Rani is Jonathan’s dream girl. To him, she represents the fullness of the Kingdom in a woman. Yes, she is absolutely beautiful, super athletic and genetically gifted, his perfect height, with gorgeous hair and incredibly spunky (a favorite word to describe his future wife). Yes, she’s a Texas girl with Southern California-style and international sensibilities. And yes, she was a talented gymnast turned nationally recognized high school and collegiate cheerleader. But what he loves most about her is how passionately she’s chased after God and steadfastly trusted Him through incredible highs and devastating lows. What made him fall in love with her was her passion for the Holy Spirit and the supernatural ways of God and how much she loves praying and prophesying. And for Rani, she had literally written down a list of attributes and characteristics of her dream guy, and it’s actually quite astounding to see how closely Jonathan matched up to it. We’ll spare you the full list for brevity’s sake, but you can ask Rani about it sometime. ;) She noticed Jonathan pretty quickly the first time they met. Aside from his obvious good looks, she was intrigued by his genuine love for the Lord and steadfast integrity. Needless to say, he was more than she could have dreamed up. She loves his childlike yet confident and consistent nature, pure heart + mind, passion for truth + inner healing, and his joy-filled optimism, adventurous spirit and deep compassion. In April 2022, Rani unexpectedly moved back to her home state of Texas after spending seven years in California. The transition was far from easy and her future felt full of unknowns. However, just a month after returning, the Lord opened doors for more than she could have dreamed. A beautiful flourishing community, sweet connection with family, ministry opportunities, a great job, redemption of the former season and the most incredible man, Jonathan. He has been and continues to be the sweetest gift and greatest answer to prayer that Rani could have asked for! Jonathan loves to think that their love story follows the pattern of the original love story where God made Adam rest before He created Eve from a part of him. When Jonathan finally learned how to abide and rest in the Father’s love, Rani came, and he was able to receive her as the beautiful gift that she is. Jonathan had found his church, his tribe and his ministry and it was in that context that the Lord graciously brought him his bride. Rani and Jonathan both wish they had met each other sooner but God is always teaching them how to trust His perfect timing.

They met at Upperroom Church in Dallas, Texas, in May 2022. They were both serving on the Ministry Team and became part of the same circle of friends. Rani was initially hesitant to date a male model and Jonathan is a slow mover with the early stages of relationships—but once he realized that Rani was everything he’d ever dreamed about, he knew. They started dating in August and Jonathan made up for his slow start by proposing on December 31, 2022 at Cedar Ridge Preserve, the place of one of their first dates. What’s in store for Rani & Jonathan? If you asked them, they’d tell you that they want their lives and marriage to be a testament to the goodness and faithfulness of God and His nature as a loving Father. They’d also say that it’s going to be the most incredible adventure you could imagine as they surrender and depend completely on the Lord. They both have a passion to see people healthy--Spirit, Mind & Body--and hope to one day see all three come together vocationally. They plan to live in Grapevine, Texas after they get hitched and continue attending and serving at Upperroom.

▪️ Jonathan loves FroYo and anything with chocolate and peanut butter ▪️ Rani rode in a helicopter and shot a 50-caliber machine gun for her college graduation present ▪️ Jonathan can’t whistle ▪️ Rani hates being cold and is forever a summer girl ▪️ Jonathan closed the men's show for Dolce & Gabbana in Naples, Italy ▪️ The Hippensteels would like to eventually have four kids... but after they travel the world!

RANI Rani is from Aledo, Texas, and the daughter of Debbie and Van Smith. As a child, it is said that she was one of the most joyful and energetic girls in the world and that energy led her into gymnastics, power tumbling and then competitive cheerleading through college at Hawai’i Pacific University, where she was apart of their national championship team. She finished her studies at Texas State University in San Marcos, during which time she encountered the Holy Spirit. This radically changed the trajectory of her life from culturally Christian party girl to sold out Jesus freak—preaching the gospel, healing the sick and prophesying over anyone she met. She then went on to enroll in Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, CA. From there, she transitioned to Santa Barbara, where she led the prophetic ministry teams at Isla Vista Church and supported Jesus Burgers (if you’ve never heard of Jesus Burgers, look ‘em up!). While in Santa Barbara, she was also Robin Long’s executive assistant, a globally know Pilates Instructor and fitness personality. Since returning to Texas, she’s training to become a Pilates Instructor herself and a Relational Life Coach. JONATHAN Jonathan was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to David and Carol Hippensteel. He was homeschooled until college when he attended Pepperdine University. He studied Finance and worked at a bank before He felt God call him “out of the known and into the unknown.” What this looked like for him, was leaving the security of the bank and pursuing a very unstable and unconventional career as a model and fitness trainer, largely encouraged by a Jesus-loving community of fashion professionals known as Models For Christ. This led him on a journey around the world, teaching him to fully trust God for each paycheck, be grateful and patient in every situation and truly rely on the voice of God for all things. His passions are praying with others and helping them hear God speak, working with impact brands that are making the world a better place and people healthier humans and exploring the world as a model, athlete and coach.