The Beginning One Sunday, John was outside of church, when suddenly, an incredibly beautiful woman, Rachel, walked through the front door. Immediately losing interest in anything else, John went to start a conversation with Rachel, and was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was, and was acutely aware of how nervous he was just talking to her. Over the next few weeks, John made it a point to “conveniently” be in the right locations to talk to Rachel. John could immediately see Rachel’s love for God, immense heart and compassion, and joy for things big and small. Rachel was smart and diligent, loved her family so much, and had a fire and excitement for the things of God. They got each other’s humor and shared a love for travel, good food, books, and the mountains. Eventually phone numbers were exchanged and the sparks continued to fly. Rachel was a little more skeptical at first. New to the church and concerned about any “serial church daters,” she saw John’s interest but wanted to see how things played out. But John was kind and patient, and slowly, Rachel began opening up to John and felt like he was a safe space. It was truly a testament to God that they had met one another, and John exhibited traits that were rare; self-control, kindness, patience, goodness, joy, gentleness (when he wasn’t being a klutz)—and eventually a sweet love that reminded her of how God loved on her. John’s first attempt at asking Rachel out landed flat, but eventually she accepted John’s invitation to a brunch at the Mayfair in Coconut Grove, their first official date. The First Date Sharing a breakfast of pancakes, the connection and attraction was undeniable. There was fun and ease in the conversation, and the brunch turned into a drink at the rooftop bar. A pattern of nightly phone calls began, and after a few failed attempts by John, their first kiss finally happened on a romantic evening in Coral Gables. Both John and Rachel were committed to following Christ and had a close relationship with God. There was such an ease of communication and feeling like they were on the same page. Only after a few months of dating, John invited Rachel to come to visit his family in California, and to his surprise, she said yes. No matter who met her, the opinion of Rachel was summed up in his Grandma Gloria’s description: “She is a home run.” The Proposal The next year and a half consisted of adventures, fun, learning more about one another, and growing together individually and collectively. It became very clear that getting married was a no brainer. Their trip to Paris yielded a conversation about their “journey towards marriage” in which Rachel pointedly asked John, “ok great...but how long is this journey exactly going to be?” John’s plans for a proposal began, and in January 2025 he proposed where their first kissed happened. Preparing for Marriage John and Rachel entered a new season of preparing for marriage in terms of wedding planning, but more importantly, growing in their understanding what a relationship and marriage centered around God means. And as amazing as our love has been together, God is continuing to show us that our love is just a picture of His love for us and the world. There is no greater love and example than Jesus - the church is His bride, and He is the bridegroom. Excited to Share and Celebrate We are both so thankful to God for bringing us together, and are excited to build our lives and marriage together on His Word and His mission. We are so excited to celebrate the love that God has given us and can’t wait to celebrate with you in October!!