Ceremony in America

Ceremony

Reception

Ceremony in Brazil

Ceremony in Bulgaria

Our Wedding

“For&nbsp;everything&nbsp;there&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;season,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;time&nbsp;for&nbsp;every&nbsp;matter&nbsp;under&nbsp;heaven:a&nbsp;time&nbsp;to&nbsp;weep,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;time&nbsp;to&nbsp;laugh;a&nbsp;time&nbsp;to&nbsp;mourn,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;time&nbsp;to&nbsp;dance.”-King&nbsp;Solomon&nbsp;(Ecclesiastes&nbsp;3:1,4) Verses&nbsp;like&nbsp;the&nbsp;above&nbsp;remind&nbsp;us&nbsp;that&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;timing&nbsp;is&nbsp;perfect.&nbsp;He&nbsp;often&nbsp;does&nbsp;not&nbsp;answer&nbsp;our&nbsp;prayers&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;timeframe&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;want&nbsp;Him&nbsp;to,&nbsp;but&nbsp;whenever&nbsp;He&nbsp;finally&nbsp;reveals&nbsp;His&nbsp;answer,&nbsp;we&nbsp;realize&nbsp;that&nbsp;His&nbsp;way&nbsp;truly&nbsp;was&nbsp;the&nbsp;best.&nbsp;He&nbsp;is&nbsp;like&nbsp;the&nbsp;master&nbsp;novelist,&nbsp;building&nbsp;suspense&nbsp;and&nbsp;interweaving&nbsp;sadness&nbsp;and&nbsp;heartache,&nbsp;while&nbsp;the&nbsp;entire&nbsp;time&nbsp;He&nbsp;is&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;the&nbsp;plot&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;culmination&nbsp;when&nbsp;it&nbsp;is&nbsp;revealed&nbsp;that&nbsp;every&nbsp;detail&nbsp;was&nbsp;working&nbsp;towards&nbsp;a&nbsp;happy&nbsp;end. While&nbsp;Bea&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;are&nbsp;just&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;our&nbsp;story&nbsp;together,&nbsp;we&nbsp;can&nbsp;already&nbsp;rejoice&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;way&nbsp;that&nbsp;in&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;perfect&nbsp;timing&nbsp;He&nbsp;brought&nbsp;us&nbsp;together.&nbsp;We&nbsp;can&nbsp;look&nbsp;back&nbsp;and&nbsp;thank&nbsp;Him&nbsp;for&nbsp;every&nbsp;detail,&nbsp;because&nbsp;each&nbsp;one&nbsp;led&nbsp;us&nbsp;to&nbsp;this&nbsp;moment.&nbsp;When&nbsp;Bea&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;describe&nbsp;our&nbsp;family&nbsp;and&nbsp;our&nbsp;story,&nbsp;the&nbsp;word&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;use&nbsp;most&nbsp;often&nbsp;is&nbsp;“unconventional”.&nbsp;From&nbsp;the&nbsp;outside&nbsp;it&nbsp;might&nbsp;even&nbsp;look&nbsp;crazy.&nbsp;But&nbsp;for&nbsp;me&nbsp;and&nbsp;my&nbsp;bride&nbsp;and&nbsp;our&nbsp;family&nbsp;of&nbsp;seven,&nbsp;it&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;story&nbsp;of&nbsp;grace&nbsp;and&nbsp;love&nbsp;and&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;immense&nbsp;favor. Bea&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;met&nbsp;on&nbsp;a&nbsp;Christian&nbsp;dating&nbsp;app.&nbsp;If&nbsp;you&nbsp;are&nbsp;single&nbsp;and&nbsp;ready&nbsp;to&nbsp;mingle,&nbsp;this&nbsp;really&nbsp;could&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;solution&nbsp;for&nbsp;you.&nbsp;There&nbsp;are&nbsp;lots&nbsp;of&nbsp;landmines,&nbsp;but&nbsp;it&nbsp;just&nbsp;might&nbsp;be&nbsp;the&nbsp;way&nbsp;that&nbsp;God&nbsp;brings&nbsp;you&nbsp;the&nbsp;one&nbsp;He&nbsp;has&nbsp;prepared&nbsp;for&nbsp;you.&nbsp;But&nbsp;I&nbsp;digress!&nbsp;Bea&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;both&nbsp;discovered&nbsp;a&nbsp;new&nbsp;dating&nbsp;app&nbsp;for&nbsp;followers&nbsp;of&nbsp;Christ.&nbsp;Neither&nbsp;one&nbsp;of&nbsp;us&nbsp;had&nbsp;high&nbsp;expectations.&nbsp;She&nbsp;mostly&nbsp;installed&nbsp;the&nbsp;app&nbsp;to&nbsp;show&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;of&nbsp;her&nbsp;friends&nbsp;that&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;safe.&nbsp;I&nbsp;installed&nbsp;it&nbsp;because&nbsp;nothing&nbsp;else&nbsp;seemed&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;working.&nbsp;I&nbsp;liked&nbsp;her&nbsp;profile&nbsp;because&nbsp;she&nbsp;talked&nbsp;a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;about&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;thought&nbsp;she&nbsp;was&nbsp;really&nbsp;pretty.&nbsp;Whenever&nbsp;I&nbsp;received&nbsp;a&nbsp;notification&nbsp;that&nbsp;she&nbsp;liked&nbsp;me&nbsp;back,&nbsp;I&nbsp;tried&nbsp;not&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;my&nbsp;hopes&nbsp;up,&nbsp;but&nbsp;I&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;knew&nbsp;this&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;girl&nbsp;I&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to&nbsp;spend&nbsp;more&nbsp;time&nbsp;with.&nbsp;I&nbsp;later&nbsp;found&nbsp;out&nbsp;that&nbsp;she&nbsp;liked&nbsp;my&nbsp;profile&nbsp;mostly&nbsp;out&nbsp;of&nbsp;curiosity.&nbsp;What&nbsp;kind&nbsp;of&nbsp;guy&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;father&nbsp;to&nbsp;five&nbsp;kids?&nbsp;And&nbsp;what&nbsp;kind&nbsp;of&nbsp;guy&nbsp;uproots&nbsp;said&nbsp;kids&nbsp;and&nbsp;goes&nbsp;to&nbsp;Bulgaria?&nbsp; Apparently&nbsp;my&nbsp;profile&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;very&nbsp;precise,&nbsp;because&nbsp;Bea&nbsp;thought&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;lived&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;US&nbsp;and&nbsp;did&nbsp;short-term&nbsp;trips&nbsp;to&nbsp;Bulgaria.&nbsp;When&nbsp;she&nbsp;found&nbsp;out&nbsp;that&nbsp;actually&nbsp;we&nbsp;live&nbsp;in&nbsp;Bulgaria&nbsp;and&nbsp;do&nbsp;short-term&nbsp;trips&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;US,&nbsp;I&nbsp;think&nbsp;her&nbsp;response&nbsp;was,&nbsp;“Oh,&nbsp;I&nbsp;see.&nbsp;Well,&nbsp;I&nbsp;really&nbsp;am&nbsp;not&nbsp;looking&nbsp;for&nbsp;that&nbsp;long&nbsp;distance&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;relationship,&nbsp;but&nbsp;if&nbsp;you&nbsp;want&nbsp;we&nbsp;can&nbsp;chat&nbsp;as&nbsp;friends.”&nbsp;While&nbsp;I&nbsp;responded,&nbsp;“Of&nbsp;course,&nbsp;no&nbsp;problem!”,&nbsp;my&nbsp;true&nbsp;aim&nbsp;was&nbsp;to&nbsp;somehow&nbsp;win&nbsp;this&nbsp;girl’s&nbsp;heart.&nbsp;It&nbsp;started&nbsp;with&nbsp;tricking&nbsp;her&nbsp;into&nbsp;a&nbsp;video&nbsp;call.&nbsp;And&nbsp;that&nbsp;turned&nbsp;into&nbsp;daily&nbsp;video&nbsp;calls. While&nbsp;I&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;remember&nbsp;the&nbsp;exact&nbsp;timeline,&nbsp;I&nbsp;think&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;less&nbsp;than&nbsp;a&nbsp;week&nbsp;later&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;both&nbsp;realized&nbsp;that&nbsp;God&nbsp;could&nbsp;be&nbsp;doing&nbsp;something&nbsp;very&nbsp;special&nbsp;in&nbsp;our&nbsp;lives.&nbsp;While&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;beginning,&nbsp;we&nbsp;decided&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;would&nbsp;never&nbsp;say&nbsp;“I&nbsp;love&nbsp;you”&nbsp;to&nbsp;someone&nbsp;we&nbsp;had&nbsp;only&nbsp;seen&nbsp;on&nbsp;a&nbsp;screen,&nbsp;it&nbsp;soon&nbsp;became&nbsp;impossible&nbsp;for&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;not&nbsp;share&nbsp;those&nbsp;words&nbsp;that&nbsp;had&nbsp;become&nbsp;an&nbsp;undeniable&nbsp;reality&nbsp;in&nbsp;my&nbsp;heart. Pretty&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;we&nbsp;knew&nbsp;that&nbsp;if&nbsp;there&nbsp;truly&nbsp;were&nbsp;a&nbsp;path&nbsp;forward&nbsp;for&nbsp;us,&nbsp;we&nbsp;would&nbsp;have&nbsp;to&nbsp;meet&nbsp;face&nbsp;to&nbsp;face.&nbsp;Bea’s&nbsp;immigration&nbsp;status&nbsp;allows&nbsp;her&nbsp;to&nbsp;live&nbsp;and&nbsp;study&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;US,&nbsp;but&nbsp;she&nbsp;can’t&nbsp;come&nbsp;and&nbsp;go&nbsp;as&nbsp;she&nbsp;pleases.&nbsp;This&nbsp;meant&nbsp;that&nbsp;if&nbsp;we&nbsp;were&nbsp;going&nbsp;to&nbsp;meet,&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;traveling&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;state&nbsp;of&nbsp;Michigan.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;tickets&nbsp;were&nbsp;purchased&nbsp;and&nbsp;plans&nbsp;were&nbsp;made.&nbsp;My&nbsp;mom&nbsp;and&nbsp;one&nbsp;of&nbsp;my&nbsp;aunts&nbsp;would&nbsp;come&nbsp;to&nbsp;Bulgaria&nbsp;and&nbsp;watch&nbsp;the&nbsp;kids,&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;go&nbsp;and&nbsp;win&nbsp;the&nbsp;heart&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;hand&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;girl&nbsp;I&nbsp;love. While&nbsp;I&nbsp;wish&nbsp;that&nbsp;our&nbsp;love&nbsp;story&nbsp;had&nbsp;only&nbsp;good&nbsp;chapters,&nbsp;I&nbsp;am&nbsp;embarrassed&nbsp;to&nbsp;say&nbsp;that&nbsp;it&nbsp;doesn’t.&nbsp;There&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;time&nbsp;in&nbsp;which&nbsp;both&nbsp;of&nbsp;us&nbsp;began&nbsp;doubting&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;plan&nbsp;for&nbsp;our&nbsp;future.&nbsp;It&nbsp;seemed&nbsp;too&nbsp;impossible&nbsp;to&nbsp;work&nbsp;out.&nbsp;And&nbsp;due&nbsp;to&nbsp;past&nbsp;pain&nbsp;in&nbsp;my&nbsp;life,&nbsp;it&nbsp;seemed&nbsp;too&nbsp;impossible&nbsp;that&nbsp;she&nbsp;could&nbsp;actually&nbsp;love&nbsp;me&nbsp;and&nbsp;want&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;part&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;craziness.&nbsp;That&nbsp;insecurity&nbsp;led&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;preemptively&nbsp;tell&nbsp;Bea&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;probably&nbsp;shouldn’t&nbsp;be&nbsp;together&nbsp;and&nbsp;that&nbsp;it&nbsp;probably&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;a&nbsp;good&nbsp;idea&nbsp;to&nbsp;come.&nbsp;But&nbsp;even&nbsp;as&nbsp;writing&nbsp;those&nbsp;words&nbsp;brings&nbsp;pain&nbsp;to&nbsp;me&nbsp;now,&nbsp;saying&nbsp;those&nbsp;words&nbsp;to&nbsp;her&nbsp;then&nbsp;felt&nbsp;so…&nbsp;wrong.&nbsp;I&nbsp;told&nbsp;myself&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;acting&nbsp;out&nbsp;of&nbsp;strength,&nbsp;but&nbsp;actually…&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;acting&nbsp;out&nbsp;of&nbsp;cowardice&nbsp;and&nbsp;fear. I&nbsp;am&nbsp;so&nbsp;glad&nbsp;that&nbsp;period&nbsp;of&nbsp;doubting&nbsp;lasted&nbsp;only&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;days.&nbsp;We&nbsp;both&nbsp;separately&nbsp;realized&nbsp;that&nbsp;–&nbsp;as&nbsp;unconventional&nbsp;as&nbsp;our&nbsp;story&nbsp;is&nbsp;–&nbsp;if&nbsp;it&nbsp;is&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;will,&nbsp;then&nbsp;it&nbsp;will&nbsp;work&nbsp;out&nbsp;beautifully.&nbsp;And&nbsp;we&nbsp;both&nbsp;also&nbsp;realized&nbsp;that&nbsp;if&nbsp;it&nbsp;is&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;will&nbsp;for&nbsp;us&nbsp;to&nbsp;serve&nbsp;together&nbsp;as&nbsp;husband&nbsp;and&nbsp;wife,&nbsp;it&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;really&nbsp;make&nbsp;sense&nbsp;to&nbsp;spend&nbsp;the&nbsp;next&nbsp;years&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;lives&nbsp;talking&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;phone.&nbsp;So&nbsp;with&nbsp;that&nbsp;in&nbsp;mind,&nbsp;when&nbsp;I&nbsp;traveled&nbsp;to&nbsp;Michigan&nbsp;in&nbsp;late&nbsp;February,&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;plan.&nbsp;And&nbsp;that&nbsp;plan&nbsp;involved&nbsp;a&nbsp;ring! Those&nbsp;nine&nbsp;days&nbsp;in&nbsp;Michigan&nbsp;were&nbsp;full&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;brim&nbsp;with&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;favor.&nbsp;On&nbsp;day&nbsp;one&nbsp;we&nbsp;had&nbsp;our&nbsp;first&nbsp;date.&nbsp;And&nbsp;on&nbsp;day&nbsp;three&nbsp;her&nbsp;dad&nbsp;gave&nbsp;their&nbsp;blessing&nbsp;for&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;propose.&nbsp;While&nbsp;I&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;have&nbsp;a&nbsp;stopwatch,&nbsp;there&nbsp;were&nbsp;only&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;minutes&nbsp;between&nbsp;receiving&nbsp;that&nbsp;blessing&nbsp;and&nbsp;my&nbsp;getting&nbsp;down&nbsp;on&nbsp;one&nbsp;knee.&nbsp;Those&nbsp;days&nbsp;together&nbsp;were&nbsp;a&nbsp;powerful&nbsp;confirmation&nbsp;that&nbsp;God’s&nbsp;favor&nbsp;is&nbsp;on&nbsp;our&nbsp;lives.&nbsp;One&nbsp;day&nbsp;maybe&nbsp;you&nbsp;will&nbsp;get&nbsp;to&nbsp;hear&nbsp;the&nbsp;whole&nbsp;story,&nbsp;but&nbsp;I&nbsp;hope&nbsp;that&nbsp;these&nbsp;few&nbsp;details&nbsp;have&nbsp;encouraged&nbsp;you. If&nbsp;you&nbsp;know&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;Christ&nbsp;as&nbsp;your&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;and&nbsp;Savior,&nbsp;you&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;freedom&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;brave&nbsp;and&nbsp;to&nbsp;do&nbsp;things&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;world&nbsp;views&nbsp;as&nbsp;crazy.&nbsp;You&nbsp;can&nbsp;do&nbsp;them,&nbsp;because&nbsp;He&nbsp;is&nbsp;your&nbsp;loving&nbsp;Father&nbsp;and&nbsp;He&nbsp;has&nbsp;a&nbsp;plan&nbsp;to&nbsp;prosper&nbsp;you&nbsp;and&nbsp;bless&nbsp;you&nbsp;and&nbsp;to&nbsp;glorify&nbsp;His&nbsp;own&nbsp;name&nbsp;through&nbsp;the&nbsp;story&nbsp;of&nbsp;your&nbsp;life.&nbsp;Following&nbsp;Him&nbsp;daily,&nbsp;you&nbsp;can&nbsp;live&nbsp;with&nbsp;the&nbsp;assurance&nbsp;that&nbsp;He&nbsp;will&nbsp;work&nbsp;out&nbsp;every&nbsp;detail&nbsp;and&nbsp;will&nbsp;use&nbsp;every&nbsp;mountain&nbsp;and&nbsp;every&nbsp;valley&nbsp;to&nbsp;tell&nbsp;a&nbsp;story.&nbsp;And&nbsp;that&nbsp;story&nbsp;will&nbsp;show&nbsp;His&nbsp;love&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;world&nbsp;that&nbsp;desperately&nbsp;needs&nbsp;to&nbsp;see&nbsp;it.So&nbsp;that&nbsp;is&nbsp;our&nbsp;story.&nbsp;And&nbsp;the&nbsp;best&nbsp;part?&nbsp;It&nbsp;is&nbsp;just&nbsp;beginning!&nbsp; Thank&nbsp;you&nbsp;for&nbsp;being&nbsp;a&nbsp;part&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;celebration! -&nbsp;Josh

Our Unconventional Love

Our Story

Photos

 Doors open

ceremony starts

photos with The provows

Lunch

Ice cream and fellowship

Wedding Party

Q + A

Departing flightFri, Jul 48:35 AM Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport&nbsp;(DTW)9:10 AM St. Louis Lambert International Airport&nbsp;(STL) Returning flightSat, Jul 55:55 PM St. Louis Lambert International Airport&nbsp;(STL)7:05 PM Nashville International Airport&nbsp;(BNA)50 min layoverNashville&nbsp;(BNA)7:55 PM Nashville International Airport&nbsp;(BNA)10:35 PM Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport&nbsp;(DTW)

Southwest Airlines Reservation

Take it easy at this unique and tranquil getaway w a huge covered outdoor living space. Enjoy your morning coffee, bbq, or just sit in the swings &amp; enjoy spectacular sunsets and night skies. Minutes from The Pig BBQ ,The Depot Cafe, Beaver Valley Golf course, &amp; City Lake. Just a short drive, Amidon State Park, Caster River Shut Ins, Silver Mines &amp; Millstream Gardens are recreation areas that offer kayaking, hiking, camping and fishing opportunities.The spaceSingle level with split floor plan. Master bedroom w queen bed and attached master bath in rear of home. 2nd bedroom w twin and 2nd full bath in front of home. Air mattresses available upon request. Home originally built in 1900 and many original features remain. Master bath featchers walk in shower w bench. Guest bath is shower/deep tub combo. Large fenced back yard in quiet area. Huge private covered patio w gas bbq pit. Smart TV's located in living room and master bedroom. Kitchen is stocked with all essentials.

Airbnb for 4

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

Since Josh proposed, God showed us (many times) He is in control of everything and He has provided everything we needed until now, so we decided to give it back to Him. For our wedding we will not ask for gifts, but you can bless us donating any amount to the IMpact Bulgaria Shumen. Point your camera to the qr code, open the IM give page, choose the amount, the fund IMpact Bulgaria Shumen, leave us a message and be blessed! I will leave you with the wise words of my love: "Our new building truly is amazing! In the summer of 2024, the kids and I were in many of your churches raising support to cover the initial payment, as well as the large-scale remodel and furnishing of this facility. Since November, we have been meeting there every Sunday and we continue to see steady, exciting growth. But the reality is that it is much easier to raise support in person than it is from a distance. And it is much more exciting to give so that we can ENTER a building than it is to give so that we can STAY in a building. So that means that as the thrilling part of ministry is happening in our new building, the funding has slowed down considerably. According to our contract, our next big payment is due on&nbsp;April 30&nbsp;of this year. While it might be slowed down due to administrative processes, my goal is to have the next payment of $60,000 ready to go. We are currently about&nbsp;$40,000 short of that goal. And then around Christmas of this year, the final payment of $110,000 is due. Do I know where that money is going to come from? Nope! Am I worried about it? I am not! It’s not because big numbers don’t scare me (they do!), but after seeing God accomplish so many miracles in this process, I have to start trusting Him that He will provide. While He could provide miraculously by a Monopoly-style “Bank error in your favor”, I think that it is much more likely that the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills will provide this need through the generosity of the people to whom He has entrusted these “cattle”. If you feel God calling you to participate in this pressing need, please click&nbsp;here. And if you have questions about how you can be a part of keeping us in this building, please do not hesitate to reach out. I would love to schedule a time to talk! You are such a blessing!" Well, you can see why I fell in love with this man, right? Shumen will be my home and God put this desire in my heart so my only action will be pray thanking for your generosity! - Bea

Thus far the Lord has helped us...

Our New Church Building is Ready!

Bless us