In 2019, Caleb and Mel were blissfully single and independent, each leading a different student ministry in Branson. Hoping to bridge the gap between kids and the church, Mel reached out to Caleb with the idea for a joint discipleship program, completely oblivious to the heartthrob of a youth pastor she was talking to. Little did she know, Caleb wasn’t just nodding in agreement for the discipleship program. Every morning he showed up “excited for the students,” he was actually eager to see Mel. 😏 But heaven FORBID he ever let on that he liked a girl. On April 16th, 2021, he gathered every ounce of courage and asked her on their first adventure: the top of a pee-soaked water tower. Talk about courage. 🫣 She decided to give him a chance and had a blast! Anything this guy did turned into fun. They went on dates for six months, building trust, getting to know each other, and holding in farts. On September 4th, 2021, they made it official! I could gush on and on about the last two years of memories, dates, growth — each infused with meaning beyond words. But I’ll just let you check out our pictures and read our faces instead. 🥰 It a nutshell — it’s been wild, hard, beautiful, and so full of God’s kindness. He’s guided every step, big and small, from before the beginning. This is His story, and we’re just humbled to be characters in it.

Fast forward through kayak floats, family trips, volcano sledding, sushi dates, sunflowers, big life changes, mountains, and races… to December 10th, 2023. Caleb paced nervous laps around the church foyer, waiting anxiously for Mel to finish his scavenger hunt. A ring box poked not-so-subtly out of his back pocket. She pulled up at top speed and ran straight to him, tears pouring. He said many wonderful words which neither of them remember, but they have a lifetime to repeat. And then he knelt down to ask the most important question of their lives. This super crucial moment gets a little awkward, because Mel has no memory of this. 😂 So we’re just trusting Caleb that she said YES! And she continues to say yes over and over again.

What's next? Whatever God has. Our hands and hearts are open. Before we started dating, we made sure this was abundantly clear. God’s given us both strong dreams and desires, but in marriage as in singleness, we lay those down before the Lord. WHATEVER. GOD. HAS. If it be missions, we’re in. If it be poverty, we’re in. Adventures we never dreamed of? We’re in. Sickness? We’re in. Uncharted territory? We’re in. We pray for the trust and humility to say “yes” no matter where God calls us. Right now, we both sense Him leading us to pursue long-term missions overseas. We’ll continue in that direction unless He changes our course. We’re confident He will lead us in the right way. It will be uncomfortable and painful, but there’s no one more worthy of our lives, our energy, our bodies, our passions, and our days on earth. He is Everything.