on having no understanding what so ever. That is the beauty of the Lord.
We spent the summer getting to know each others families and the fellowship we shared with each family throughout the summer was so sweet. The Lord then used Nathan and I on opposite sides of the country to be His tools in bringing His word to his people of China and South Africa. In July of 2008 I spent most of the month in China and Nathan in South Africa. I really feel like this was the time the Lord really did some fine tuning in both Nathan and my heart. He challenged and stretched us both in so many different ways through the tasks he laid before us. This was also not just a time for confirmation that Nathan and I were to be married but this was a sweet time to really get to know my dear sister Jillian. I am truly blessed by the friendship the two of us share and I know that the Lord used China to tie the bonds that her and I share.

* Not of this world *

    With both of us attending a liberal art school God was quickly showing us the importance of separating our selves from the world. Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. He was also doing a mighty work in the way of our thinking and really bringing the roles of husband and wife to light in both of our lives. Nathan and I both desiring a very large family and to home school our children someday felt led for me to pursue a cosmetology license. This would give me a very practical trade that I could do until we were married/have children. In changing degrees I was able to really focus on why God created woman and why the husband needed a helper. Through amazing Titus 2 women in my life like Sharon Mansell and many others. I was able to see the beauty of what it means to be a helper to Nathan. It was such a time of growth in both Nathan and my life.

* Engagement *

"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." Matthew 7:25

    Nathan's entire family was involved in the amazing set up of our engagement. They all diligently worked to get luminary bags set up right, candles lit, bubble gum placed, and rose pedals laid. This was all going on as Nathan and I were "hiking" to see the top of the stream. I was completely oblivious to the entire plans of the entire day. Nathan and I decided it would be best to hike back down before it got to dark. As we returned to turtle rock it was not as we had left it. It was beautifully decorated with roses and glowing luminary bags. There was a wrapped box on the center of the rock and a vase with roses also. The symbolism of the roses is something dear to my family. Whenever there was a significant event in my life my parents would give me a vase of roses 2 red roses to represent my parents, a pink rose to represent me, and a white rose to represent Christ. Since our engagement was in New Wilmington PA my parents could not be there with us. Nathan being the romantic that he is made the same arrangement to represent my parents. As I walked up to the rock I was shocked and not sure what to think. Could this be the day is what was racing through my mind. I had previously told Nathan that whenever he proposed to me he would need to bring Kleenex because I would cry I was hoping he remembered this because the tears were beginning as he told me to open the gift. As I unwrapped the paper sure enough it was a Kleenex box. As I began to cry Nathan gave me the first tissue with my engagement ring. He got down on one knee and said "The wise mane built his house upon the Rock and Jesus Christ is our rock and savior. Hilary will you build or marriage and family upon the rock with me?" As tears were streaming down my face I managed to get out YES! As we prayed that the Lord would guide us my heart was at peace and I knew that this was the man I would spend the rest of my life with. I was so overwhelmed that such a man would choose me. That his man of God whom I do not deserve said yes to me and no to every other woman on this earth. What an extremely humbling feeling.

* Our Wedding *

"Commit everything you do unto the Lord. Then your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

 

    After exactly one year and six days since our engagement Nathan and I were joined together in our one flesh union. The day was as sweet as honey as joyous worship filled Ridgeland Baptist church on January 2, 2010. As the groom moved to the front of the room to await his bride and the trumpet voluntary began the bride and her father appeared from the doorway and made there way down the aisle to her groom. As hugs were exchanged the veiled bride was handed over to her groom with prayer. As friends and family paused to praise our Lord with worship tears stained the cheeks of many present as the sounds of gratitude to our Lord warmed the hearts of everyone present. As the word was read, vows and rings exchanged it was time for the unity candle. Led by the spirit Nathan brought he and his bride down to their knees to take a moment and pray. This was our first act as a married couple and its our earnest expectation that it would be our last act as a married couple. As the praise and worship continued Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Mansell were announced to the guests that were present. This was only the beginning of a new life together, to grow together in Christ our Lord, to wrestle over scripture together, to be prayer warriors for one another, and to seek the Lord in all things with one another. There will be so much that Christ will show and reveal to us through our marriage that he created. It is our triple knot. The knot that can not be severed because of victory one on Calvary. It is the knot that brought us together and is continuing to grow not only through this union but through this marriage.