"All that is golden likely has a bed of prayer beneath it"

We met in the summer of 2014. I remember the presence she had. She was mysterious, strong, kind, and blindly loving towards that place and its people. If you are reading this, you at least know one of us and may have heard a story or two about Camp St. Christopher. To put it lightly, this place changed our lives. More importantly the Lord used this place to reveal himself to us in new and deep ways! The two seventeen year olds that met that summer were not chasing the same things. From what I saw, Hannah Jane was an exciting and adventurous girl taking on the world with her friends by her side. I was more or less chasing after girls and a nice tan. However, something spiritual brought us together in an incredible friendship that summer. I remember the first time we had a real conversation, we sat with our respective best friends beneath the stars in the summer heat. We all got to know each other a little more and realized there was something deeply genuine about our interactions together. That night is not a romantic memory in my mind, but rather a defining one. It’s a memory that settles my soul when I realize the reality of how easy that conversation was and how our relationship felt so naturally comfortable from the start. We went on to date different people and shared some of those experiences and memories with each other over the following years as friends. The summer after high school we both lived out at Camp St. Christopher as interns, sweepin’ and bleachin’ and developing friendships that would become our closest friends and last a lifetime.

It was my worst nightmare and her world opening up. We lived on the same hall freshmen year, through no planning but simply everything just falling into place. Freshman year was a blur and a challenge, but a year that I cherish deeply. It was an opportunity to start to think about what I wanted from life and the next few years. That first year of college was also a time that my friendship with Hannah Jane evolved so much. It is hard for me to find a memory from that year that does not involve her. We sat on top of parking garages and swung our feet over the heads of every passerby. We rode skateboards down one-way streets and took late night walks peering into gallery windows. I never really pondered life after college until those times spent together. I remember Hannah Jane asking me what I wanted to do with my life, I shrugged and said “I don’t know” but she pressed into me with honesty and curiosity. Eventually I found myself daydreaming about the future and where I might find myself in five, ten, fifteen years. At that moment Hannah Jane was not a permanent part of those plans, but eventually I came to realize I didn’t want a future without her in it! That first year of college was so much richer and easier with her by my side! One of my favorite stories I have about us that year is one day when I was running late to class. I got a text from Hannah Jane asking me if I left for class yet. I was halfway down the stairs racing to the bus stop but stopped to let her know I was still around. She sheepishly asked me if I would come open a jar of honey for her before I went to class (the girl likes some tea!). I knew this was going to make me late, but what are friends for! So I ran back up and opened the jar for her gave a quick good morning and left again. Now, I was probably twenty minutes late for my class but some things are more important than a biology lab at 8 am. Hannah Jane and I grew to have the sweetest and most intentional friendship I have ever known.

A common theme in our story is summer camp. That is not where we spent all of our time together but it was where we grew the most individually and shared that with each other. The summer after freshman year we returned to St. Christopher. That summer we lived with, what can only be described as a colony of some of the most precious people I know. That summer has a special place in our hearts for numerous reasons. From front porch sing-alongs to spontaneous road trips to Nashville, we made the most of that summer in every way we knew how. Somewhere along the line (and with a little help from our friends) Hannah Jane and I started to acknowledge some feeling towards each other that were more than just being friends. As the summer progressed and we began to talk about dating, it became explicitly clear that we did not see our futures without one another. Hannah Jane and I will have been dating for three years as of August 2019. We have known each other for so much longer and continue to grow together. Looking back it is so clear that those years of friendship were the beginning of a foundation for our love story and faith, we are so grateful for how that has been knit together. In our three years of dating we have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows we ever thought possible. Both loss and achievement have impacted our love story and the past year has shown to be a test, but with our faith, family and dearest friends there to support us we are forever stronger.

I knew very soon into our relationship that Hannah Jane was the girl I was supposed to marry, but between her lengthy studies abroad and different life challenges I wanted to wait until our lives were more aligned and the time was right to propose. Through a number of dropped hints, researching rings, and long conversations I knew the time was approaching to propose. After talking to her parents, my parents and a few key individuals, I had the plan in place to pop the big question. After a long day at work with the ring burning a hole in my pocket I took Hannah Jane to the very place we met back in 2014 and have since shared so many memories of worship and joy. We sat in the chapel as I played guitar and we chatted for what felt like hours. Once I couldn’t take it any more I took her hands and lead her to the front of the sacred room where in years past we laughed and cried and served. After getting down on one knee and rambling on, I finally asked her to spend forever with me. She said YES, we hugged and prayed. Almost a whole year has flown by and now the day is almost here! Thank you to everyone reading this for being a part of our lives in one way or another. I’m leaving out plenty of details, but I hope if you are reading this you have either experienced some of these details with us or have heard stories from friends and family. We are able to love each other well because of the people that have shown us so much love along the way! Much Love Forever- Grayson