We're Getting Married!!

Hello Everyone! This time has been crazy and unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we are having to limit the number of people at our wedding. We hope that you all understand and know that we wish we could have you all there. Please stay safe, keep in touch with us, and enjoy reading our story below!

All the guys in Missouri are going to miss out. Despite all the problems with the online dating experience, our hearts showed through. We connected via a Christian dating app called Crosspaths.

We had been messaging for a couple of weeks when Mark used a cheesy pick up line to get Terras number. He sent "I was reading the book of numbers and noticed I didn't have yours." Terra being a sucker for a cheesy pick up line gave him her number. That first phone call was super long but Mark remembered the date very distinctly as it was the beginning of his trip to Arizona and he was sitting the car outside of his hotel.

His Side: Terra being in so many weddings made it difficult to meet in August when we originally planned. She offered up the suggestion for a visit that weekend in July. It was sooner than expected but I figured I might as well otherwise we might delay meeting for too long. On the 5 hour drive down, I kept asking myself what I was doing as I had been opposed to long distance relationships. However, the kayaking, getting caught in the rain, and seeing her interact with her youth kids at church were all winning experiences. Seeing her on stage during worship at church created an admiration for such a woman of God. Her Side: The first date was pretty nerve racking. I was taken aback by how quickly he wanted to meet up and his willingness to drive all the way to Kirksville. Early in the day I had breakfast with Heather Anne and she asked if there was a reason I was looking so nice, as I don't typically wear make-up or dress up on an average day. We met at Mi Casa and he had so sweetly brought me flowers and a book for my birthday which had been earlier in the week. I was like" wowza this guy is such a gentleman to bring me flowers!" The whole date I remember thinking how cool he was and how well the conversation flowed. We spent the whole day together and the next day he even came to church with me. That date showed me a lot about the potential in our relationship.

His Side: I picked Terra up from a friend she was staying with that weekend in the Belair-feeling like a boss--until she found out it didn't have seatbelts (I always knew it wasn't the best date car). However for my birthday she drew me a picture of a Lamborghini which was pretty cool. I was disappointed I couldn't bring Terra to a wedding last minute but I was impressed with her being accommodating and encouraging me to still attend the ceremony. We hiked around a park in Crystal lake and I was also impressed with some of the pictures Terra took. She helped me host for a small group with my church that Sunday and I imagined I would really enjoy ordinary life with her. Therefore, I took to her idea of entering into this relationship officially which we had both committed to up to that point. Her Side: It was the first weekend I had come up to Chicago to see Mark. The whole weekend was really nice getting to see him in his element, with showing me the house and the ideas that he had for it. That weekend was really emotional for me I was struggling with if I was truly ready for this serious of a relationship. No worries by Sunday evening after we hosted his small group together I had a peace about it all. So that night after everyone left we had the "define the relationship talk". Which mostly was me awkwardly asking if we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I literally felt like I was back in high school for a moment.

His Side: I wanted a unique proposal. I wanted to surprise her. I am thankful her mom and dad were able to set the stage for the proposal since I couldn't get there any sooner. I ordered these LED letters and had them shipped to her parents where we were meeting. There was no question mark so to punctuate the "Marry Me" it spelled so it was really more of a command which we still laugh about. Her parents were also gracious enough to throw a nice celebration meal. I am also thankful for her neighbor Robyn for catching the memories with her camera. Terra's nephew said at dinner, "you done good." I think he's right. Proposing to Terra was a good move. Her Side: I saw it coming a little bit. We had obviously had several conversations about getting married and when that would be by this point. However I did not see it coming that night. I thought I was surprising my mom by us getting to the house earlier than initially planned. So when she acted surprised we were there I didn't second guess it. She almost immediately told me she needed to show me something. Which I was like can I put my bag down first, but it wasn't too out of character for her to do that. So I follow her into her room where she grabs this dress and is talking about how it doesn't fit her and maybe it will fit me, do I want to try it on. I said I was good ( I guess her plot was if I wasn't dressed nice enough that's how she was going to make sure I was dressed nice). We come out of the room and I notice Mark isnt there and I see a flash outside. My mom pointed out she thought Mark was out there so I went out and there he was standing next to these letters that said Marry Me. I was stunned and didn't know how to react for a moment. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said Yes! Im so glad he managed to surprise me even when I was waiting for it to happen.

With varying schedules, we managed to meet on average a couple weekends a month. Sometimes it took hopping a train to catch a bus, an overnight drive, or meeting someplace. Mark will never forget the look on Terra's face when he surprised her with a visit by showing up on Terra's steps. And Terra will never forget the look on Marks's face when she reciprocated the favor.

We hope to grow together loving God, loving each other, and loving others. We are so grateful for the people in our lives that have supported our relationship and made it easier. Please continue to help support us through prayer, Godly advice, and encouragement. Marriage will be the greatest adventure of our lives and we are excited for it to begin!

https://vimeo.com/449044083 Click on the link above to watch virtually it will take you to the site. The link will not connect to the live stream until the ceremony officially starts at 3pm so refresh the link at that time.