We're Getting Married!

Jonathan and I met at a bus station in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. We would then be in an intensive ministry program together for six months.

Dubai - Switzerland - Indonesia - Lebanon Our first date was "High Tea" at The Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. This date led to several more, then phone tag from Switzerland to Dubai. We then spent four months in Indonesia as next-door neighbors and with the Talbot family during the world pandemic lockdown. We spent this time forming a strong love for creating missional initiatives and connecting with friends and family. After Lebanon's airport opened, Jonathan moved as a missionary back to his home country and Gloria followed soon after, (the day after the explosion!). Since then, we have been building bridges with different ministries, and Gloria has been learning Arabic.

We got engaged by the Bay Cliffs on the water on a Sunday lockdown. Gloria's siblings Peter and Katie were in town and in on the whole thing! I sneaked Gloria down a cliff and to a place where the fisherman had a boat set up for us to ride out to the beach. I was so nervous and trembling, but my heart and mind knew since our first date ten months before that I wanted to marry Gloria. I held her hand and led her into the boat. I had a song prepared, but it was windy, so I delayed the song till we got to the proposal spot. I led her off the boat and onto the beach where there was a heart with flower petals spread across the rocks. I got so nervous that the song did not come out at that time either. I read her a poem on 1 Corinthians 13 I had written out and got down on one knee. As soon as my knee hit the ground, I felt the presence of God and tears filled my eyes where I could barely see Gloria's face which was also teary-eyed, shining with the sunset right behind her. I then asked her to marry me! To that, she said YES and a thousand times YES! It was the most beautiful feeling I had felt in my life. It felt like a dream! We then road back on the boat into the sunset. We spent that day celebrating!