Elise’s version was way too long, so this is Jeremy’s summary:

Each of us were praying for our spouse.

The Lord ordered things so that I knew several people from her church.

Lora Cook was the first one to start considering a spouse for Jeremy (and was also looking for Elise)

Jeremy heard from Seth Baker that Lora thought he should meet Elise, but he ignored it.

Then he heard from Noah Cook that he should meet Elise, but Jeremy ignored it.

Then he heard that Celia Baker also thought it was a good idea.

So Jeremy asked Tim Bailey what he thought and he said, “Investigate.”

So Jeremy did.

Jeremy asked Nils out on a date. Things went well.

A month later, Elise and Jeremy went on their first date.

The Lord repeatedly answered prayers in a fashion that was exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we had hoped for.

One thing led to another, and now you are reading this on their wedding website.

Now for Elise's version...

During the summer of 2022, both Jeremy and Elise were praying for their future spouses. Jeremy asked that God would bring her in the right time. Elise told God He would have to do it, because she didn’t see how it could happen and how in the world she could know for sure that a certain man was the right one to marry.

In September, they were both at the same wedding, but didn’t know the other. That evening, the groom’s mom, Lora, told Jeremy she would be praying for a wife for him.

Over the next month, three different people from Elise’s church (thank you, Lora, Noah, and Celia!) told Jeremy about Elise and said that he should meet her.

Meanwhile, when someone at church was trying to set Elise up, Celia told Elise that she knew the perfect guy for her and asked if she wanted to meet him. Elise didn’t know what to say and told her no…

Jeremy went to an elder from his church to ask what he should do. His elder told him, “No hurt in investigating!”

So Jeremy went to her church to investigate, but didn’t have a plan otherwise…

He had been told she was tall and blond. He figured out pretty quickly who she was, but didn’t ever see her full face. She was playing the piano that day and ignored the guy who was sitting with the Bakers.

Throughout the service, Jeremy had the increasing feeling that he should introduce himself to Elise’s dad, Nils, not to her. After the service, when Elise walked past him, he turned around and walked up to her dad to ask her dad out instead. He didn’t find out until weeks later that going to Nils first was very important to both Nils and Elise. The second wonder was that none of the people who had told Jeremy about Elise were at church that Sunday. If any of them had been, they most likely would have introduced them to each other. But because they weren’t, Jeremy went to Nils.

Elise saw the back of some guy talking to Nils, thought it was a little weird, but didn’t think anything else of it. Later, she figured out it must have been the guy that Celia had told her about, but she knew her dad wouldn’t say anything until after her school finals.

A month went by…Jeremy took Nils out. Nils didn’t say anything to Elise. Elise studied for finals, worried and wondered.

After finals, Elise went to Nils and told him that she knew something was up, and he needed to tell her very soon! That night, Nils told her his name – Jeremy Jessee. She fell in love with his name first. She was open to meeting him.

The first date was at the Baker’s house for dinner. Jeremy found out Elise loved the Lord. Elise found out how he had come to her in the first place. His walk with the Lord intrigued her, but she didn’t know what God was doing or if she was ready for it.

The second date was mini golf in January – an evening at 32 degrees, and they were the only ones on the course. Elise noticed, Jeremy did not. Jeremy knew she loved God’s Word. Elise learned he had high goals for himself as a man of God.

The third date was bouldering. They both had a fun time. Jeremy knew he enjoyed spending time with her, and knew he wanted to marry her. Elise was thrilled he loved the meanings of names, but hadn’t gotten much farther than that.

The fourth date was dinner in Edmonds. Elise wasn’t too sure where this was headed, Jeremy was.

Over the next seven months, God began opening Elise’s heart little by little, one step at a time. Little by little, He started showing small and big answers to prayer. Not in the way they thought He would, but in the best way possible. Every time there was something Elise was concerned or worried about, God gave just the right assurance to keep moving forward, week by week, month by month. Jeremy was learning patience, Elise was learning yieldedness. God was doing it. Just like they had prayed He would.

In June 2023, Elise started working at Cedar Springs Camp where Jeremy works.

It was over the summer that Elise was convinced that Jeremy was the man God had brought for her to spend the rest of her life with.

But wait, there’s more…

In mid-September, Jeremy reenacted their first four dates, and on September 23rd, he proposed. And Elise said “Yes!”

“You have made us glad, O Lord, by what You have done. I will triumph in the works of Your hands.”

Psalm 92:4

Things to Do

Things to Do coming soon!