A warm Memorial Day weekend in 2023 saw Dana and Pierce’s first date. However, we must turn the clock back a few seasons to truly start at the beginning of their story. Dana and Pierce’s paths first crossed September 2nd, 2022 when Pierce and his best friend Patricio stopped in to Hemingway Brunch to throw down some post-workout protein. On this auspicious morning, their waitress absolutely captured Pierce’s attention with her deep blue eyes and warm smile that transmitted a depth of joy and strength of character he had never known. His wonder with this beautiful woman was sealed upon the discovery of her ‘based’ Agape tattoo. In our sovereign Lord’s perfect plan and timing, Pierce and this mysterious Agape-tattoo girl would depart that day without plans to ever meet again. Dana returned to the three-job, full-time student grind and Pierce flew back sadly to the Quantico highlands. Thankfully, Pierce had an inside man working the situation. Shared love for Jesus Christ and a heart for high schoolers led both Patricio and Dana to serve St. Ann’s High School Ministry. With contact established, Patricio (a true hero) worked for many months to collect valuable intel and eventually gain Dana’s acceptance to go on a date with his favorite lifting buddy: Pierce. On May 28th, 2023, Pierce grabbed the keys to his trusty stallion – the family Suburban – and let that V8 roar to make his way to pick up that elusive Pennsylvania darling from so many months ago. Dana and Pierce made their way to the Dallas Arboretum for the first of many days spent outdoors together. Despite Pierce utilizing his impressive newly acquired land navigation skills to get the two lost on the 66-acre plot and incorrectly guessing Dana’s preference of fried chicken for dinner, the two shared much intentional conversation centered on their love of Jesus and arranged for a more casual running date a couple days later. Initially concerned as to if Dana would be much of a runner, Pierce soon found himself concerned for his life as Dana took off down the trail leaving him hanging on by a thread. Driving home from what could have easily been their last date, Dana decided that Pierce might actually be kinda cool when he put Switchfoot on in the car, leaving the door open for future communications. Although both individuals expressed a dislike of getting to know others over the phone & agreeing they wouldn't text or call each other until the next date, a curious thing happened once the two departed to spend the next month 650 miles apart. It happened that both Dana and Pierce actually desired to know the other more. What started with sending pictures of the clouds gradually developed to many phone calls and FaceTimes over the course of the summer. On a quick trip back to Dallas in late June, the two elevated their undying commitment to each other to the super-official status of ‘dating’. Finally, a few weeks later on a Pensacola beach road, Dana bestowed upon Pierce the privileged honor of becoming her first and only boyfriend. That weekend in Pensacola, Dana and Pierce went to the Baptist church he attended at the time followed by Mass, beginning to lay the foundation of many moments & hours spent in prayer together.

After an awesome weekend together, Pierce realized he was rapidly falling for Dana’s beautiful heart. Dana, on the other hand, overwhelmed by how fast things were moving, came quite close to running from the whole boyfriend thing before they could even celebrate their one-week anniversary. Through a week of intensive prayer and surrender before the Lord, Dana and Pierce realized that this story God was writing for them could become something beautiful and they continued to pursue each other while trusting in Him. Apparently not having learned from the overwhelming experience in Pensacola, Pierce devised a master plan (with Hope and Leah’s integral help) to seal the deal. In an effort to embody the phrase, ‘if he wanted to, he would’, Pierce drove the grueling 10.5 hours from Pensacola to Dallas one Friday afternoon to surprise Dana for her birthday. Major success. The two danced the night away at Cowboys Red River with Dana completely shocked and Pierce’s growing love for her implicitly communicated. Staring down a 10-hour drive home after a 36-hour weekend together, Pierce realized the absurdity of his transportation decisions and concluded with certainty for the first time that he did indeed love Dana and wanted to sacrificially serve, know, and love her for the rest of his life. On the last day of a wildly adventurous summer, Dana and Pierce both verbally expressed their love for each other for the first time at the lake on which they spent many summer days paddle boarding and trail running. Having affirmed to one another that evening that neither one felt the need to rush toward marriage, Dana and Pierce promptly discussed potential marriage timelines the very next day. The depth to which they already loved each other made the idea of doing long-distance until May 2025 seem an impossibility to the two of them.

Alas, the following Fall, Winter, and Spring proved to be an incredible season of growth, heartache, healing, and joy as the couple’s relationship matured and strengthened through Jesus’s grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Long-distance has been the name of the game, but the two gratefully received many more opportunities to see each other after Pierce’s move from Pensacola to Corpus Christi. Although hard, distance has taught Dana and Pierce the importance of always looking to Christ first as their ultimate source of love, joy, and fulfillment. Dana and Pierce deeply look forward to their wedding day when they will finally live in the same place. Through a process that involved many a sleepless night and beads of sweat, Pierce (with Dana’s very helpful inspiration) covertly acquired a beautiful custom engagement ring with which to ask for Dana hand’s forever. In a tremendous moment of providence and favor, God provided for Pierce to finish primary flight training the day before hoping to travel to Pennsylvania on the planned engagement weekend. Dana and Pierce got engaged on the morning of August 4th, 2024 in a meadow overlooking Marsh Creek State Park. Dana had an initial inkling that something might be up when Pierce insisted on an early Sunday morning picnic following a late night at their close friends’ wedding, but such ideas subsided with Pierce’s cool and collected demeanor. After Dana graciously said yes to the big question, they celebrated the joyous occasion with a whopping whoopie pie in proper PA amish fashion before being further surprised by her family and several best friends. Dana and Pierce look forward to starting their married life together in bustling Kingsville, Texas. Please pray for them through their engagement as they seek to lay a strong foundation for their marriage upon the love of Jesus Christ. Dana and Pierce cannot wait to continue writing this beautiful story with you on May 24th and beyond!

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