Daniel had been traveling around the country for majority of this year when he decided to give Hinge a shot. He knew he wanted to end his travels in North Carolina to live closer to his siblings, so while he was still living in Nevada, he started looking for potential matches near Durham when he came across Aliyah. They immediately hit it off, and by the end of the first day of talking, he asked her if she'd be open to going on a first date.

Daniel cut his travels short in LA then drove across the country to North Carolina to make this first date happen. It was rainbows and butterflies until Papa Jagessar needed to have a word with Daniel before any more steps were taken. They had a long talk at church where NRA membership may or may not have come up in conversation. Daniel was determined to get her dad on board, and hours later the date was set.

Remember that Wave For Jesus concert back on Jamaica Avenue and 108 st? He was one of the guest artists that night! It turns out Aliyah's dad and Daniel's dad actually met decades ago, while Daniel was still a child, and Aliyah wasn't even born yet. Though they hadn't kept in contact throughout the years, they all swam in the same circles in Richmond Hill, Queens.

Daniel knew very quickly Aliyah was the one for him. Their growing romance did not come without obstacles, but from one pastor's kid to another, they saw a perfect fit in each other. One day during church service, Daniel was playing with Aliyah's hair to which a very wise woman reprimanded them saying "no ring... no ting." Well guys, now there is certainly a ring.

The most glaring question tends to be "what's the rush?" When considering this question, they asked themselves sincerely "why wait?" Through much prayer, counsel, and familial blessing, they made sure they took the right steps to get started on their forever together without forsaking God, family, and reason. They are overwhelmed with joy at the support they have received from family and friends, and know deep in their hearts that God brought them together out of Egypt (Queens), from opposite sides of the country to come together and advance the Kingdom in unity. They can't wait to celebrate with you in November!