Trains, Worms, and Fish... You could say that’s a weird combination. And indeed you’d be right! But if you can believe, that’s how our story started. And we imagine, very few people on earth can say that. The mere site of a train has always seemed to make Ashley jump out of her seat with excitement. Little did she realize that ever since I was a child, I had always dreamed of playing with the model train my father once bought. Since we met, we’ve come to appreciate our shared, although unusual, love for trains; whether they are large or small. That having been said, you can imagine our pleasant surprise to discover that something as slimy as fish and worms would also draw us closer. Turns out, Ashley was actually a sort of worm farmer you could say. Or better yet, worm 'whisperer'. She’d skillfully hunt them at night; enticing them to come up to the surface; caring for them until she’d adopt them off to some appreciative fishermen. She herself turned out to love worms and fishing almost as much as trains. Many times we’d go fishing with other friends in Delta and enjoy shared experiences of catching fish and enjoying Jehovah’s creation. Ashley taught me that worms could be kept alive for a loooong time. It would just require some love, food, and a cool refrigerator to store them. And since her roommate cringed at the thought of keeping them at their place, I was voted the caretaker of our small cache of worms. Would you believe, those worms are still alive??? Happy and healthy! And they were from last year! A testament to how with love, attention, and patience something many would dismiss, can actually thrive.

But even more than trains, worms, and fish... it turns out that our shared love for Jehovah God attracted us to each other. Ashley, with genuine humility, has always demonstrated a sincere love for Jehovah that has helped her to overcome many challenges and has helped her become the beautiful person that she is. In turn, Jehovah has helped me find purpose in life that has allowed me to taste of His goodness and become one of His people. In short, it’s weird. We know. Trains, fish, and worms... Who would have ever imagined? ... But, that’s what happened :) It’s our hope that trains, fish, and worms will continue to play a role in binding us together. However, we know that it’s only our shared love for Jehovah that will cement us together for years to come.