"Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you" ~ Ephesians 4: 2-4

It was the summer of 2013; the year before Chizi's Senior year of High School, and the year before my Junior year. He and I were accepted for a six week Summer Scholars program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I first saw him during one of our chemistry lessons. He liked to sit near the back of the class so one day I decided to sit next to him because he looked really cute, and a bit shy. I introduced myself and asked him to tell me things about himself. For some reason he could not stop talking about Texas and football. To be honest, he was fairly awkward and could barely hold the conversation, but I could tell it was because he was nervous. I guess I was flattered that I made him nervous. We did not even exchange numbers after that summer; we did not expect to run into each other again.

It was the summer of 2015 and I had just started my second year in the medical program. During this time of year, student organizations hold info booths at the annual summer student organization fair for incoming freshmen. Due to my recent involvement in the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at UMKC, I volunteered to represent the organization at the fair. While wandering around the room I "happened" to stumble upon a familiar face. My first instinct was to play cool and ask if she remembered me...which she did not at first. After she recalled who I was and how we first met, I proceeded to offer her any help adjusting to the start of freshman year in a couple of months. We began to talk a lot that summer, mainly about how I could provide her with all the books she would need at first, but then our conversations became more about getting to know one another (or at least I was trying to). I remember how I automatically offered any book I had for free with the catch that she would need to come pick it up herself....to give me a reason to meet with her again. After this, I kept finding excuses to meet and talk with her in person; from offering to show her around the Student Union, to walking her to her UMKC Chior audition. She was just to beautiful and kind for me not to get to know her more!

Ginika was obsessed with the play Hamilton, often telling me how we may never get the chance to see the show again after this year. I knew that I wanted to give her a big surprise when I propose, especially when I am apparently known to give away most of my surprises. When I found out that Hamilton would be performing at the Kansas City Music Hall in June, I was determined to propose there. The reason for this is because this was the place where Ginika first told me that she knew I was the man she wanted to marry. This occurred nearly two years prior at a bethel concert in the same place. On the night of the show, I had one of Ginika's friends trick her into thinking they were having a girls night out for dinner. Instead, her friend brought her to the rooftop park overlooking the music hall. I was waiting there with a ring, a song and a bible verse...the rest is history.