If you had told me years ago that I would meet my future wife at a Christian conference in Chicago, I would have been very skeptical. The funny thing is, I wasn't even planning on going. At the time, I was living in North Carolina and waiting for a new job to start. Since I had some time on my hands, I decided to attend. Looking back, I can clearly see that God had a much bigger reason for getting me there. One of the highlights of the conference was a singles mixer. After grabbing some food, I found a quiet corner of the room to stand in. That's when I noticed a woman looking out the window. She was quiet, not trying to draw attention to herself, and seemed perfectly content just observing the room. I walked over and asked if it was okay if I occupied the space next to her. Her name was Mayah. What followed was one of the most enjoyable conversations I had during the entire conference. I was immediately impressed by her ambition and her desire to do something meaningful with her degree in Health Sciences. As we talked, I also noticed her gentleness and quiet spirit. We laughed together, talked about our goals, our faith, and the things we wanted out of life. Somewhere along the way, it became obvious that there was chemistry between us. By the end of the conversation, we exchanged Instagram accounts and went our separate ways. My plan was simple: once I got back to NC, I was going to ask her on a date. Unfortunately, life had other plans. Not long after the conference, I found myself going through one of the hardest seasons of my life. A church split completely turned my world upside down. Broken trust, betrayal, disappointment, and feelings of abandonment came at me from every direction at once. It was the hardest season in my life and it left me wondering if my Christian journey was even worth continuing. With little hope left, I decided to do a fleece prayer. After landing a job in Miami, I knew that is where God wanted me to go. Near the end of 2024, Mayah and I reconnected. I finally got the opportunity to take her on the date I had wanted to take her on from the very beginning. It didn't take long for me to realize that my interest in her had only grown. We officially started dating on March 1, 2025. On March 14, 2026, I asked her to marry me. One thing that makes our story special to me is everything it took to get here. It took more than 10 years of being a Christian, living in five different states, countless prayers, unexpected detours, and a church-wide split for me to find the woman God had prepared for me. Looking back, I can say it was all worth it. There are many things I love about Mayah, but one thing I will never forget is how God used her to remind me that He truly cares for the brokenhearted. During a season when I was struggling to trust again, Mayah showed me kindness, patience, and genuine care. She helped me relearn how to believe in love again and reminded me that there are people who truly care. I look forward to spending the rest of my life loving, serving, and caring for her.

If you had asked me before we met how our story would begin, I would have never guessed it would start at a singles happy hour during a church conference in Chicago. At the time, I was living in a different state and attending the conference on my own. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm naturally shy, especially in large groups of people I don't know. While everyone else was mingling and introducing themselves, I found a quiet spot by a window overlooking the Chicago skyline. With my back turned to the crowd, I admired the view and silently prayed that no one would come up and talk to me. Almost immediately, I heard a voice behind me ask, "Is it alright if I stand here next to you?" I turned around, and there he was. The moment our eyes met, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. There wasn't a dramatic lightning-bolt moment or some grand realization that we would one day get married. But there was something I couldn't quite explain. Deep down, I knew that somehow, in some way, Jesús would be part of my life. Looking back now, it feels like one of those moments that God had already written long before either of us knew where the story was headed. After that evening, we went our separate ways. We lived in different states, and life continued on. From the outside, it might have seemed like that brief encounter in Chicago was simply a nice memory from a conference weekend. But God had other plans. Not long after, Jesús went through an incredibly difficult and turbulent season in his life. In the middle of navigating uncertainty and change, he made what seemed like a completely random decision at the time: he decided to move to Miami and start attending my church. Of all the places he could have gone, of all the churches he could have chosen, he ended up here. As our paths crossed again, the connection we felt in Chicago began to grow into something much deeper. We got to know each other beyond that first conversation by the window. We discovered shared values, shared faith, and a friendship that felt effortless from the very beginning. The more time we spent together, the more evident it became that God had been weaving our lives together all along. What makes our story so special to me is that neither of us could have planned it. There were too many unexpected turns, too many unlikely circumstances, and too many moments that only make sense when I look back and see God's hand in them. What once felt like a chance meeting now feels like a beautiful reminder that His timing is always better than my own. Today, when we think about that night in Chicago, I can't help but smile. A shy girl standing by a window hoping no one would talk to her. A man who simply asked if he could stand beside her. Neither of us knew then that one small conversation would become the beginning of the greatest love story of our lives. And while I will always cherish that first meeting, I am even more grateful for everything that came after—the friendship, the growth, the laughter, the faith, and the countless ways God brought us back to each other. Looking back, it really does seem like we were meant to be. And now, I can't wait to begin the next chapter together.