This is a story of God’s perfect timing... You see, it all started years before Karen and Raphael ever met. 5 years prior to the day they set eyes on each other, they were walking the same roads, halls, hills, studying at the same library, eating late night pizza at the same place, and going to the same typical college parties at The University of Maryland. Did their paths ever cross? It’s likely. But God knew the time was not yet perfect for them to meet. They learned, they grew, they traveled, & served in their local church. Karen attended Union Church and began working there after college. Raph on the other hand was attending another local church and did not start attending Union Church until May 2021. Although they were both active in church, because they attended different Union locations, the couple never even heard of each other or had their first conversation until several months later. Later after exchanging numbers and a few dates the couple knew they both had something special in their midst.

Raph told Karen she was going to an all you can eat networking dinner that just happened to be right by his apartment. After picking her up, Raph told Karen he forget his wallet at home so they would need to stop by the apartment first. On the way up the elevators, Raph abruptly got off one floor earlier and told Karen he would meet her upstairs. As the elevator door was closing, and before Karen could really process what was going on, she was on the top rooftop floor. Awaiting her was not a networking dinner but instead, rose petals, a saxaphone player, and the couple's family and friends. As she made her walk through the rooftop floor, Raph was waiting outside in the connecting courtyard for his soon to be fiance for a private proposal just between them (and several photographers lol). To God be the glory!