How We Met Jon and Emilia met through a friend in high school 6 years ago. “ I remember the first time I saw Jon, he walked up to me while I was cheering on my soccer team as I was on the bench. Mid-game he introduced himself, I thought to myself, this guy is really bold." “I had just moved from Illinois to Columbus, Ohio, and was eager to make new friends. One of my classmates mentioned that her best friend was also from Congo, so I asked for her contact information. That same day, I showed up at a soccer game to meet her in person. I walked up, introduced myself with a handshake, and the rest is history. My first impression of her? I honestly thought she was beautiful. She had her hair in an afro, and man... the rest is history.” Our Friendship Through a series of strange events it seemed like their friendship was inevitable. They quickly became best friends. "Jonathan is the best friend anyone could ever have. He quite literally knows how to do everything. He is quick to listen, super attentive and the kindest person in the world. No bias." “To this day, one thing I deeply admire and applaud about Emilia is her ability to love without any ulterior motives. As we were getting to know each other through friendship, I had the chance to observe how she spoke about and cared for her family and friends. The more our friendship grew, the more I realized just how genuine and pure her heart truly is. She doesn’t always believe me when I tell her that not everyone has the same heart posture as she does—that kind of genuine love and selflessness isn’t as common as it should be. But it’s true. The way she loves is rare, and it’s something I never took for granted in our “friendship.” Lovers or Friends? Through spending almost everyday together during COVID-19 lockdown, the lines between lovers and friends became blurred, Jonathan and Emilia fell in love. "I knew I loved Jonathan one day during COVID lockdown when we were taking one of our many long walks together. We had woken up at around 7am to walk at a park. Throughout the walk we talked about present life, the future and bonded on our shared cultural and family experiences. We finished our walk several hours later. We had been together all day yet I couldn't get enough. I knew I loved him then. I still haven't gotten enough." “I knew I loved this girl, honestly, from the moment I first breathed the same air as her… But if I’m being real, I think I truly fell for her the day she gave me a listening ear. I was giving her a ride to school, just talking about my life story as I drove. Poor girl, my accent was so thick back then that it was hard to understand me. But she actually turned toward me, unbuckled her seatbelt, and leaned in closer just so she wouldn’t miss a single word. That moment stuck with me. Us Congolese men don’t wait, so I bought a ring that same night… nah, just kidding. But that’s when my soft spot for her started growing — and to this day, it still hasn’t stopped.” Proposal After 5 years of dating Jonathan proposed on June 15 2025. "It was the happiest day of my life so far. I still dream about it to this day. My closest friends and family surrounded me, celebrating our love. Ugh, I wish he could propose everyday." “I always joke that I want someone’s daughter to propose to me too — lol, just kidding. In all honesty, I was so humbled that someone as incredible as Emilia was so excited and joyful to spend the rest of her life with me. I truly am the lucky one… but the truth is, we’re both blessed. I’ve found the one that my soul loves.” May 2nd 2026 is the big day. “We envision our wedding as the happiest, most joyful day of our lives. We are so excited to celebrate with our special people near us. Our wedding will not only be a display of our love but will be rooted in the love of Jesus. We aim to intentionally blend our Congolese heritage with American traditions to honor our families and our faith.”