We're getting married. . . again!

In 2003, a quiet third-grade girl named Faith Marientes went to San Diego Filipino-American SDA Church every week, while a socially awkward 9-year-old Kirk Delacruz followed his family into the same building after moving somewhere new for the second time. They gradually got to know each other from going to the same family-friend house parties and being in the same study or social groups, but they rarely spoke directly. As middle schoolers, they would text each other all day, often getting in trouble for being up late and going over their cellphone data plans, but they still found it impossible to even say hi in person. It was a spark that couldn't catch flame for another six years... But God always finds a way.

One Sabbath afternoon after a church service, Faith was getting ready to head out to her car when suddenly Kirk stopped Faith to introduce his college roommate, Aldenn, who was visiting for the weekend. They exchanged hellos, and Faith went on her way. As soon as she left the room, Aldenn immediately looked at Kirk, insinuating that there was something between them, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Utterly unaware of Kirk's history of having a crush on her since middle school, he encouraged him to shoot his shot! That afternoon, Aldenn and Kirk's dad gave Kirk a pep talk that it was now or never. So, from that day on, Kirk's family would invite (Faith likes to refer to these moments as kidnap lol) her to have lunch with them every Saturday after church until eventually, those Sabbath lunches became Sabbath days spent with just the two of them. It was summer break between their first and second year of undergrad when Faith stepped into Kirk's car one afternoon under the guise that he was taking her location scouting for his next video. Little did she know he just wanted to spend as much time with her. He made every effort to ensure that their date would not fall through the cracks since she was leaving for her Mediterranean cruise for the next two weeks with her Ate Brianne, Tito Benjie, and Tita Annie. At this point, they had been hanging out almost every weekend in San Diego. However, this was different. This would be the first official date they would go on without friends or family. They spent the day overlooking the smog over downtown LA and taking candid pictures of one another as they enjoyed each other's presence while simultaneously sweating from nervousness. It was crowded that afternoon at the Griffith Observatory and a bit cold at the top of the hill as the sunset. Kirk grabbed Faith's hands to avoid losing her in the crowd, but neither let go even after the crowds had cleared. From that day on, he promised himself that he would not let go of her hand forever.

While separated from coast to coast in 2020 due to their occupations, Kirk (25) hired a local Rhode Island goldsmith just hours before the country shut down most of its commerce due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. The goldsmith carefully forged Faith's ring and sent it to California to her future in-laws, who secretly kept the box next to Faith's seat. At the same time, Kirk’s parents and Faith traversed across the country to visit Kirk after graduating from the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. When they had finally reunited, Kirk had unsuspiciously retrieved the ring before his parents had departed back to San Diego. On their way back from dropping off his parents at the airport, Kirk asked Faith where they should stop to eat. He parked at the entrance of Robin Williams Park to give himself some time to navigate to the correct location. Although it was raining that day, Kirk believed it would be the perfect place. Soon after, they began to enter the gate. As Faith questioned where they were heading, Kirk calmly asked Faith to trust him and close her eyes. As she anxiously asked what was going on and where they were heading, he clasped her hands and guided her to the top of a small rounded footbridge and a small stream in the middle of a Japanese cherry blossom garden. Once they made it to their final destination, he told her to turn around. Before she could even process where she was, she looked down, and Kirk was kneeling on one knee and tears welling up in his eyes as he asked for her hand in marriage. With tears in her eyes, she softly answered, "Yes." Even though it was silent and without a single witness in sight, this moment will always be intimate and sacred to them.

With all the uncertainty in the world, there was one thing they were 10000% sure about: their love for one another. Days after their backyard civil ceremony, Faith and Kirk moved from sunny San Diego to a quiet waterfront apartment in Norfolk, Virginia. After settling, nurturing their relationship was immediately tested. Faith would begin her graduate career by getting her Master's in Clinical Social Work while Kirk navigated his first sea tour as a Naval Supply Officer. Kirk spent half their marriage away on two deployments and several military exercises. Despite their busy schedules pulling time away from each other, they only grew closer, more loving, more supportive, and dependent on one another and God, strengthening their relationship as a whole. Our relationship is characterized by relentless and selfless support for one another, rushing in when the other starts to falter, refusing to let each other give up on their dreams. Our foundations heavily depend on God's guidance, braiding His perfect will into our talents to compassionately serve others. Our dedication to each other is centered on quality time, gratitude, affirming love, acceptance, forgiveness, and adapting to each others' needs. We hope to pass on these values to our future generations. For those reading this now, we thank you for helping shape our love. We cannot wait to dance the night away and finally celebrate our families becoming one. Cheers!