Carter and I met at RYS (Reformed Youth Services) in July of 2023. I wanted to meet people who could be my friends for the week but I never imagined I would marry the friend that I met at RYS! I prayed the first night I was there that the Lord would bring me friends since my friends from the last year weren't there. I was rather alone with my sister and one other kid from our church among 700 kids! I wasn’t sure what I would do all week if I didn’t meet anyone. The next morning I noticed Carter in the dinning room. He noticed me during the first session because our church group sat in front of his church group in all of the main sessions that week. It didn't take long before we started making eye contact when we passed each other and I knew he wanted to talk to me. The first time we introduced ourselves, we started walking to one of our workshops and talking together. We entered the building and walked right past Carter's family and church group. They even said hi to him and we walked right by and didn't even realize they were there. We spent the rest of the week trying to find each other in the crowd of 700 kids and spent every moment we could talking to each other. At the end of the week he asked me for my phone number. After RYS we texted every day. After a month we started calling each other. We stayed up until midnight some nights talking. I often walked 6 or so miles while on the phone with him. There didn't seem to be an end of things to talk about.

Three weeks before he came to visit my family for the first time, I got in a horse wreck and broke my collar bone as well as receiving a very bad brain injury. This made our relationship harder in some aspects as I was very moody from my head injury but it also slowed me down so that I focused more on our relationship and didn’t get carried away with work. Our dating relationship has been a growing and sculpting relationship. Through it all we learned what really mattered, that living first for the Lord is what makes a healthy relationship and a content person. We learned that when there are disagreements it's often because we're focusing on ourselves more than the other person. We have seen how much closer our relationship is when we are living zealously for God and focusing on the things that matter to him. There is so much more to learn and grow in but I find it interesting to look back and see how God had a hand in everything.

When Carter came and visited my family for the first time, he was very quiet. There was something strange about talking so much with someone but only having seen them once. Despite the intimidation for Carter of a totally new place and new family plus my struggles from my accident, we had a great time. We went on hikes in the Sawtooth, went fishing in a reservoir near our house, took him to see City of Rocks, saw the wind caves and Salmon Dam, and even swam in Red Fish Lake in October!

Our second time seeing each other, my sister Damaris and I flew out to see Carter and his family in December. We had a lot of fun with their family and I felt very at home with them. In January Carter came to visit us one last time before going back to Reformation Bible College for his last semester.

We spent the rest of the winter and spring texting and calling almost every day. When he graduated from his first year of college, he went home for one week and then moved out here. The summer proved to be much harder than I ever imagined. Carter's job was two hours away and we did not see each other as much as we thought we would. Carter worked by himself and lived in a camper. I was struggling quite a bit from my head injury. I had light sensitivity, headaches, extreme exhaustion, and depression. I didn't even have the energy to visit him much. We did get to see each other every Sunday at church, and occasionally during the week. In the fall he started working for Nutrien AG solutions. I often wondered why God made the first summer so hard and so different from how we imagined it. I know that because it was so hard, we learned to depend on the Lord a lot more than we would have.

I started feeling more like myself in the fall and was able to do a lot of riding work for our boss. My sister's and I have been blessed with a very good riding job for the last four years.

Carter proposed to me on October nineteenth while we were hunting for elk in the South Hills. At one lookout he had me look through binoculars for Elk. When I was done glassing and turned around, he was on one knee. I was not expecting it!

In November we got to fly out to see Carter's family again. It was another really nice trip and it is always hard to say goodbye.

The rest of the winter has been fairly busy. We have gotten to really grow closer to each other and spend lots of time together. We are currently taking pre-marriage counseling which has been really good. We have both been really enjoying it. We would recommend the book we’re going through to every couple. We are also going through the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class which is also very beneficial. Carter is taking our church membership class so he can join the church.

Through it all it is amazing to see how God provides and comforting to know that he is sovereign and already has a plan for our future. Our security is in him as we take this next step in our lives. Carter and I are excited to see what the future holds and where he will guide us.

-Priscilla