We met in the summer of 2022 at the church they now attend. Emily had been attending for about 6 years and had committed her life to Jesus and sought to build a family on that decision. Zachary was raised in Orange, CA and from a young age felt a call to the country of Guatemala. He committed his time and energy to preparing himself for that journey and chose to study medicine to serve that country. He applied to schools all around the nation and it just so happened that the one he chose was minutes from the church we would meet at.

In January of 2024, Emily took a trip to California to spend time with Zachary's family and get to know his hometown and all the things that made him who he is. On the final day of that trip, Zachary and his family took Emily to a Beach in Southern California called Crystal Cove. There, they walked on the beach until sunset and he proposed to her in front of the golden California sky.