It all started in Colorado Springs in the very hot month of July, an annual church youth conference, Heritage, was being hosted at the Hotel Elegante. We had both attended this conference for many years, and never met - it just wasn't the right timing. It just so happened that we met on the last night of the very last Heritage Conference, and the rest is now history...

I really did NOT want to go to Heritage 2022, but different circumstances led to me deciding to go at the last minute - I now know that it was God ordering my steps! I had such anxiety all the way to Colorado Springs. I was stressed more than I ever had been, I think that my heart knew that God had big plans and I needed to be ready to accept them. Fast forward to Wednesday, July 19th....it was HOT at this youth conference. Why? Well, the air wasn't working! So, during the Wednesday afternoon service, I became very sick and went to sit in the hotel lobby. I was talking to a friend about being single and 27, and, unbeknownst to me, a lady named Valerie was listening to me share my story. We ended up talking for a few minutes, found out she was from Arizona and knew my cousin, and then I never thought anything else about our conversation. Thursday evening (the last night of Heritage), I am sitting in the hotel room and am pretty depressed and disappointed that I hadn't met "the one". I laid on my bed while my friends were getting dressed, and prayed an extremely specific prayer - then, I told God it would be okay and I trusted Him that His timing was best. Exactly 15 minutes later, I am standing in the hotel lobby and Valerie walks up to me - she wanted a picture with me, to "show to my cousin." After the picture, she says, "Are you single?". Internally, I rolled my eyes and decided I wasn't doing this. My friend, Ashlyn, says a very exuberant "Yes, she is!" Valerie says "Good, I thought I heard you say that yesterday" - and then turns to walk away, and I asked her "Wait, why?". She says, "Well, there's this man in our church who is 30 years old and I have always said he would make the perfect husband and treat his wife like a princess!". You'd have to know my specific prayer, but I said okay God - this isn't funny, surely this is it. She then tells me he wants to meet me. I was in shock. I asked to see a picture, she showed me and I agreed to meet him. I stood there anxiously for a few minutes, then she brought Jesse to meet me. When he shook my hand, and looked at me, I had the sweetest peace and reassurance - a "knowing" - the rest, as they say, is history. I thank God every day for His goodness and answered prayers!

It was at Heritage when a friend of mine, Adrian, and his wife, stopped me, and they had told me that they had met a lady that was single that they wanted me to meet. Adrian pulled me aside and took a picture with me, and asked if it was okay to show the lady my picture. I told him it was okay. About 45 minutes later, Valerie came and found me and stated that the lady she wanted me to meet was in the hotel lobby. I followed her to Hannah and was introduced to my future. I remember when I was talking to her, that I felt comfortable talking to her - which people who know me, know that I don't do too well talking with ladies. That night, I sat down with Hannah and talked to her about a couple of hours. When I got up the next day, a lot of people, and my family, had messaged me with pictures and asking who the girl was. The more I went to Mississippi, the more I fell in love with Hannah and the inner beauty that she has. I thank God I met her that night at Heritage.