NEVER did we EVER think we would fall in love. We have been co-workers since 2019 when the pandemic hit and we, as missionaries, got paired to lead a team to do a video series for families at home during the pandemic. We became the dream team! Ever since, we have worked together in leadership and that was that, the amazing Sarah and Gabriel duo, an unstoppable team. We developed an amazing friendship and deep trust for one another. Everyone always called us work wife and work husband. Looking back at it now, everyone anticipated and loved the idea of us as a couple, but we were clueless! Come spring of 2022, we had both been crushing on each other for a while but didn't think the other was interested and figured it was too complicated. Until Sarah's birthday April 10th 2022, Gabe mysteriously ended up coming to the mass he knew Sarah's parents were coming to for her birthday. Sarah's parents, being the sly dogs they are and knowing about Sarah's crush on Gabe, made her invite him to brunch with them. The next day, you guessed it, Gabe asked Sarah out! (Shoutout to Bill and Lori for the push!) Our first date was something of a dream. Being best friends really is what made our first date so magical. We had fun and laughed and were so comfortable with each other. At the end of our first date, both of us knew this was going to be something really special. Fun Fact: Gabe almost said "I love you" on the first date! 🤭 We started a rosary novena that day praying and discerning into the relationship, sitting together everyday in person at the gazebo in Sarah's neighborhood. On day eight-teen of the rosary novena Gabe asked me to be his girlfriend and of course, I said YES! We both fell hard and fast. Like we said before, being best friends really propelled us into a beautiful relationship. I love you's exchanged just weeks into dating.. and I know what some of you are thinking, thats crazy! And we thought so too! But, it just was real and so evident. Falling in love with each other was like a movie where all the stars align for the perfect moment, like a hallmark movie. It was so un-orchestrated by us, it just felt like surprise gift after surprise gift as our relationship and love for each other grew. We really have our Blessed Mother to thank for that, as we handed her our intention for a beautiful, holy and pure relationship everyday, we felt the graces of that intention being carried. At the end of August, we decided that we would take a trip to Myrtle Beach. I got to stay with close family friends and Gabe, a college friend! This trip was so beautiful and some of the most pure and holy memories we have of our relationship so far and where everything really changed for us. Myrtle Beach, God really sent us on mission getting to meet and pray with so many beautiful people and we really discovered mission in our relationship and how God wanted to move in and through us as a couple. Myrtle Beach we really truly fell so deeply in love with each other and desired a future together. Moving to the proposal, the most beautiful and wonderful day. We met for mass in the morning and Sarah very obviously did not know what was going to happen that day until the priest said "today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe" and just like that I knew! That gut feeling they say you get, well, it's a real thing. Both of us we're so antsy all day and we finally get to the evening and Gabe asked me to marry him under that very same gazebo where we prayed the novena coming into our relationship and surprised me at the local church with 54 roses for the novena he did to Our Lady of Guadalupe for a beautiful, holy and pure engagement and marriage. We prayed the last day of the novena together in front of the Eucharist and then joined our families to celebrate. It was a magical day. It has been the most beautiful and miracle filled experience falling in love with each other and we can't wait to celebrate becoming one with all of you!