the one whom my soul loves

Ryan and I met in high school when I had terrible hair and he was my over-enthusiastic section leader in band. But that wasn’t a great time for most of us, so I’m gonna skip to my junior year of college when I was looking for a medical missions trip. Ryan’s mom suggested I go with the same organization Ryan had traveled with two summers prior (COH). Turns out Ryan was going on a different team, so he became my go-to for any questions I had about traveling to Malawi. This isn’t the place to gush about how the trip absolutely changed my life outlook or how I still think about the people living there on a daily basis, so all I’m going to say is: If you have EVER considered going on a volunteer trip in any capacity we definitely need to talk! But back to the story: Ryan and I’s trips overlapped for like 48 hours but in that time I was able to see Ryan serving and loving the people I had come to know and love, and we had great conversation about our shared heart for international long-term missions [✔]. Organic chemistry required my full attention though, until 9 months later Ryan and I found ourselves riding together to Lexington for a COH reunion. After 1 midlife crisis, 3 theological debates, and 6 hours I was wondering why I hadn’t talked to him more often! Soon enough Ryan asked to talk to me on the phone about a sermon he had sent me called “The two wills of God”. He talked for hours and hours until he finally (at 1am) asked me out on a date, where we ended up seeing the movie “Paul, Apostle of Christ.” No question a relationship founded in international missions, built with biblical theology, and topped off with suffering for Christ is worth the snowstorms, sprained ankles, and more than a few close calls with Amtrak it took to get here. No question every second we spend together is one to cherish. No question why I said “YES” when he got down on one knee! Ryan, I’m so ready to do life with you -

It’s wild to recall that Anna and I were both in the Eureka High School marching band once upon a time and members of the #1 band section (trumpets, duh). But no high school sweetheart story – something better. On the backend of our college years, I had the privilege of introducing Anna to a mission trip in Malawi, Africa with Circle of Hope. I was just excited that someone I knew would also get to experience this place that rocked my world. Nearly a year later, COH had a reunion where many of us gathered together. It was this weekend Anna and I spent extensive time chatting and truly getting to know each other’s outlook on life. I discovered Anna’s great love and deep knowledge of God’s Word, her contagious joy and free spirit, her fun personality and being easy to talk to, and her equaled heart for the nations. Later, I remember thinking, “I may have found someone special here.” Eventually, having worked up the courage to ask her out, I found myself driving 4 hours through a snowstorm for our 1st date; I was ready to go! And then, I could hardly wait for Date #2. I was so pumped to be with someone who truly saw the world through the same lens, and any time together was never enough… I must say it was a bit overwhelming to meet 30 of Anna’s family members at once at her graduation, but that certainly wasn’t enough to scare me off. (Turns out they’re all pretty cool.) Long-distance dating often isn’t fun, always looking forward to the next date, but it does make the times together all the more precious. Anna is gracious, caring, faith-filled, loving, kind, joyful, and just the kind of person you want to have around. That’s why it was a no-brainer for me to ask her if she’d like to stick around for a lifetime. Encouraging each other daily to be more like Christ, having a greater Kingdom impact together than apart. I can’t wait to be Anna’s husband, not knowing what adventures lie ahead, but knowing a God who clearly has the whole thing rigged.