I first heard of Marianne through our mutual friend Vana (2011). I apparently was supposed to deliver a heartfelt letter to Marianne for Vana, but ended up (through no fault of my own) giving it to the wrong Marianne. I’ve always wondered what would have happened if I had met Marianne then, and if things would’ve ended up the same way. Fast-forward a few years to 2015, and I finally got to meet the famed and more importantly, the correct Marianne at a friend’s birthday dinner. She impressed me that night…not a shy bone in her body, especially when it came to Egyptian politics. I had to meet her…so I did what any guy would do…I convinced her friend to put in a good word for me and the rest is history, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

David and I did not really meet until late 2015 but I heard about him A LOT from my dearest friend Vana. I first heard about David from Vana before she went to serve in Zambia 2009/2010 and I had no idea who he was or what he looked like but what I heard about him was kindness and generosity. In 2011, when David went to Zambia, Vana gave him a letter and a gift to give to me, but because he didn’t know me at the time, he gave the letter & the gift to a different Marianne. What’s in the letter remains a mystery until now - even Vana doesn’t remember what she wrote - thanks to David. I saw him at liturgies with newly baptized youth talking to them and explaining what’s happening. I admired that a lot, because I was thinking the same, I just never had the courage to do it, but he does. It is funny to think how 2 people in the same church never crossed paths especially with someone who is super famous like David Mikhail - the love of my life - until one day, we finally met and after few days, he asked for my number and our story began...