Literally, our first conversation ever was me telling him that I had gotten pulled over with a bunch of students from FDSM in my car at dnow last year. I definitely thought he was cute then (shhh), but we didn't know each other! Fast forward to last spring, I ended up in the student ministry office, and Deanna and Brayden asked if I'd be interested in the Girls' summer intern position. I interviewed and got the job (clearly), and there began our friendship! When I stayed on staff for the fall semester, we started spending a lot more time yapping and just getting to know each other as friends. In October, we went to a lunch conference with Gabby, and then ended up getting coffee at LaLaLand. I genuinely don't think I've ever laughed as hard as I did that day; it was just so natural between us. We spent the whole day together, and when I left, I started to realize I had feelings for him. A couple of months went by as I just prayed about these feelings and talked to my closest friends about it. The more I prayed, the more I started to like him, but I didn't know how it could ever be pursued with me being his intern. Little did I know, we were praying the same things, and talking to some of the same people! A couple of months later, he sat me down and confessed his feelings for me and asked me on a date. I was truly so excited, I think I called 25 people within the first hour of leaving the conversation (so much for keeping it on the DL). We went on our first date, and he made it official before our dinner had even come out! From there, we have spent every possible second together, and I truly could never have imagined our story playing out the way it has. Brayden is genuinely my best friend. He is a sweet encourager and has me in tears from laughter 99% of the time. I feel so blessed to get to spend the rest of my life with someone so intentional, supportive, kind, and funny. Brayden's heart for the Lord shines through all that he does!

Ironically, our first ever conversation was at a student ministry event that I was running and that Ava was serving at. The conversation surrounded her getting pulled over with some middle school girls. The next morning at the ministry event, I poked fun at her in front of everyone for getting pulled over. A few months later, we had a summer internship position, and she applied for it. The interview was great, and honestly, she killed it, as always. I knew she would be a perfect fit for our team, so I ended up hiring her. During the time Ava worked for me, we began to build a genuine friendship. Although we worked in ministry together, most of our conversations weren't really about work, but about life in general! A few months after Ava had been working for me, I asked her to come to a student ministry luncheon that was put on for staff, so Ava, Gabby, and I went to this lunch. After the luncheon, Ava insisted on getting coffee at La La Land. I had never been, but I'm always down to try a mocha. While ordering our drinks, we were all laughing so hard, and the moment felt so genuine. I walked away from that day thinking I could see myself dating Ava. After over a month and a half of prayer, fasting, and seeking advice from others, it was abundantly clear to me that I had feelings for Ava. I was sure that she was going to be the woman I would marry. I finally built up the courage to talk to her about it, not knowing how she felt, knowing that this would change the course of our relationship forever. She obviously felt the same way when I confessed my feelings, and the rest is history. I always look back on how we both prayed and sought out counseling, not knowing how the other person felt. The Lord was always our first go-to. That truth has set the foundation for our relationship, seeking the Lord first always. Our foundational verse is Matthew 6:33 and we always remind each other that the love we have for each other is an agape love that is unconditional, not based on feeling. Ava is genuinely my best friend, my number one supporter, the best encourager, and one of the most loving and compassionate people I know. Although she is a natural beauty, her love for the Lord is what attracted me to her the most. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life serving the Lord and doing life alongside her.