Our story is not a typical story. To truly appreciate how it all began, we have to start before we even knew our paths would cross.

In the summer of 2023, I (Emma) went on a mission trip with Cru to North Myrtle Beach, SC. It was there I met some amazing people, including friends who lived in La Crosse, WI. After the mission ended and fall began, a few of us from North Dakota planned a trip to see them. While in La Crosse, we stopped by a coffee shop called Jules (seriously, shout out to Jules it’s incredible). As I walked in with some friends, Caleb likes to say I "caught his eye” and in that moment he felt a tug from the Lord to lean into that. So he did. He decided that very night he would shoot his shot as I was leaving to go back to ND the next day, and asked me on a date for that very next day.

Now here comes my favorite part of the story to tell because you’d think I said yes, right? Well as Caleb likes to put it, “I was crushed when she said no.” As the days started to go by, I (Caleb) could not stop thinking about her so two weeks later, with some encouragement (and help crafting the perfect text from a friend’s wife), I gave it one more shot and reached out. She replied and that’s where everything truly began.

We started texting, then voice memos, then FaceTiming. Eventually, we began visiting each other 8 hours away. As the miles added up and time passed, things just clicked. I (Emma) may have made Caleb chase me a little, but it showed me that he wasn’t going to give up easily. In February, we officially started dating, and by May, we decided that after I returned from a mission trip to Africa, I’d move into a friend’s empty room and spend the summer in La Crosse. Best decision ever.

As our relationship grew, so did our commitment. Caleb had just graduated, and we decided he would move to North Dakota in the fall. So we prayed and prayed and the Lord answered, but not exactly how we envisioned. He ended up living with my family two hours away and helping my dad farm. I bet you did not expect that, because we did not either, haha. Meanwhile, I continued nursing school up in Grand Forks. Despite the distance, our relationship deepened in ways we hadn’t expected. Then came January and we had another answered prayer but again, not in the way we expected. The sweetest couple from church offered Caleb a place to stay in Grand Forks, and they’ve since become some of our closest friends.

Now for the part you’ve probably been waiting for: the proposal.

On April 5th, we got engaged. It was a beautiful day at Lake Itasca. I (Caleb) knew I wanted to propose there but wasn’t sure exactly when. With a little help from friends, I planned a “last-minute” hike for the weekend. Emma was all in, having no idea what was ahead. As we reached the Mississippi Headwaters (a river that has been a special place in our story), I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. And don’t worry this time she said YES!

We’re so full of joy and anticipation. The Lord has been moving in our story long before we even met, and we’re eager to see what He continues to do. We cannot wait to celebrate with all of you on August 9th, it truly can’t come soon enough!