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韡函和蒂芬第一次見面的確切時間已不可考，但是應該是在 2005 年間。那時韡函剛進新竹中學，蒂芬則在新竹女中念高二，兩人都有參加校園團契，第一次見面也應該就是某個二校聯合聚會的時候。雖然見過、算是認識，但也從來沒有多聊。即便如此，韡函倒是因為蒂芬參與團契、有司琴的服事 (據說外加長髮飄逸) 而印象深刻。不過因為身為學弟，所以也不作他想。

那時，蒂芬一心想要趕快脫離聯考、上大學、出國念音樂。然而，最後因故她沒有走上這條路，而學測的結果讓她成了台大人。同時，韡函本來在三類組要一起拼醫科，但後來還是敵不過熱情選擇了音樂，成了師大音樂系的一份子。在大學階段，雖然兩人的交集只有偶爾連同其他輔導們一起帶營會，交談也有限。

早已不再彈琴、整日與統計和馬克思為伍的蒂芬一直很欣賞韡函對音樂的熱情和異象以及對信仰的認真，也很羨慕他真能一步步地實踐這些想法。在台北交集的三年，兩人如果沒有回新竹，都在信友堂聚會。韡函其實不太記得這一段，不過蒂芬一直都記得韡函固定會坐的位置，但從沒覺得兩人間有什麼可能性，就也沒有主動開啟任何對話。

蒂芬從台大社會系畢業後就到美國中西部攻讀博士班，預備在學術界裡打拼，一心想要在異鄉落地生根。而韡函畢業、當兵後也到英國念研究所。兩人之間的距離又多了一個大西洋。

在 2013 年秋天，蒂芬放下社會學的學業，毅然決然的重回練琴的日子，開始在同校的音樂所念鋼琴合作的演奏碩士，也就順便把這個改變放在 Facebook 上公諸於世。這小小的更新引起在大西洋對岸的韡函的好奇，因而單純地傳了封訊息問候，兩人的交談也就此在多年不見後隔空重新開始。其實兩人不管在信仰、背景、想法、興趣、未來方向等眾多不同方面共同點很多，只是一直沒有好好聊過，所以一但有了機緣，加上父母、輔導牧長們的支持，一切都進展得很快。

蒂芬在 2013 年的聖誕假到英國拜訪韡函三個禮拜，是兩人三、四年來第一次見面。韡函也在 2014 年初為了博士班的面試到美國待了一個半月。雖然遠距離，但也因為這些機會，對彼此的生活都有更多瞭解。2014 年四月時，韡函收到了美國印第安納大學管弦指揮博士班秋季的入學通知，蒂芬也剛好可以在五月完成碩士班的學業，在父母的支持及眾多因素許可下，兩人決定在暑假結婚後，一起搬到印第安納州開始新的生活。

雖然這一路走來似乎很倉促，但步步都是在幾乎不可能的情況下的出乎意料，步步也都有平安伴隨、走得踏實。我們相信，這一切若不是上帝的帶領，絕對不可能發生；而其中父母、牧長輔導以及親朋好友們的陪伴、鼓勵、支持也是不可少的。

謝謝您對我們的關心、祝福、代禱。希望您有機會可以來與我們分享這份喜樂。願上帝祝福您及全家。

 

There is no record of the exact time when Wilbur and Tiffany first met, but it was sometime in the fall of 2005. At that time, Wilbur just started his high school years at Hsinchu Senior High school, while Tiffany was starting her second year at Hsinchu Girls’ Senior High (Yes, they were segregated by gender). Both being involved in the respective school fellowships, it was perhaps at a special co-ed meeting when the two fellowships met together that they first made acquaintance with each other. Although they sort of knew of the other person, they only had minimum conversation. Even so, Tiffany made an impression to Wilbur as she was involved in ministry and that she played the piano (and the long hair was a plus, for some reasons). However, because Tiffany was “senior” as she was of a year higher than Wilbur, Wilbur did not dwell too much on that impression.

At the time, Tiffany was working really hard, hoping to get out of the bondage of the academic pressure. All she wanted to do is to go into music somewhere abroad. However, she did not end up going on that path. Instead, she became part of the National Taiwan University campus. In the meantime, Wilbur was originally working his way toward Med school, but eventually gave in to his passion for music, and ended up studying piano performance at National Taiwan Normal University, which is about 15 minutes walking from Tiffany’s campus. While they would run into each other occasionally at certain events, there was very little– if not at all– conversation between the two of them.

Being away from music, and surrounded by statistics and Marx, Tiffany really appreciated Wilbur’s passion and vision for music and his dedication for God, and was very jealous that he was actually on his way fulfilling that passion and vision for music step by step. During the overlapping three years in Taipei, they would go to the same church (though Wilbur’s memory does not tell him that). Tiffany always took notice of his whereabouts at church, but never really came up to say hi, as nothing seemed to be possible between the two of them.

After graduating from NTU, Tiffany went to Madison, WI for a PhD in sociology, hoping to start an academic career, determining to make this new place her home. At the same time, Wilbur finished college and the mandatory military service, and went to England for graduate school. There the distance between them expanded for an Atlantic wider.

In the fall of 2013, Tiffany decided to set aside her sociology career and go back to piano. She started her study in the master’s program in collaborative piano , and updated her Facebook information accordingly. On the other side of the Atlantic, that little change caught Wilbur’s attention. He then sent a simple message asking about that change, and the two started to talk ever since. Although they never really talked, they in fact have a lot in common in terms of their faith, their interest, their goals and their values. Along with the support of the parents and mentors, things have been moving very fast.

Tiffany visited Wilbur over Christmas in 2013, which was the first time they saw each other for about three or four years. Earlier in 2014, Wilbur spent six weeks in the States for auditions for the doctoral programs he was applying for. Although it is truly a long-distance relationship, those opportunities allow them to understand each other’s lives much better. In April, Wilbur was offered the admission to the Doctoral of Music program in Orchestral Conducting at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. For Tiffany, she will finish her master’s degree in May. With the support of the parents, getting married seemed to be a natural route to go, after which they will start their new life in Bloomington, Indiana.

Although this unexpected journey might seem to be a rush, with things working out in the most impossibility and the peace given, God has shown His leading along the way. We believe none of this would have happened if not for Him. Of course, we could not have done it without the love and support from our parents, our mentors and our friends.

Thank you so much for your love, your encouragement, and your prayers. We hope that you could come to share with us this great joy. May God bless you and your family.