we’re getting married!!

Ever since we can remember, we always talk about how small the world is. Our families have known each other since we were kids, yet for some reason, we don’t remember crossing paths back then. We attended the same church at one point, and our families even visited one another. The city of Mesquite has been home to both of us for most of our lives, but somehow, our paths had never aligned—until the evening of Saturday, January 20th, at a youth event in Fort Worth. The event had games, food, and most importantly, a sermon from the Word of God. As always, youth events like these are a great time. One of the games required tying a string with a balloon to your ankle. The goal was to pop other players' balloons while staying within a duct-taped boundary. It was as intense as it sounds! At one point during the game, I (Pablo) let my guard down while trying to stay within the boundary. I stumbled and fell but luckily got back up and into the game. Not aware of my surrounding, Grace was right behind me. She popped my balloon fair and square. There’s even a video of the moment, and we always joke around saying that she technically “made the first move.” After the youth event, everyone went to a nearby bowling alley to wrap up the night. During this time, Grace and I had a chance to talk and get to know each other better. It was then that we discovered we lived in the same city—such a coincidence! But we didn’t exchange phone numbers or social media, and after that night, we lost touch. Weeks passed without seeing her, mainly because I don’t attend that church regularly. Then came the youth retreat in March—March 17th, to be exact. I (Pablo) was helping with photography during the retreat, capturing moments of worship and activities, including a few photos of Grace. As the retreat went on, I found myself wanting to ask for her number but couldn’t find the right opportunity. By the end of the retreat, I still hadn’t asked. As tradition, our group stops by Buc-ee’s on the way home for snacks. It was there, as we were leaving the well-known gas station, that I finally saw my opportunity. Nervous and shaking, I asked for her social media, thinking, If not now, then when? Thankfully, she said yes (not no, as we jokingly tell the story). After that, we stayed in touch and even set up our first breakfast date at Seven Mile Café. From that point on, everything fell into place naturally. We fell in love quickly and each date was allowing us to get to know each other more and more. Through it all, God has been at the center of our journey. His mercy and guidance have been evident in our lives, and we cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Truly, when you follow His calling, amazing things come into your life—sometimes in the most unexpected ways. Proverbs 18:22 – He who find a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.