As we inch closer and closer to our wedding day on December 9th, I can't help but reflect back on Sarah's and my journey together over the past few years. So much has seemed to change in our lives since we first met in Hattiesburg in the fall of 2019. There have been multiple moves for both of us, new jobs, tons of long distance plane rides and road trips, and too many phone calls between us to count. Our relationship up to this point has certainly been eventful, but one that has no doubt prepared us for the adventure of marriage ahead. When Sarah and I first met, she was starting her junior year at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, and I had just graduated from Ole Miss and was beginning my first year as a FOCUS missionary. I remember our first encounter was a somewhat goofy one, which is typical for the two of us. We met after a weekday mass at St. Thomas Aquinas, our Catholic Church in Hattiesburg. At the time, Sarah was helping with sorority recruitment on campus, and had colored tinsel strung in her hair. The first words I blurted out to her after introducing myself to her where somewhere along the lines of "Haha, I like your sparkles" referring to the tinsel in her hair. Sarah giggled at my silly, awkward comment, and from there, our friendship slowly grew. For most of the first year, our friendship was nothing more than small, simple, and goofy conversations at different events on campus or at church. Ironically, it was the COVID quarantine of 2020 that actually helped bring us closer together. During the end of the school year when everything else was shutdown, Sarah was one of the 6 or so people left in town I still saw on a regular basis. She was best friends with my female FOCUS teammates, and around their house constantly. It was a time filled with movie nights with friends, big Sunday brunches, and great conversations. Our friendship began to deepen, and finally, after dragging my feet for months and months, I asked Sarah out towards the middle of her senior year. By April, we were official, just in time for her to graduate, become a FOCUS missionary herself, and move across the country to Cedar Falls, Iowa. However, even in the long distance, our relationship slowly began to grow. Facetime calls, virtual bananagram dates, and flower deliveries became the norm. By the start of 2022, we had both had enough of the 14 hours between us, and I moved up to Ames, Iowa to be closer to Sarah. Needless to say, the move was a success, and we got engaged in December of last year, right outside of Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church. At the end of the past school year, Sarah and I both left working with FOCUS, packed up our bags, and moved back to Mississippi once again. The transition has been hectic, but we are both overjoyed to start the next chapter of our lives here, and we can't wait to see what the good Lord has in store. Throughout all of our moves and ups and downs, it's clear God has been working, calling each of us to greater holiness and growth. Ultimately, this is what marriage is all about. I am so grateful to have found someone like Sarah, both to journey through life with and move towards Heaven with. We are both so excited to have each and everyone of you come join us on December 9th to celebrate this special day! May God Bless you! -Thomas Goris.