Kardelen came up to visit her friend and mentor, who had moved to another city. Jerod was helping interpret for that same friend day to a group of Americans who were there for the summer. A month later they recognized each other at a youth camp and got acquainted, but it wasn't until after Kardelen came to visit again over Christmas that they became good friends, and by the next time they met together they had stated a long distance relationship, and there have been many more visits to see each other since!