I met Josh at summer camp when I was 14, and he was just about 16 years old. We both ended up at Tri State Bible Camp at the same week, and this tall kid with rosacea hung out with my youth group and played ultimate frisbee with us every day. All I really remembered about this kid was that he wore this awful outfit that consisted of bright red Adam Sandler shorts and a green shirt. Along with my friend and sister, we nicknamed him “Christmas Tree”, the boy with rosacea who loved playing frisbee. I saw him next year at another youth group event, and then didn’t see or think about him until college. We both attended Bob Jones University, and I knew he went there, but still never thought about him. But every once in a while, he’d pop into my life with a Instagram message. And every time it happened, I always knew it meant he was single ;) I was always polite, but never encouraged conversation. In the summer of 2020, he messaged me, and I decided to give it a chance. We went back and forth and exchanged numbers, but after a week, I ghosted him after unforeseen events. I actually had one of my friends “break it off” for me because I had no idea how to tell this kid my world had turned upside down and didn’t want to talk to him anymore. But through it all, he occasionally reached out and was always kind. However, I never gave him much of my time. Through both of our heartbreaks and trials, God was beautifully and intricately weaving our lives together. We both ended up on Coffey Ministries together, a music ministry team that traveled across the country. I was so excited to travel until I found out Josh was traveling too. I was not thrilled. I was so afraid that things would be awkward, or even worse, that he still liked me and would want to date me. Through our first year of traveling, God challenged and grew both of us. There were times where I couldn’t stand this guy, but through the closed exterior Josh put up, God was inside, slowly chipping away more of Josh to reveal more of Him. And while He did that, He was doing it to me too. When our second year of traveling began, I fell more in love with this ministry opportunity God blessed me with, and unexpectedly, began to fall in love with the blue-eyed boy I swore I would never date, let alone marry. His gruff exterior had melted away to reveal a man who was gentle and slow to anger. Through so many hard situations, he was calm and gracious. We started to laugh together and get along, and suddenly I felt myself wanting to be around him. I found every excuse I could to be next to him during the day and tried to find reasons to text him at night. I knew I had to keep my feelings under wraps, but I didn’t do a good job. Lucky for me, I quickly found out he felt the same, and ever since September of 2023, we were slowly falling in love with each other. After our last few months of traveling were cut short, I moved my life to Michigan to be near him, and on February 9th, 2024, he asked me to be his girlfriend. Following that, I was hesitant for months (I think he was ready to be engaged far before I was), but at the end of the summer of 2024, I knew in my heart that I had found the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He completely surprised me with our engagement on our 9 month dating anniversary, and I have been counting down the days until I get to call him mine!

The story of Rachel and I begins before she officially entered my life. It was my first-ever summer Bible camp, and at 15, everything felt new and exciting. Among all the new faces, one stood out—Rachel. She wasn't just any girl; she was amazing at ultimate frisbee, and to my teenage heart, she was mesmerizing. But everyone knows camp relationships rarely last, so I never thought anything would come of it. Yet, Rachel stayed in my mind, like a sweet memory I couldn't shake. Years went by, and life happened. To my surprise, I found out Rachel began to attend the same college as me the year after I began. But our paths didn’t cross with any real intention. It wasn't until 2020, after a tough breakup, that Rachel came back into my life. I saw a video of her singing on Facebook for a recital, and her voice was angelic. Feeling a mix of nostalgia and admiration, I reached out to her, telling her how beautiful her performance was and trying to strike up a conversation. We started talking, but as life goes, our communication fizzled out, and we didn't keep up a friendship. I thought that was it. Fast forward to two weeks before I joined a traveling ministry team, and guess what? Rachel was also part of the team. The girl I had crushed on intermittently for almost nine years was now a fellow team member. Eager for team yet cautious towards Rachel, I reached out to the team leader, Aaron Coffey, who bluntly told me to "get over it." The team had a rule against inter-team dating, so it was very clearly a dismissal, and during the first year, my lingering bitterness at a past situation made it easier to comply. But the second year was a different story. I found myself drawn to Rachel yet again. I knew that we couldn’t start a relationship while on team, yet, I couldn’t help but want to talk to her, hear about her walk with God, and see her spiritual growth over the past year. Our conversations were uplifting, and I felt encouraged watching her blossom in ministry opportunities and showing Christ-like love. By God’s grace, through some unexpected and difficult circumstances, the team commitments ended in December 2023 and in February 2024, Rachel and I began dating. It was the result of years of crushing, chance encounters, intentional messaging, and God’s perfect timing. Our story, which began years before it officially started, is a testament to patience, faith, and the mysterious ways God works, and I can't wait to marry her.