Worth the Wait, a paperback book written by Corey and Ivonne Norman of Gallatin is now available to purchase.
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Their love story really all started about 10 years before the young couple even laid eyes on one another.
“When I was still in the Philippines I had started praying for my future husband,” says Ivonne. “I wanted one—only one. I didn’t want to be in a lot of relationships. I wanted to wait for the spouse God had in mind for me. I remember the times when I wrote love letters to my future spouse. I was praying for him.”
Little did Ivonne know that, at the same time, Corey was praying for his future wife in America.
Corey and Ivonne Norman have settled into their new assignments as lead pastor at the Gallatin First Christian Church. Having arrived in April, they already discovered favorite spots in Gallatin. “Our favorites are the Daviess County Library and Casey’s pizza,” notes Ivonne.
Their book is not exactly a ‘self help’ book, not quite a ‘how to’ book. Corey says it is a ‘relationship guide.’
They began writing the book in January of this year. Both are the authors, sharing back and forth chapters about their experiences from their own perspective.
The book cover reads: “Through 8,285 miles, in two continents, in three countries, in eight cities, and over almost a decade, God worked out the impossible for two people who chose to dream big with Him. Learn how Corey and Ivonne waited for a love story authored by the greatest matchmaker of all time.”
“God still writes amazing love stories,” says Ivonne. “Pursue God first and He will faithfully guide you.”
It’s a short book (80 pages), meant to appeal to the quick-read millennials.
“We’re not experts on relationships. We’ve learned from others and the book is about the lessons we’ve realized during our wait.”
While Corey was an associate pastor in Pennsylvania, Ivonne was with her parents in the Middle East. In pursuit of her doctorate in physical therapy, she arrived in America and found employment as a physical therapist in New York City. Hurricane Irene hit Rockaway Park where she was stationed.
“I was nervous and scared,” she says. “I asked God to relocate me to a place without a big body of water.”
She found herself being re-assigned to Meadville, Pennsylvania. As she was shopping for work scrubs, she landed in the store of a lady, who attended the same church where Corey worked. The lady invited Ivonne to church and then that Sunday, she introduced Ivonne to Corey.
“God turned around a bad situation and used the hurricane event so I could meet Corey,” says Ivonne.
Corey’s and Ivonne’s friendship grew, but it seemed like it would be short-lived. Ivonne was scheduled to leave for the Middle East to be a missionary. But for 16 days in October 2013, the federal government shut down and curtailed most routine operations because legislation to appropriate funds for 2014 was not enacted in time. This delayed Ivonne’s plans for a visa, and gave Corey some time to call Ivonne’s parents in the Middle East to ask for their permission to court her. This started his pursuit of Ivonne.
From being good friends for 18 months, they proceeded to courtship.
They started dating in October 2013 and were engaged on New Year’s Eve that same year. Ivonne’s parents were visiting the U.S. for Christmas and that gave Corey the opportunity to ask them face-to-face for Ivonne’s hand in marriage.
“He showed my parents the ring and my dad started bawling,” says Ivonne.
Going back to the book, the couple hopes that it will inspire married couples and older couples, too.
“The lesson is to continue to pursue your spouse,” says Corey. “Don’t stop the pursuit just because you got married.”
“The whole idea of the book actually started because older couples reached out to us,” says Ivonne. “Our parents prayed for us at a young age long before we met. We have several older mentors. They have been teaching us a lot about how to make a marriage work. One couple celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary this year!”
In a world where more than half of the marriages end in divorce, Corey says relationship problems are as prevalent in the church as in the secular world.
“The top priority is to seek God in whatever you do, submit yourself first to Him.”
While Corey and Ivonne don’t claim “love at first sight” they do offer advice regarding physical attraction.
“It’s certainly important,” says Corey. “But there is much beyond that. The character of the person is more important than the chemistry.”
Corey says he looked to Proverbs 31 in the Bible for guidance. The proverb details the attributes of a virtuous wife. Ivonne says she found inspiration in the story of Isaac and Rebekah from Genesis 24.
“A lot of people experience hurt in relationships and the book is not meant to condemn or browbeat anybody,” says Corey. “It’s about looking at what God can do.”
“It’s about what can happen when you dream with God,” adds Ivonne.
You can get the book, Worth the Wait, from Amazon, WestBow Press, or the blog site, coreyivonne.wixsite.com/book (click on bookstore near the end of the page).