Livestream link coming soon…. For those who are unable to attend but still want to witness Stan and Charmaine’s Union.

Stan and Charmaine’s story began in a place few would call romantic — a worn-down hospital in South Dallas, where time seemed to move slower and the walls held the weight of generations. Yet it was there, beneath flickering fluorescent lights and during long, quiet night shifts, that God quietly began to weave their hearts together. It all started about four years ago. Stan had just graduated from nursing school at the University of Texas at Arlington and was beginning his nursing residency at the Dallas VA Medical Center. Those early months were some of the hardest he had ever known. Struggling to find his footing, he faced discouraging evaluations and preceptors unwilling to mentor him. To make matters worse, his heart carried the sting of recent rejection from someone he had cared for. At one of his lowest moments, Stan turned to God in desperate, simple prayers. He asked for healing from his heavy heart, for a compassionate preceptor to help him find his way as a nurse, and for a godly woman to someday share his life with. What he didn’t realize then was that heaven had already begun answering. Determined for a fresh start, Stan switched to the night shift, where he’d heard whispers of an excellent nurse — though he didn’t yet know her name. That nurse was Charmaine. Charmaine had already been working at the VA for a year and, like many others, was ready to leave. The hospital was aging, technology outdated, and the staff nearing retirement. COVID-19 was sweeping through the city, and travel nursing promised better pay and opportunity. She had even written her two-week notice and planned to submit it the following week. But God’s timing is never accidental. In August 2021, Stan and Charmaine officially met. The preceptor Stan had been assigned to didn’t show up that night, so the charge nurse — Charmaine — reluctantly took him on. She had a reputation: quiet, no-nonsense, with a fiery attitude despite her petite 4’8” frame. That evening, she wore her hydro green Figs scrubs, her Adidas UltraBoosts, and kept her hair in a neat bun. Already overworked, covering multiple roles with no nursing assistants to help, the last thing she needed was a discouraged new grad. Charmaine didn’t waste time with pleasantries. She simply turned to Stan and said, “Okay, let’s play a game. Get all your work and charting done by midnight.” It wasn’t a real game — most nights, people barely finished by 2 a.m. But by 11:30 p.m., Stan was done. Slowly, cracks formed in the walls between them. While Stan charted, Charmaine, having finished her work early, was watching something on her phone. Without headphones, the familiar sounds of Naruto drifted through the room. Stan couldn’t believe it. The anime that had carried him through childhood was playing on the phone of the nurse everyone called intimidating. That small discovery opened the door. They began talking about anime, then about life, family, favorite foods, and shared hobbies — boba runs, Korean BBQ, weightlifting, and late-night ministry gatherings. During their breaks, anime became their ritual. Though they remained professional, the bond was undeniable. The older nurses at work loved to gossip, teasing that there was more than friendship blooming between the two. But at the time, neither admitted to anything. As the weeks passed, Stan’s performance at work improved dramatically. When his next evaluation came, his manager and educator asked what had changed. His answer was simple: he finally had a good preceptor. When asked who his nursing hero was, without hesitation, he answered, “Charmaine.” The words nearly brought her to tears. The quiet, misunderstood nurse no one expected to mentor him had quietly become his greatest teacher.

Even after Stan completed his residency, he and Charmaine remained inseparable at work. They tackled every task together, turning every assignment into a two-person job. Patients and coworkers noticed their chemistry and camaraderie. Charmaine would surprise him with boba; Stan brought her chai. Slowly, work companionship spilled over into life outside the hospital. They began attending The Porch, a young adult ministry, every Tuesday evening. Charmaine invited Stan to the gym, and together they endured endless leg days — a quiet testament to Stan’s growing affection. After a year, Stan transferred to a different unit, and Charmaine pursued contract nursing at another hospital. The distance only drew them closer. They called each other through night shifts, shared stories, laughed, and leaned on one another through life’s challenges. Two years into their friendship, on August 27, 2023, Stan finally found the courage to ask Charmaine on a date. She said yes. The evening was effortless, warm, and filled with the kind of joy neither of them could ignore anymore. A few more dates followed, each deepening the affection that had quietly grown between them. On March 8, 2024, Stan officially asked Charmaine to be his girlfriend, and she said yes once again. Their families had already crossed paths through work, but when introduced as a couple, it felt like coming home. Stan’s parents adored Charmaine, and her parents welcomed Stan with open arms. After months of prayer and the blessing of both families, Stan decided to take the next step. On November 24, 2024, for the first time ever Stan told Charmaine he loved her, knelt down, and asked Charmaine to marry him. With tears in her eyes, she lovingly said yes and love you too. Looking back, Stan realized something beautiful: he thought he had prayed for two different things — a good preceptor to guide him through nursing and a godly woman to marry. But God, in His infinite wisdom, had answered both prayers in one extraordinary woman named Charmaine. Her name, meaning “joy” or “delight,” perfectly captured what she had become in his life. Where there had once been loneliness, there was now laughter. Where there had been discouragement, there was now courage. And where there had been sorrow, there was now joy. “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 ESV This is their story — a love written not by chance, but by the gentle, deliberate hand of God.