Dillon's perspective: It all started with this interesting, beautiful girl who started showing up to my church's small group. She was exciting and fun, and I liked her (but I didn't know that, #notSelfAware). Eventually, I was asked to lead a mission trip to the middle east, and she happened to be on it. Yet, two days into the trip, we found ourselves testing positive for COVID and quarantined in the same hotel, so we (along with 10 other team members) spent the week praying and talking about intentional things.

During the three months following the mission trip's conclusion, nothing seemed to happen. Eventually, during a small group meeting, I off-handedly told her I'd be happy to do mission trips with her around the world. Yet, shortly after this statement, I realized "ohh crap, who in their right mind would say they wanted to go around the world with someone that they didn't like?! I really like this girl!" I began looking for a moment to ask her out. Yet simultaneously, I began to notice this girl acting differently, which all culminated in a moment when she blatantly ignored a question I asked while in a large group of our friends. Later that day, I texted her to resolve any unspoken conflict, but I got a voice message in reply. I figured she was too cute to be interested in me, so I assumed it was a message to "let me down easy." So I waited until after a few meetings (16 hrs later) to reply, but when I listened to the message, it was her confessing that she really liked me. I was stunned. But I immediately asked if she could call, and in the subsequent conversation, I asked her on a date.

Since that first date, we have learned so much about each other. We have grown in our love for each other, maturity in life, and commitment to Jesus. The rest of our lives won't be easy, but there's no one I'd rather have than Erin by my side.