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On October 5, 2024, Mr. DeRocher was visiting his son, David, in Virginia Beach, VA. While David was spending time with friends, Mr. DeRocher went to catch up with an old friend—the ODU head volleyball coach—at an ODU volleyball game. After the game, he met Gabby, one of the coaches. When he asked which church she attended, she mentioned that she goes to Ascent, along with several of the other coaches, typically at the earliest service. Mr. DeRocher shared that his son also attends that church and that they were planning to go the next morning. Gabby invited him to join them at the earliest service—which was very different from David, who normally prefers the latest one. That night, he told David about the plan to attend the earliest service, mentioning that some of his coach friends from ODU would be there. Even though David had been out late with friends, he agreed and headed home early to get some rest. The next morning, Mr. DeRocher and David made it to the service on time. Sitting in the back, as David typically prefers, Gabby came over to say a quick hello. She and David introduced themselves, and she invited them to sit in the front row with the other coaches—definitely outside of David’s comfort zone. Still, they moved up and spent the service in the front, as close to the stage as possible. After the service, Mr. DeRocher and David planned to grab coffee and food at a local spot before Mr. DeRocher was heading out of town. On the way out, Mr. DeRocher casually invited the coaches to join them, and Gabby was the only one who said yes. Gabby met them at American Brew, where she and David quickly fell into conversation—talking about their backgrounds, their lives, and what brought them to Virginia Beach. They instantly clicked and couldn’t stop talking. Eventually, it was time to go their separate ways. Before leaving, David asked for Gabby’s number and mentioned he’d like to come to the next ODU game that Friday. Gabby agreed, and they both left laughing about how such a random encounter had essentially turned into a date. David planned to bring some friends to Gabby’s game on Friday, but before that, Gabby spontaneously invited him to a trivia night at Bold Mariner Brewing on Thursday. Of course, David said yes. He picked her up, and they ended up having an amazing first date—talking about everything and anything until the place closed. After that night, they found a way to see each other almost every day (aside from the occasional travel trips and deployment), and there hasn’t been a day since without some kind of communication between them. What started as a chance meeting became something neither of them could have planned. God brought them together in the most unexpected way, and with each day, their story continues to grow stronger, deeper, and more meaningful than the last.