Jessica’s Tale of Events...

I was traveling to Tampa Bay, Florida in July of 2023 with a group of teens from Connect Church in Valley City, ND. The week was filled with several God-filled moments, including the first time I met Taylor. I had some free time one afternoon and some other chaperones and I decided to play a large connect four game in an area designated for games/relaxation. I happened to ask a guy sitting on this couch ( Taylor) if I could set my stuff next to him. As I lost my game of connect four, I went to grab my things and began a conversation with Taylor. We sat on the couch for roughly an hour. In that hour, I got his name, where he lived and what church district he was part of. That was it.

We said our goodbyes and went on with the rest of our day. When I returned back to the hotel that night, I prayed to God , asking him that if I was supposed to meet this man again, in the crowd of over 10,000 people, please let it happen. I wanted only what was in Gods will. To my surprise, the next day, as we were walking to our seats for the service, there Taylor was. He remembered my name and said, "Hey Jessica!" and gave me a high five. I thought to myself, Wow, that is ironic that I ran into him again. From that moment on, I was set on finding him on social media. You obviously know I ended up finding him on Instagram, messaged him and the rest was history. Well, not quite.

We spent the next 3 months texting, FaceTiming and began to plan trips to see each other. Taylor came to North Dakota in October. I visited him and his parents in November. It was after my trip to Ohio I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Taylor. I introduced Marleigh to Taylor in December, as we traveled to Ohio to celebrate my birthday and New Years. We spent the next months visiting one another either in Ohio or North Dakota and even met in Chicago in February. It was after our trip in December/January that I knew I wanted to be close to Taylor and his family and also needed a fresh start. I decided Marleigh and I were going to officially move to Ohio. We sold our house, packed our things and moved in June to Columbus, Ohio.

Fast forward to September. We were heading to Michigan for a family wedding. I had no idea that would be the weekend my dreams would come true. Taylor proposed on the shores of Lake Michigan and I of course said YES! It was a magical moment, shared with family and friends.

Our love story is truly a testament to Gods goodness and faithfulness. For me personally, I had to surrender my life fully to God; specifically my relationship dreams. I had several of my past relationships fail because I wasn't letting God be our guide. When I met Taylor, I was not looking for a relationship. Apparently God had different plans!

When I met Taylor I knew I felt something different than I had ever felt before. There was immediate feelings of comfort, familiarity and a sense of home. I knew that Taylor would be a provider, protector and leader in our relationship and future marriage; all things I have had to do for several years on my own. Taylor and I have both lived very different lives from one another, but somehow God has brought us together and both of us have learned how to unite together with grace and love as a couple to glorify God.

I am so thankful God has brought Taylor to our lives! I cannot wait to see our love grow throughout our marriage.

Taylor’s Tale of Events…

In 2022, I was recommended to be a leader for NYI at NYC in Tampa Bay, Florida in the summer of 2023. Having gone to two different NYC's in 2011 and 2015, being afforded this opportunity was something totally unexpected, but I was excited for what it all entailed. I got to the hot sun of Florida and immediately started working and serving behind stage and during all of the services. On the second day, I needed a change of scenery, so I went over to the exhibit hall to see the different booths and events taking place.

I found a couch to relax on after running into quite a few family friends to scroll on my phone. Simply just relax and soak it all in. Seeing the joy and intrigue on the faces of the teens, reminiscing about my time at NYC over a decade prior. As I was on the semi-broken couch, a girl came up to me asking if she could put her stuff on the couch while she played giant connect four. I kept scrolling on my phone and the same girl who asked to put her stuff on the couch, then asked if she could sit there while her friends were playing the game. This girl ended up being Jess.

I will be 100% honest, I was not in the mood to converse with people, but if you know me, I never turn down a conversation. So we sat and talked, talked some more, and kept talking. It felt like we knew each other our whole lives. It was so natural. We talked about having ADHD and life in Ohio and North Dakota and our experience at NYC thus far. Eventually, her two friends wanted to go, so she left with them and that was that.

I did not go to NYC looking for a relationship, so in classic male fashion, I saw it as a great conversation with an attractive girl from North Dakota. The next day, during one of the services, I was headed to the bathroom and who do I pass while going to her seat: JESS! I gave her a high five and said, "Hey Jess," and kept walking. The next day, I look at my phone once I got back to my hotel room and saw that I had a DM on Instagram. It took me a minute to figure out who it was, but it was Jess again.

We spend the next few months messaging on Instagram, texting, calling, Face Timing, and eventually seeing each other again in October. I was so nervous on my journey to North Dakota, but I figured, this was God-ordained from the beginning. Seeing her in her element was so much fun and meeting some of her family in her hometown was a cool experience. She then visited me in November and met some of my family. It was during this visit that I knew that was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

From December to May, we spent a lot of time on FaceTime and calling each other on a daily basis. Lots of texts, memes, and humorous videos. We saw each other once a month and even met each other in Chicago in February of 2024. Marleigh even joined! Jess and Marleigh packed their bags and officially moved in June of 2024. My amazing parents came with me to help the journey of moving and they got to see where she had lived most of her life and meet some amazing family members.

We got engaged in September at the most beautiful beach in South Haven, MI and were lucky to have my entire family there for the special occasion. We both look forward to building a life together and growing our family. Our love grows stronger each day and can't wait to get married in November!