Depending on who you ask, this story might go a little differently, lol! But since I’m the one writing it (I’ll let you guess which one of us that is), grab your popcorn and lets dive right in! One thing we can both agree on is who made the first move. That would be me, guilty as charged. I saw him first, and I was smitten. So, picture this: It’s the middle of COVID, and I decide it’s time for a career shift. To make that happen, I enroll in an online technical course. The first week, I log in early, waiting for class to start, watching as everyone’s profile pictures pop up on the screen one by one. Then, boom -this gorgeous, chocolate man with a beard appears. If you know anything about Zoom, you know the pictures move fast, but trust me, I was on a mission. From that moment on, every single class, I searched for his picture like a detective on a case. Fast-forward to the last week of class, people start turning their cameras on. Mind you, up until this point, I had only been crushing on a picture. And then there he was. Live and in full HD. And let me tell you, he was much more handsome live, and that smile- WHEW! I was SOLD. So, what did I do? Took these dainty little fingers, searched him up on LinkedIn, and found his page. My hands were sweating, my heart was pounding. If I didn’t message him right then, I might never get another chance. So, I typed the vaguest message ever, closed my eyes, and hit send. And guess what? Thirty seconds later, he responded. Y’all, at that moment, I thought to myself, We got him! 😂 Now, here’s where things get interesting. My soon-to-be husband is Nigerian, born and raised. But in all my excitement, it never crossed my mind to consider where in the world he actually was. We’re chatting away (while class is still going on, by the way, oops!), and he’s thinking I’m some kind of recruiter, while I’m over here trying to be his wife! Eventually, he caught on to my real intentions (but I won’t spill all my secrets just yet!). And just to set the record straight, yes, I messaged first, but he asked for my number first. So now we’re even! But here’s when I finally realized he wasn’t just from Africa, he lived in Africa! How? Because when he sent me his number, it was so long. I remember staring at it like, “Wait a minute… this is not a U.S. number. Sir, you're not just of African descent , you live there?!” Wow. Who would’ve thought? At first, I was a little hesitant. But that one message turned out to be the best message I’ve ever sent. We talked all day, and as we got to know each other, we realized how much we had in common our faith, our love for family, our interests. From that day, July 21, 2022, we have never gone a single day without talking. And to my single friends out there wondering, “God, where is my man?!” Lett me tell y’all something. Take that opportunity. Enroll in that class. Send that message. Go that restaurant. Because one small act of faith could change your entire life in the most beautiful way. This relationship has been such a blessing. It has allowed me to experience a new culture, learn a new language, fall in love with the food, and see the world in ways I never imagined all because I took a leap of faith. What I didn’t share is that for eight weeks, I couldn’t get this man out of my mind. It was so bad he even showed up in my dreams! And I truly believe that was God’s way of getting my attention. The Bible says obedience is better than sacrifice, and I’m so glad I listened. I’m forever grateful that God chose us for this adventure, and trust me, it’s already been a ride! Thank you for being part of our journey. And so, the adventure continues…