God brought Michael and I together through our time as missionaries with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). We were placed on the same missionary team at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg in 2021, and we very easily grew in friendship, but there were definitely some sparks flying! We just seemed to click, and we both loved hanging out with our team and being in each other's company. About halfway through the year, Emily asked the team if anyone wanted to workout with her... and Mike was the only one who took her up on that. We started working out together every now and then and got to know each other better. By the second semester, we knew there was more than just friendship there. But as per FOCUS policy, Emily was required to be on a Dating Fast until the end of her first year, so we couldn't pursue each other further yet. At the end of the semester when Emily FINALLY got off her dating fast, she knew Michael had feelings for her, even though he hadn't spoken up. After working out together one day, she confessed her feelings to him, and he responded that he had feelings too!!!! (but he was praying a Novena and wasn't sure if he should tell her lol). We were both so excited! But that's not the happy ending yet- FOCUS also has a policy that you can't be on the same team and date, so one of us would've had to move campuses, and we weren't ready to do that yet. We decided the best option was to stay on the same team and continue to grow in friendship and then revisit dating at the end of the school year. So we did.... and boy was that next year a challenge! But it was truly for the best, as our friendship with each other and with God deepened. At the end of that year in May 2023, Mike asked Emily on their first date, and a few weeks later, we were official!!! But after discerning and praying where God was calling us the next year, we had to make a tough decision to start our relationship long distance, as Emily was planning to move to the Coast of Mississippi to start teaching, and Michael got offered a position in Denver at the FOCUS headquarters working for the Bosco Project! If you think your relationship was complicated LOL... but since then we dated for two and half WONDERFUL years long distance, with frequent Facetimes, phone calls, virtual dates, and visits every couple months. We grew SO MUCH in our relationship with each other and with God, and we felt him calling us to take the next step. Mike proposed in October of 2025 (which involved my car breaking down on the way and lots of plans changing)!! We are extremely happy to be engaged and are ECSTATIC to FINALLY be GETTING MARRIED on OCTOBER 10, 2026!!!!!! Michael and I know we wouldn't have the AMAZING relationship that we do today without all the challenges and ups and downs we faced. God is truly making us the saints that we are made to be and teaching us to love one another as God loves us all! We are so excited to celebrate our special day with each of you!! (Okay there's your happy ending) :)