Thank god for the Internet. First off, she is not the only one for you. There are probably 1.6 million women who would be right for you. Long distance relationships are hard. Use the phone and computer to communicate.
Religions vary tremendously in their tolerance for masturbation.
Everybody does it. There is no evidence that it causes any problems. Eighty percent of people admit to doing it and twenty percent lie about doing it. That can be hard to determine when you are young. Love is about comfort, familiarity, closeness, trust and really caring that the other person grows.