We're Getting married!

In the summer of 2023, Emma was serving in a five-week program as an MVP for Super Summer Camp. During the first week of camp, she asked her supervisor if she could serve as a Red School Team Leader for the 7th graders, which was something she had always wanted to do at a summer camp. On the very first day of Team Leader training, Emma met the other TLs, one of whom was Joel! It didn’t take long—barely a day—for the two of them to click. They found themselves drawn to each other’s hearts for the Lord, their shared joy in serving students, and a natural ease in each other’s presence. From Emma’s perspective, Joel stood out instantly. He was thoughtful, creative, intelligent, and deeply compassionate. Lucky for her, Joel felt the same—he admired Emma’s passion for youth ministry and enjoyed speaking with her about her experiences. Over the course of camp, the two grew closer through laughter, conversations about life back home, and awe-filled reflections on the work God was doing around them. After camp ended, Joel reached out and asked Emma if she played chess. Emma DID NOT play chess…Joel does not need to know that, because in true rom-com fashion, she said yes anyway. Their connection continued through sporadic texts and daily online chess matches. But living three hours apart made things difficult. Slowly, the conversations faded. Still, they always cared for one another deeply, and even as time passed, they remained kind, attentive friends—checking in occasionally with brief updates or a shared memory. Then, on January 10, 2025, almost a year and a half later, Joel reached out again. His message was simple: “We should start playing chess again.” Emma excitedly agreed. Eleven days later, they decided to catch up over a quick FaceTime call while Emma was serving at a youth event. That call lasted eight hours… until 7 a.m. On their second FaceTime, they both admitted what they had quietly carried since camp: admiration, affection, and a deep sense of something special. With every conversation, it became more and more clear; this felt right. By the third call, Joel told Emma he loved her and that he had every intention of marrying her. And Emma? She felt the same way. Now, just months later, THEY ARE MAKING IT HAPPEN!

In the weeks leading up to the proposal, Joel secretly teamed up with Emma’s best friend, Alyssa, to create the perfect plan—despite having only a short window to pull it off. With Emma’s college graduation coming up in May, Joel knew she would soon need senior photos. And who better to take them than her closest friend? While Emma thought she was simply preparing for a casual photoshoot, Joel was carefully working behind the scenes. He stayed in close contact with Alyssa, coordinating the date, location, and overall aesthetic. He even made sure to subtly ask Emma about her outfit, and then went out and bought a completely new one just to match her perfectly. On the day of the proposal, Emma was having her senior photos taken at Joe Pine Coffee in downtown Marshall, Texas. As far as she knew, Joel was three hours away, hard at work in Lumberton. In reality, he was sitting just around the corner in his car, waiting for her. Right before she stepped outside for a few more photos behind the coffee shop, Emma gave Joel a quick call to check in. He picked up the phone and gave the performance of a lifetime—pretending to be frazzled and distracted by his workday; Emma was entirely convinced. Just five minutes later, while Emma posed in front of a charming brick wall, she stepped around the corner, and there was Joel, down on one knee! This turned into a very special and humorous moment because Emma was absolutely stunned, and also overjoyed by what was happening! After the surprise, the newly engaged couple spent the next few hours soaking it all in—reminiscing about how Joel pulled off every little detail, laughing, eating sushi, and capturing the joy with plenty of pictures to share with their loved ones!