In 2022, I (Kenny) was working as a wilderness canoe guide for Adventurous Christians (AC), a church-based camp that outfitted wilderness trips into the BWCA of northern MN. AC had a small staff that year: 2 guides and 3 senior/support staff, and I was the one team member lacking a wilderness first responder certification, so I was grouped up with the camp a few miles down the trail - yep, you guessed it "Coldwater". Thankfully, the Coldwater guides welcomed me in, and I had a lot of fun! I still remember the training exercises, the head wounds, the mass casualty events, the broken femurs... and I can remember one simulated patient in particular, her name was Audri. I was quite taken with her bright and peaceful demeanor and her overwhelming kindness. More than any of the others, I could tell she had spent time with Jesus. After the first responder course, I proceeded with the rest of my summer, which was amazing, but there were no more head wounds, no mass casualty events, no broken femurs… and no Audri. In fact, I wouldn't see any of those again for 3 years, until 2025, when a devastating plane crash... I mean when I attended a retreat at AC and who should happen to be there but Audri Selin. Of course, I introduced myself, curious to see where her life had gone—and, admittedly, to check her left hand. What followed was a Facebook message, letters, and monthly visits while I traveled for medical rotations and she lived in Grand Marais. We shared phone calls, paddles, walks, runs, tea, dinners, hobbies. Oh we also discovered that we grew up on the same street in Cambridge as little kids! What are the chances?! After about a year, we were ready, and on May 9th I asked her to marry me. She said yes! :)

In 2022, I was leading wilderness trips for the first time with a ministry called Coldwater Foundation. As part of our training, we took a Wilderness First Responder course. On the first day, this guy from AC showed up at class—he was incredibly friendly, confident, and deeply humble. Kenny Knudson. As the class went on those two weeks, everyone wanted him to be their "rescuer" when it came time to do scenarios because he was so kind and competent. There were multiple times I was the benefactor of his kindness, but one time in particular stood out in my memory because that time I noticed he seemed to smile a lot, and was extra attentive and gentle with me. It caught my attention. 3 years passed. In January 2025 I found myself winter camping with friends when one of them blurted out, "Do you guys know what happened to Kenny? You should date him, he was so nice..." I laughed, considering it an impossibility until exactly a week later I found myself at Adventurous Christians recognizing him across the room and discovering in myself a very strong desire to talk to him. Kenny approached me at the bottom of the stairs with the question, “Hey Audri! How’s life going?” and that was where it started. We talked for a long time at that retreat but (to my remorse) parted ways as if our paths wouldn't cross again. I couldn't stop thinking about him and for a month tried to figure out what to do with that. When I finally got the courage up to shoot him a message telling him I enjoyed talking to him, guess what—he opened messenger a matter of days later with the separately developed intention to ask me out. What started with Facebook messaging turned into a date which turned into letters, phone calls, monthly visits and adventures. On June 21st we made it official :) The days following we filled with deep conversations, dates and almonds, tea and coffee, friends and family, lots of walking, talking about Jesus. I grew in admiration for Kenny's depth of faith and affection for this man I had once only been introduced to as a classmate in WFR. The first impression I had of him then remained consistent with who I know him to be now. He is competent, he is caring, he is very wise, he is incredibly hardworking and determined, and he is super fun and goofy, too. There is no one else I’d rather spend my life with and walk alongside in life. Kenny has spent time with the Lord, and his life bears the fruit of it, in word and in deed. Kenny Knudson. So on May 9th, we were ready, and when he asked me to marry him and I said a wholehearted yes. I cannot wait to pursue Jesus with Kenny for the rest of my life.