Ryan and Marilyn met in January of 2022. After getting placed on the same worship team at Christ for the Nations, they caught each-others eyes and started talking and hanging out. Ryan decided that he needed to make it bluntly clear that he liked Marilyn. Earlier that week Marilyn had loaned Ryan a mug with hot tea and that gave Ryan an idea. Rather than just returning the mug as usual, He put flowers inside the mug and wrote a sweet note! Marilyn opened her door shocked and speechless that he would do something this thoughtful. Instantly that made her interest in him peak. About a week later from that gesture Ryan had asked Marilyn to be his girlfriend on February 20th, 2022 and the rest is history! They got engaged in May of 2023 in the same coffeehouse that Ryan had taken her on their first official date. Excited is an understatement of how they feel about getting married.