-Willie- I thrive on spontaneity. I'm a traveler at heart, and a day doesn't feel complete unless I leave the house and go some place. I have a playful, disorganized, creative spirit. Planning any activity, (including this one), stresses me out. I lose my wallet frequently, along with keys and any other item required for daily function. I love to explore, following the map only when absolutely necessary. Maps keep you from getting lost, and I like being lost. I'm a long-haired dude from the forests of Kentucky that fell for a short-haired African woman from the city of Nairobi. She is an opposite in so many ways but she is an anchor for my dreams and passions. Without her they would drift away into the ether, unrealized. -Valerie- I need a plan. I like plans. Plans keep me sane and productive. I like to organize and clean (and when I say clean I mean thorough clean!) I love being home. I am definitely a home-body. I can stay indoors for days and be perfectly content. I keep my keys at the same exact place every day. I know where everything is because I like things in order. He loves beef, I love veggies. He loves reggae, I love jazz. He tells our son stories while I sing him songs. Every day with him is a wild exciting journey of mutual self-discovery, sometimes tears, many times laughter. He teaches me how to let go and play more and I help him find his keys :) It's a delicate balance of spontaneity and structure. Both things that we need from each other.

-Willie- NAIROBI My cousin Ben was a missionary kid in Kenya, and had traveled with me on a trip to raise funds for projects in Uganda and Nairobi. He had attended a church there called Good Shepherd, and we would often hang out there in our free time. On one such occasion, we heard a beautiful voice rehearsing songs from the chapel. The woman singing captured my attention, her face lit up with passion and joy. From the first moment, I wanted her. Getting her was the real struggle. She brushed me off for a solid year of monthly attempts at email conversation. She played coy, taking long to respond to my carefully worded soliloquies. My heart would race when I saw a message from her in my inbox. After an unreal amount of typed words, her defenses began to lower. Eventually, she agreed to come see me in Kentucky. And the rest, as they say, is history. -Valerie- VEGAS Before I left for Las Vegas I thought it would be nice to throw a farewell concert for my family at my home church. So we're rehearsing one evening and in walks this dude claiming he can play drums. He asks if he can jam with us and I said why not. He turned out to be very good actually. I was pleasantly surprised. But he had no phone and we had no way of communicating after that, so that was the last that I heard from him. Until I got to Las Vegas. I found out later that he got my email address from my Pastor (bold!) And from the first email that he wrote, I was hooked. The way he expresses himself when he writes really draws you in... I really enjoyed hearing from him. After 3 years or so of countless emails, phone calls and a few visits, he moved to Las Vegas. -Willie and Valerie- KENTUCKY 1 year later. Here we are! Home.