Gatlin and Emily first met when they were children. Emily’s older sister, Caroline, ran cross country at Aucilla Christian Academy where Gatlin’s father, Dan Nennstiel, was the coach. This is how the two families would initially interact. Gatlin and Emily developed a youthful friendship, having no idea it would lead to marriage. Gatlin and Emily stayed on the fringes of each other’s lives; until the day Pam Mueller was shopping at the John C. Campbell Folk School (which might see 20 customers on a busy day) in Brasstown NC. While shopping, a noisy family of four started parading around the store and to Pam’s surprise, it was the Nennstiel’s. The two parties reconnected and began to reminisce about the old days: early cross-country Saturday mornings. When the Nennstiel’s asked what Pam was doing up in NC, she explained that they had a house about an hour away. That peaked the Nennstiel’s interest because they also had a property about an hour away. Sure enough the two families had vacationed in practically the same place for 15 years and never knew it! Pam invited the Nennstiel’s over to their house and at last, a shy Gatlin and Emily were reunited. Throughout the next 2 years, the Nennstiel’s and Mueller’s visited each other while they were in North Carolina, which kept Emily and Gatlin in contact. Once their Snapchats had been exchanged (through the help of Jenny Jackson) they could talk throughout the year instead of just in North Carolina. Gatlin and Emily began to communicate often, and Gatlin developed a crush. Eventually, Gatlin broke the ice and confessed his newfound feelings for Emily, and she felt the same! Time passed, and the homeschooled Emily who was about to start high school didn’t want to have a boyfriend distracting her from her priorities. So, for several months the two would remain as crushes, until November 28th, 2014 on Bird Knob. Emily being 14 years old, and Gatlin 15, became official. Exactly One year later, they would also share their first kiss on this special summit, which would eventually become the location of their wedding ceremony. Emily and Gatlin would have to learn a lot of things. For Gatlin, he would need to learn to appreciate musicals, hunting, and fishing. For Emily, she would need to learn about sports, all of his cousins’ names, and nerdy stuff. Their differences became appreciated and embraced by each other which led them to be who they are today. Since their lives intertwined from such a young age, they have experienced many stages together. They both graduated from Aucilla Christian Academy and eventually Florida State University. They have also been deeply involved in a church family at Crossway Church. Thousands of miles have been driven by Gatlin and Emily, many of which had stuffed backpacks in the trunk, headed to the Appalachian Trail. The next big chapter of their life started on November 26th, 2021 when Gatlin proposed to a surprised Emily in which she said “yes!” The two have decided to let God take the helm of their marriage as they learn how to live a life as a “cord of three strands which is not easily broken.” If you are reading this, you have been a significant part in Gatlin and Emily’s journey, and they want to thank you for all the love and support. Most of all, they understand that their story is no coincidence; that God has been arranging every step, shaping, and teaching them, so that they may become who He intended them to be. - Gatlin Nennstiel