Please join us for our wedding!

My story begins many years ago. As most of you know, I’m a single mom to a sweet 8-year-old boy named Zachary. Raising him alone has been hard, but it’s also been rewarding. I’ve felt deeply accountable to the Lord to raise him as a vessel for Him, and because of that, I wasn’t sure I ever would remarry. I didn’t want to bring someone into his life who might compromise the spiritual upbringing I desired for him—one rooted in how my own parents raised me. In my singleness, I poured my energy into service. I mentored college students at Duke University through the “Christians on Campus” club and co-hosted a weekly home gathering for young adults, often right in my home. I was capable and fulfilled, but over time I sensed that my capacity to serve was limited. I began praying earnestly: “Lord, if You need me to be married in order to bear more fruit, shepherd younger ones, and pursue hospitality more fully, then please send someone who shares my heart.” I didn’t want to compromise the way I spent my time—with Bible studies, home gatherings, and fellowship. And I truly hoped to meet someone in my element. While mentoring at Duke, we would sometimes connect with the sister club at UNC. In those gatherings, I occasionally saw Jason. I didn’t know much about him, but I noticed his warm smile, how his words reflected the Lord rather than self-glory, and that he wasn’t chasing after attention like many others. At the time, I didn’t dwell on it, but those details stayed in my heart. In the winter of 2023, a mentor at UNC reached out to me before moving away. She mentioned UNC’s need for more mentors, and since I lived equidistant from both campuses, I began volunteering at UNC in the spring of 2024. That’s when I started seeing Jason more often—but interestingly, he never spoke to me or even looked my way, so I didn’t think anything of it and focused on serving the students. Then came a series of unexpected turns. In March 2024, I left my previous job of 15 years, and the Lord opened a door for me at UNC Health. Despite attempts to move in a different direction, I found myself increasingly tied to the UNC campus. Soon after, through another unexpected court outcome, I was freed up on Monday nights—exactly when Bible studies at UNC took place. Even though losing that evening with Zachary was painful, I told the Lord, “For some reason, You want me available on Mondays.” I soon found out why. I eventually dove fully into volunteering at UNC—Monday Bible studies, Friday home gatherings, and Sunday worship—which meant I now saw Jason regularly. But it wasn’t until he overheard me talking about my new job as an “Analytics Solutions Consultant” that things changed. Excited, he said that was the field of his Master’s program and asked if I could connect him with anyone. I offered to help and gave him my work email to send his résumé. Around that time, I had been praying with others about marriage. One night I asked the Lord, “Make me like Rebekah—may I go the extra mile to help someone and let it lead me to Isaac.” Days later, as I helped plan a major healthcare analytics conference, I remembered Jason and told him about it. That one simple act sparked regular conversations between us. The more we spoke, the more I noticed his respectful, thoughtful, and kind nature—not just to me, but also to Zachary. Our calls became longer, deeper, and filled with prayer. I was moved by his understanding of Scripture, of a proper husband, his vision for marriage, and especially his view of parenting and safeguarding the next generation to love and serve the Lord. He was also gentle and sweet with Zachary. Then weeks later, Jason shared he had noticed me a year earlier, in my element, caring for students. It was exactly I had prayed for. I realized then that in all the months of silence, the Lord had been working behind the scenes. Jason wasn’t just a wonderful man; he was the specific answer to years of prayer.

I never dreamed of living in America let alone study there and find a woman. It wasn’t on a vision board, nor was it tucked away in some childhood wish. After finishing dental school in India, life as it often does when the Lord’s hand is involved, took an unexpected turn. A few bends in the road, and somehow I found myself landing in this country, not fully chasing ambition, but quietly following Lord's leading. In my heart, I’ve always longed for a partner, a person who moves gently in the spirit, who listens for the whisper of the Lord the way I try to. But I never imagined I’d meet her on a busy fall evening in 2023, at a gathering called Christian Connect. The first time I saw Rufina, something trembled slightly in my heart. A nudge. A presence. But I brushed it off like one would an unripe fruit, thinking maybe not time yet, maybe not for me. And so I kept showing up, and so did she. I began seeing her more often, especially at the home meetings in Chapel Hill, where she came faithfully to serve and care for the students. Her spirit always stood out, loving and selfless not to mention the food she'd bring! Every time she shared her portion of Christ, whether in table meetings or those smaller home gatherings, it left an imprint on me. Deep called unto deep. Still, when I found out she had a child, I brought my feelings before the Lord and asked Him, genuinely, to deal with my heart. I didn’t want to pursue something that didn’t belong to me. But life, as it does under the Lord’s sovereign orchestration, revealed another chapter. I learned she was a single mom. So I kept praying and dealing with the Lord in my personal time with Him. I chose silence, not out of fear, but out of reverence. I didn’t want to act on attraction. I didn’t want to be a stumbling block to her or myself. Then came a little conversation at a campus tabling event. We chatted briefly, just enough to learn she was a data analyst at UNC Health (and yes, just enough to notice how strikingly beautiful she is, inside and out). I asked for her contact information hoping to find an internship and what did I get? Her "work email". That’s when I knew she was different. No hidden motives. No games. Even tho there was attraction, she never let it cross a line. Her love for the girls in mentoring them, her care for the students, her gentle strength, all of it continued to draw me, but not in the ordinary way. It felt... sovereignly arranged. Slowly, our paths began to intertwine. Long conversations followed, most of them about Scripture, life, suffering, and joy. Each talk felt like a quiet unfolding of an unrevealed yet glorious future. I’ve always held a deep respect for Rufina, not just for who she is, what she’s been through, but also for how she walks through it. Life hasn’t always been kind to her, but her response has always been faith. She believed that the Lord is always good and her faith can move mountains, and she doesn’t just say it. She lives by it. When our hearts grew serious, we brought the matter before the saints closest to us. They prayed, they listened, they fellowshipped with us, together and individually. I didn’t expect to be married this early. In fact, I was convinced I wouldn't. But somewhere across the ocean, a mother was praying. My mother. “Lord, bring "her" to "him,” she said. And perhaps the Lord always answers a sincere mother’s prayer. And then there’s Zachary. To know him is to meet a rare very understanding soul. The Lord not only gave me a woman, but through her, He gifted me one of the most precious relationships I didn’t know my heart could hold. Finally, I chose the Lord’s redemptive work over human opinions and concepts, and what He gave and keeps giving in return has been nothing short of Grace that is Christ Himself.