In the summer of ’23, I worked at a camp, the Wilds of New England, because I was confident the Lord wanted me there. I didn’t quite understand why, I knew I didn’t want to come to try to find someone. I was here for the campers. Then the first week I met Katarina, I told myself I wouldn’t do anything about it but I knew she’d be on my mind. I tried to forget about it because when I tried some friendly conversation I felt like she was being kind but sending the clear message that she didn’t want to be close. Fast-forward a few weeks, we hadn’t interacted much but I was still interested, I asked a friend jokingly if I could join a group (including Katarina) to a coffee shop and Katarina overheard it and encouraged me to come. That was the first time we got to talk and from there our relationship went in crescendo as eventually I got her number and started texting back and forth daily. Through this all, I wondered what the Lord was doing because it didn’t seem feasible even though it felt like He was leading. Out of caution, I didn’t do anything about the relationship until the last day of camp, when I just had a certainty I had to talk to her and get on the same page. That August 4th we decided we did want to pursue a relationship and started talking. From camp, we went to long-distance dating, where I went back to Bob Jones University for my senior year, and Katarina went to MD, Fiji, AL, and ME. Through this time the Lord provided sweet opportunities for us to see each other and time on the phone to intentionally get to know each other and grow in the Lord together. One blessing that is on my mind was that my prayer was that God would make it easy for us to see each other as a sign of His direction in our relationship. In November —as my sister Andrea was planning a backpacking trip to Bolivia for me, my brother-in-law, and a friend— the Lord worked it out so that our tickets could be easily changed so I could spend a long weekend in MD when Katarina was home. The Lord used those 3 days together to establish us in our relationship and to give us so much peace that we could make it through the year. From there, the Lord led us through Christmas break in Spain —where the Lord’s provision was incredible as He brought Katarina to Spain for the perfect time in the perfect way— and a long Spring semester in which we got to see each other every month at least once. A notable mention is my surprise April trip, where I asked Katarina to be my wife on April 26th at a beach near her house. I was incredibly blessed that the Lord arranged it such that we could have both our families there that day. Since then, the Lord has led us through a summer of camp at the Wilds of New England again. A time that has grown our relationship and I trust it has equipped us to do ministry together better in the future. From here, this fall we will have to do some more long-distance as I am moving to MN for my career and Katarina will remain closer to home. We are excited to see how God will continue to provide for us and bring us closer to each other. Our Lord is kind and faithful!

Daniel and I met while serving at The Wilds of New England in the summer of 2023. I couldn’t tell you the first time I saw or talked to him (although he recounts it in great detail). Several weeks into the summer I could be quoted as saying “I don’t like him, but from what I’ve seen of his character I would be interested in getting to know him more.” As the weeks went on we began to talk more and more. Little conversations here and there. Encouraging notes in each other’s mailbox. Text conversations about how God was working in our lives and that of the campers and staff. The last few weeks of camp I was most assuredly interested in Daniel, but confident the feeling was not mutual. Little did I know, he very much felt the same way. On August 3rd, 2023, the LAST full day of camp, we met in the Barn Porch early in the morning and he told me he was interested in me and would like to continue to get to know me after camp. To say I was excited would be an understatement. The next day he left on his way back to Greenville, and when I left for Maryland several days later we spent roughly five hours (out of the 8.5) on the phone just talking. When we left camp there were a lot of unknowns as to what a relationship would look like for us with him going back to South Carolina and me to Maine, but throughout our entire relationship, we have seen God’s guiding hand and faithfulness. In August I had a trip planned to visit my dear friend (and Maid of Honor), Natalie, in Alabama. Daniel and I were fairly certain God was leading us towards a relationship, but we had little time in person, just the two of us. I mean, we hadn’t even been on a date. On September 1st, while visiting my friend, Daniel drove 11 hours round trip so we could go on our first date. Safe to say, I had fallen completely. Several weeks later, on September 18th, Daniel officially asked me to be his girlfriend. When we left camp we didn’t know the next time we would be able to see each other, and believed it wouldn’t be until the New Year. I was able to see Daniel in September, November, and December. We were able to spend part of Thanksgiving break with my family in Maryland, and part of Christmas break with his family in Spain. Although we have been long-distance for the majority of our relationship we have been able to be in person at least once every month in the past year (except for October). By the spring of 2024, Daniel and I were certain God was leading us to marriage, and I was certain that meant a proposal on May 4th, but Daniel was determined to surprise me. On April 26th, the weekend between his last week of classes and finals in his senior year, Daniel drove from Greenville, SC to surprise me. What I had expected to be an evening meal with my mom and his parents ended up being a sunset picnic on the beach. He took me to the beach I grew up going to with my family, right on the Chesapeake Bay, and it was there he asked me to be his wife. Daniel is a beautiful expression of God’s goodness in my life and I cannot wait to marry him.

El verano de ’23 firmé el contrato para volver a trabajar en un campamento en New Hampshire. No sabía si iba a ser muy diferente al verano anterior, pero sabía que no quería ir con ideas de encontrar algo romántico. Iba a ir para aprended sobre Dios, y a enseñar el amor de Cristo a esos jóvenes. La primera semana ahí conocí a Katarina. Al verla supe que no buscaría nada ahí, pero que me costaría quitármela de la mente. Un aspecto de ella que me llamó la atención era cómo mostraba amor y compasión por otros. Unas semanas después, un amigo mío me invitó a ir con un grupo a una cafetería. No planeaba ir, pero viendo que Katarina iba y que no tenía nada que hacer me uní al grupo. Durante esa tarde pude hablar con Katarina y conocerla mejor, y el interés se hizo real. De ahí empezamos a hablar más amenudo, buscando momentos en los días de campamento para hablar. Llegando al fin de campamento, el 4 de Agosto, me surgió el dilema de si buscar una relación o si dejar lo que teníamos en una amistad. No fue hasta el último día de campamento que orando mucho sentí que era mejor hablar con ella y ver lo que Dios tenía para nosotros. Como es de esperar viendo que nos casamos en unos meses, empezamos a hablar a pesar de la distancia ya que yo volvía a la universidad para mi último año de carrera y ella iba la otra dirección por un contrato de corto plazo. Empezamos a salir el 18 de Septiembre, y tuvimos un año de muchos viajes en los cuales nos llamábamos para hablar y el Señor nos ha cuidado. Entre los dos llegamos a 5 países y una docena de estados, eso sin contar sus visitas a mi universidad y mis visitas a su familia. El 26 de Abril nos comprometimos para casarnos este 4 de Enero. Nos faltan palabras para expresar la gratitud que tenemos a nuestro Dios, quien nos ha guiado con su infinito amor y nos ha dado la paciencia y sabiduría que requiere una relación en etapas a distancia. Compartimos también nuestra gratitud a la familia y los amigos que han compartido su alegría por nosotros y su amor sobre los años. Lamentamos que muchos no puedan venir para compartir el día con nosotros, pero nos acordamos de muchas buenas memorias y el deseo de estar por España y reconectar. Que el Señor os bendiga, un abrazo, Daniel y Katarina