Ochs and Ellen’s love story is a great testimony that God is working behind the scenes and works with purpose. They met, bonded, and both grew up in church (Masinop Seventh-Day Adventist Church), but for years, their lives circled the same sacred spaces—Sabbath services, AY programmes, social nights, and Bible studies—but never quite collided. Ellen (Em) being light, high-spirited, and full of questions, while Ochs, being five years older than Em makes him calm, steady, and full of quiet answers. But little did Ochs know, young Em looked up to him so much and liked him in every way. Ochs wasn’t the loudest in the room, but he had a presence that made her blush and “kilig”. So, she watched—quietly, respectfully. From across the room. From the edge of every conversation for years. He didn’t know. But God is orchestrating a plan. One Sabbath afternoon in October 2018, Em looked half-frustrated mending her backpack zipper; that’s when he noticed and fixed it for her. Later that evening, Em messaged through to thank Ochs. Em reminded herself this was just a little crush, but the more they talked, the more she knew she would fall deeper. Despite Ochs’s reserved nature, Em’s curiosity and persistence in getting to know him over the coming year formed a great friendship that would end up growing into so much more. Hints subtly foreshadowed their relationship. Little did she know, her gesture would lead Ochs to realise his own feelings for her. June 2019 was when Em confessed her admiration to Ochs. On September 7, 2019, Ochs finally admitted his feelings for her too, but funny thing, they took three more months to say “I love you” to each other, and that’s when it sank in that they were now really in a serious relationship. Ochs and Em didn’t really expect to be in a long-distance relationship, plus they know nothing about handling relationships, as they were each other’s first romantic partner. Ochs in Pangasinan and Em in Manila during 2019. Then COVID hit in 2020, and in December 2021, Em and her family migrated to Australia for good. They were already apart from each other and was about to move even farther, migrating to another country. All these years, they spent more time apart than together. Does God really have a plan? The distance was hard. Calls dropped. Late-night calls. Time zones clashed. Loneliness lingered. Doubts crept in. Ochs and Em didn’t pretend it would be easy. They didn’t know what the future held. But they knew Who held them. So, they prayed more. And slowly, God filled the spaces between them —with grace, with growth, with a kind of love that no distance could weaken. They knew there is something stronger than perfect plans: faith. And so, when Em and her family came back home to the Philippines in July 2024, with Em’s family’s blessings, Ochs proposed, and they got engaged. Yes! Through it all, it was God’s written love story for them. From being Em’s childhood crush to being her God’s chosen husband. They’ve weathered the highs and lows. Their love was built on faith, perfected by God, and untouched by distance. Now, they’re gearing up for their happily ever after. Mark your calendars for September 7, 2025—because that’s when Ochs and Em will say “I do” and begin the next chapter of their God-authored love story, side by side. FACT: Em and Ochs are going to get married on their 6th anniversary as a couple. ♡