Love at first sight it was not.
Though Chris and Teresa were in the same circle of friends, they hardly interacted with each other, until an occasion when they spoke one-on-one.
Chris, single and seeking at that time, was attracted to Teresa. But when he asked her friends for her contact number, they declined his request.
Getting into another relationship was the last thing on my mind
“They were protecting me,” explained Teresa. At that time, she had just gone through a divorce. “I was still healing, still unsure. Getting into another relationship was the last thing on my mind,” she added.
Teresa’s first marriage had ended in heartbreak due to deep differences in beliefs and life direction. It was a decision wrapped in agony, self-doubt, and fear.
“I wondered if I had disappointed God, if I had failed,” she shared. “I couldn’t even tell my father. Divorce was a heavy word in my family.”
I experienced a love that reminded me of God’s – steadfast and redeeming.
However, God, in His mercy, softened hearts. When her family eventually learned of the situation, they responded not with condemnation, but with love.
“It was such a relief,” Teresa said through tears.
“They assured me that no matter what, they would stand by me and continue loving me. I experienced a love that reminded me of God’s – steadfast and redeeming.”
God’s redemptive love found me in my darkest moments
A year-long job assignment in Japan soon followed, a divine pause, as Teresa would come to see it. That season gave her the solitude and space to process, to grieve, and to heal.
“I had to confront the lies I believed about myself – that I was unworthy, that I was broken beyond repair,” she recounted.
“But as I meditated on God’s words and received the prayers and care of my friends in Eternal Life (EL) Assembly in Singapore, healing began. God’s redemptive love found me in my darkest moments,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chris – though his romantic interest had been gently rebuffed, remained a quiet, consistent presence.
At times, almost supernaturally, he would call just when Teresa needed someone.
“One time, she was in a supermarket struggling to communicate with the staff. I somehow sensed that she needed help, so I called her. As I could speak some Japanese, I interpreted for her,” Chris recalled fondly.
“I can’t explain why I seemed to have that telepathy with Teresa. Was it fate? Or was it a prompt from God? ” he mused.
When Teresa was back in Singapore, Chris continued pursuing her, but with little success because Teresa was often busy with church activities.
Chris was not attending church regularly then.
“I felt unworthy to be in God’s presence,” he admitted. “Although I longed to know Him more, I wasn’t sure if I was living fully according to His will and deserving of His love.”
Still, he was drawn to Teresa’s commitment to her faith. So one day, when Teresa invited him to attend a service at EL, he readily agreed.
That turned out to be a divine appointment. The warmth and faith of the Filipino congregation wrapped around him like family.
I felt welcome. I felt at home. Through the church, and through Teresa, I found my way back to God
“I felt welcome. I felt at home. Through the church, and through Teresa, I found my way back to God,” Chris said.
He had explored other churches, but in the end, EL became his spiritual home.
As their relationship progressed, Teresa, still cautious and healing, suggested a cooling-off period for each of them to seek God’s direction.
“I needed to know that my healing was complete, that I wasn’t rushing ahead of God.
“I remembered what Pastor Bob, Senior Pastor of EL, once told me: ‘Heal first, and when the time comes, the love of the Lord in your heart will melt away all the pain.’
And that’s exactly what happened – God had healed me. So I entrusted my journey ahead to Him.”
Heal first, and when the time comes, the love of the Lord in your heart will melt away all the pain.
As for Chris, Teresa was more than someone he loved; she was his turning point.
“She’s my guardian angel,” he said. “She reconnected me with Jesus and helped me grow in my faith.
I realised that God’s love is unconditional. Even though I had been distant, he did not forget me, but led me back to him.
I learnt to place my trust fully in God, seek Him first, and surrender every aspect of my life to Him.”
I realised that God’s love is unconditional. Even though I had been distant, he did not forget me, but led me back to him.
This God-centred love between Chris and Teresa is a firm foundation for their enduring relationship.
The couple married in 2017 and now have a 6-year-old daughter, Cassy.
Life is never a bed of roses. Yet no matter the circumstances, this couple place their faith and trust in God.
In response to God’s redemptive love, Chris and Teresa dedicated their lives and marriage to God and got baptised together in March 2025.
This story of Chris and Teresa is not just about second chances in love, but about the God who restores, rebuilds, and redeems.
Their story is a testament that even in our most broken moments, God is at work, weaving beauty from ashes.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
