welcome

*From Natalie's perspective* As we get closer to our wedding day, I become more eager to start life with the man I love. I am immensely proud of Sam and who he is becoming in Christ. Sam's faith and relationship with God is something I have always respected from day one. I can't imagine marrying anyone else. I could go on forever about how much I care for this man, but words seem to fall short. We moved to Salt Lake City in September 2021 because we wanted to live a life bigger than ourselves by sharing the hope we have found in our personal relationship with God. After graduating college, I knew I had to do something outside my comfort zone, so I moved away from family to a city I knew nothing about to join a new Christian church plant. Sam is transitioning to being a full-time staff member of our church. He loves his new position and is passionate about sharing his faith with the students on the University of Utah campus. I work in an organization called Volunteers of America, specifically with Men and Women currently going through our detox programs. In a short time, I have moved up to being a Community Engagement Specialist, where I get to explain to individuals why they should care for those in need. My heart has grown immensely for the people of Salt Lake City. I couldn't imagine spending our time doing anything else right now. For our first year of marriage, we will live with another married couple until we can find our place. I am excited for the time when Sam and I can invite people to our house to feel loved, wanted, and cherished. I can't wait to live with the man I love and spend every day growing with him.

*from Sam's perspective* Understand that this all begins with purely innocent intentions. Movers & Shakers is something that Central Washington University hosts to help incoming freshman move into their dorms and our church leaps on the opportunity to meet as many of the new students as we can. The reasonable person would not consider Movers & Shakers to be a romantic hotspot. Natalie is far from reasonable. You see I just finished moving this strapping young lad into his 3rd floor dorm. It took many trips up and down a higher number of stairs that I can even count. Finally done, I looked for the student that I was helping and he was nowhere to be found. I did not get that student's phone number that day, but I did get a different number. Defeated, I decided to take a brief reprieve from moving to catch my breath, but it was taken away by someone else. The breath thief: Natalie, minding her own business. Natalie was also taking a break from moving students for the moment when I noticed her across the road. I knew Natalie went to our church but I had never had a conversation with her. COMPLETELY INNOCENTLY, I set out to change that. Our conversation went well, albeit way more flirty than either of us intended. That is, until she dropped the bombshell. Dungeons & Dragons. For my fellow lads out there, you know when an attractive woman tells you that she also fantasizes of the call for adventure, there is simply no stopping us. Yes, Natalie was organizing a Dungeons & Dragons group and knew that I partook in such fantastic activities. Now in order to organize a group like that efficiently, you need a way to communicate. Oh yeah, we're talking digits. NATALIE offered ME her phone number that day, and the rest is not hard to figure out for yourself.