Friends and family! We are so excited to celebrate our marriage with all of you! Some of y'all have walked with us over the last few years as we've approached this special day, but some of you have missed all the little details. We want to share our love story with you, but first we want to give all the credit for our relationship to the Lord! Every step, every success, every redemptive and loving moment of who we are and how we have grown together is a direct product of Jesus's love for us and direction in our lives. As we step into marriage, we are seeking to represent the way that Christ has loved the Church with sacrifice, selflessness, and unfathomable love. The day will (hopefully) be so fun, and the years we have spent moving this direction have been joyful, but the whole point, purpose, and possibility of this marriage is the glory of our God. We love you all! We met at Denton Bible Church in 2018, while still in high school, during a mission trip to Austria. Derek pretty quickly fell head over heels while in Europe, but Gabriela was a bit slower. We became fast friends (and maybe a bit more at times) and remained so through the end of Gabriela's senior year in high school. Everything fell apart when she went off to Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina leaving poor little Derek at the University of North Texas all alone. Our friendship was on-and-off for the duration of Gabriela's freshman year in college, until the (unlikely) blessing that was the COVID quarantine. Gabriela was sent back to Texas in March of 2020 with the majority of the country moving to online classes. We picked up right where we left off with all of our feelings in tow. We spent the majority of the summer hanging out with a wonderful friend group that just so happened to include both of us...all the time. At the end of that summer, much to Gabriela's shock, Derek professed his continued feelings for her. Much to his delight, those feelings were reciprocated. We began long-distance (after a mildly lengthy decision process a.k.a "time of prayer and consideration" - Gabriela) when she came home in November of 2020. We did long-distance from Texas to North Carolina for about a year and a half, and then Gabriela got bored and decided to go to Spain (to study abroad and learn Spanish). Like the lost puppy he is, Derek willingly followed (and worked with a missionary from Denton Bible Church for several months). When we returned, Derek took a job at Samaritan's Purse which just so happens to be headquartered in - you guessed it - Boone, North Carolina. Before moving to Boone, Derek got a ring and proposed in the same spot we had been on one of our first dates. Gabriela excitedly said yes! So here we are, with years of friendship and dating behind us eager to get married in May! We can't wait to see you all there!