Jonathan moved to the Middle East in March of 2020, and Marisa moved to the same city in April 2021. About two weeks after living in the same city, Marisa heard about a coffee shop ran by an Australian Christian couple. It was close to her house and she decided to go check it out. She went to go order a coffee and that’s when she met Jonathan who was working at the shop. They bonded over finding out they were both from Texas, but that was about it. Soon after they first met Marisa joined the English Language Club they were running at the same coffee shop. Marisa joined and continued to see and talk with Jonathan and over the next year they grew to be friends. Summer of 2022 rolled around and Marisa started to get more involved in Jonathan’s ministries, such as rugby practices, English club, and even some game nights. So even though Marisa and Jonathan were still friends they started seeing each other more often. One night in May 2022 after an English club we all went to dinner together and Marisa and Jonathan sat together at the end of the table across from a local friend. Throughout dinner the conversation changed into a spiritual one and Jonathan and Marisa began sharing together with their local friend. While they were sharing the gospel with their friend Marisa and Jonathan both looked at each other during the talk and had the thought, “this would be nice to do with a spouse”. “The accidental tea date” - After dinner Marisa and Jonathan left their friends and were walking toward the bus to go home. And Marisa looked at Jonathan and said, “I realize that we have been friends for awhile and I don’t know your story.” Marisa would like to mention that she was not shooting a shot, but just genuinely curious. Then Jonathan responded with, “oh that’s a long story…..but there’s a cafe. We could go sit and have a tea and I could tell you?” So they went and sat and both shared their stories, they stayed until closing, Jonathan paid for the tea, and as they went their separate ways as Jonathan said “we should do this again sometime.” And then walking away thinking, was that a date? Two days later Marisa gets a text from Jonathan asking her to a coffee. And because life happens about one month passed before they were actually able to, but in that month Marisa and Jonathan texted and chatted at English club and started getting interested. On July 7, 2022 they went on their first date to Korean food and a coffee. They talked the whole time and that was it, they knew this was going to happen for them. They continued to date through the summer and fall as conversations got more serious, about one month after dating one night on the ferry ride Marisa told Jonathan she loved him. Thankfully he said it back. They started to talk with friends and mentors as they started to talk about marriage. On November 21, 2022 on the coastline in the middle of a rainstorm Jonathan got down on one knee and asked Marisa to marry him. And Marisa said “are you really doing this right now?!” Then followed up by a “yes of course!” Now Marisa and Jonathan are back in America for a few months seeing family and trying to prepare for life together in the Middle East. They will get married in April, and in the summer of 2023, almost one year after their first date, they will return to the Middle East married to open a coffee shop called “Home”. From the very beginning through our entire relationship we have said “God is showing off”. Because we have seen how we have been knit precisely for one another. God has shown us that our marriage will be a picture of his relationship with us. And will be a picture to our friends and family of what Christs love looks like. How he loves and pursues us so deeply. Our marriage is for our King and I am blown away that God has given me a soon to be husband who is my best friend and loves me like Christ loved the church.