Dear Pastor,

I live in London and I listen to your show most nights. I also read your column. I went to Jamaica in summer 2008 for a couple of months to bury my late grandfather. While in Jamaica, I met a guy at the beach. He was 19 and I was 16. We have been talking ever since, and we became good friends even after I left. We are now in a long-distance relationship, feeling really compatible with each other. Both of our mothers know what is going on and all seems well. I am attending college and I still have university to attend. So, basically, I have a four-year period of education left to pursue. I will be visiting Jamaica later this year.

The thing is, we both want to start a family when I finish college next year. And, to be honest, the rush to university is to make my family happy, not me. If I was not a strong-minded person, I would have crumbled by now. I love my boyfriend dearly. We can tell each other anything on our minds and give our honest opinions genuinely, whether we agree or disagree on the situation. He has told me endlessly that he would wait for me whenever I am ready but, honestly, one can only wait for so long. Right? I don't want him to stray. He is like my soul mate.

Help me, pastor.

S. T., London, England

Dear S. T.,

The truth is that this young man and you are not in a position to get married and raise a family. Both of you are very young and believe that you are in love, but you need to give yourselves more time to mature and get an education.

If the love for each other is genuine, each will wait on the other, until the appropriate time to get married.

Pastor