Forever Begins Today!

Nicole: “I think I noticed Edson first. One time, at church, we were walking towards each other and I decided to just simply say ‘Hi.’ He totally ignored me. Honestly, my feeling were kinda hurt and I told myself ‘that guy is probably a jerk.’ Fast forward about a year- on social media, I posted about needing prayers for my family. Edson decided to reply and tell me that he’ll be praying for me. (Actually it was more of an attempt to start talking to me) I though it would be a cute way of getting payback by ignoring him this time. 😂 All jokes aside, we started noticing each other more and more because we both had the same love and interest for our ministry, Chicagoland Teens and City Baptist Schools. We realized we had so much in common and such similar backgrounds. Soon, a love for teenagers and for the ministry began to flourish into a love for each other. Now, I get to share the rest of my life with him! Im so excited because, unknowingly, our ‘forever’ began on that day where he ‘allegedly’ said he never noticed me waving at him 😂. And that only proves that God’s timing is perfect and that payback can sometimes be beautiful too.😉

Edson: “If you know me, you know that my family is my everything. So, as I realized that I wanted Nicole to be my wife, I knew I had to incorporate them into my proposal. The highlight of my year is our annual road trip to Utah for Christmas, where my sister lives. I decided that would definitely be the perfect time! We concocted a plan and tricked Nicole into thinking we’d have a family photo shoot where she’d be part of some of the shots. There’s a place in Moab, Utah that I had always dreamt of visiting named Arches National Park. Despite some discouragement from Rebecca and Todd, (😆 they thought it was maybe too far) My stubborn self stuck with that location. Man, was I not disappointed. Nicole and I are huge fans of the ‘Bachelor’ (don’t judge), so I thought it would be the neatest proposal if we could do a ‘Rose Ceremony’ under the ‘Double Arches.’ Those 4 hours were the longest of my life! I had previously created a banner that read ‘Welcome to Hometowns’ (a reference to the ‘Bachelor,’ really you should watch it sometime) and I had my family hold it up as I made my attempt at a cheesy ‘Rose Ceremony.’ Honestly, the scenery there was breathtaking, but that moment where she said ‘YES’ was far more unforgettable. So, that family photo shoot turned into the ‘Picture Perfect Christmas.’ Now, I get to spend the rest of my life with the love of my life- and I couldnt be more excited!