Once upon a time, in the far off land of Montana, two independent, adventurous people experienced the Proverb “the heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” firsthand as their paths crossed in a way that only the all-knowing God could have foreseen and planned (Pvb 16:9).

The story begins, as Ellie likes to start, “with a call from an unknown number.” With radical plans to follow the Lord overseas, this phone call not only disrupted her plan, but caused a cascade of events that she would have never anticipated.

Ian’s story has a bit more robust beginning and it all started with a seemingly ordinary friendship with Ellie’s brother, Sam, in Bozeman. After staying with Sam (and Ellie’s) parents in their hometown because of a preaching opportunity, being invited to help with harvest in the fall, and Sam subtly planting seeds, stories, and a phone number for his sister, you could say that Ian went through the backdoor, and a phone call to ask for a first date was inevitable.

Ian’s committed intentionality matched Ellie’s passion perfectly and from the first date there was little question about where they were headed. One trip to Billings led to another until they became “official” on October 6th, 2024. Time from that point on became memories filled with separate trips around the country and world, time zone differences, late night phone calls from a calving shed, many Sunday afternoon walks and talks, and a well traveled I-90 interstate between the two cities. Holidays with the separate families solidified what they knew to be true, and the most difficult part of their dating season was the time spent away from each other.

That all changed when Ian successfully pulled off the greatest surprise of the century and proposed to Ellie on the same day he moved to Billings. The Lord has been so kind from the beginning to not only bring together two wild and separate lives, but provide everything they could need, want, and more! This fairy tale continues as Ian and Ellie take steps towards marriage and a future together all the while seeking to honor and glorify the Lord in all they do- and no doubt the adventure will continue!

And by His grace alone, with mercies new every morning, they lived happily ever after, not by trusting in their own strength, but knowing that the God who brought them together is the same God who sustains them- to Him be the glory!

The END

I&E

SWIFT RIVER RANCH

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