Just a few days after Hannah’s 18th birthday, she attended "The Gathering", a young adult ministry at the church where Josh was interning that summer. In a surprising twist, Josh realized he had unknowingly seen Hannah before—his college roommate had led worship with her at a conference earlier that year and had even sent Josh a video of it just a month prior. Talk about divine timing! To top it off, Josh snapped a quick photo of them that night to send to his roommate—turns out, that was a great decision!

As time went on, life took them in different directions. Fall of 2021, Josh returned to Liberty University to finish his degree, while Hannah started working at the church. After graduating in the spring of 2022, Josh moved back to Anchorage for a job at the church—just as Hannah moved to Lynchburg to begin her own journey at Liberty University. They stayed friends and even tried dating earlier in 2024 (though Hannah may have sabotaged that attempt—sorry Josh!). That summer, Hannah returned to Anchorage for a friend’s wedding, where she and Josh reconnected. After a long conversation—and plenty of time on the dance floor (that's them over there in the right-hand corner)—the Lord began stirring something new in both of their hearts.

During a visit to Lynchburg, Josh reached out to Hannah and asked to take her on a date (and Hannah was over the moon excited about it hehe). One of their first outings was a Liberty Football game, where they spent the evening enjoying the game and each other’s company. Coincidentally, someone snapped a photo of them, unknowingly capturing one of their first dates.

After Josh’s visit to Lynchburg, he and Hannah started talking more regularly. About a month later, Josh came back to Lynchburg for Thanksgiving with his family, and they had the chance to go on another date. During this trip, it became clear that their connection was deeper than just friendship. For Hannah, this was the moment she knew she was going to marry Josh.

After countless conversations, intentional questions, and even spending time with each other’s families—Josh with Hannah’s in Anchorage and Hannah with Josh’s in Lynchburg—Hannah traveled to Anchorage for Christmas break. Wasting no time, Josh asked her to be his girlfriend the very night she arrived, making it official!

Here they are at Hannah’s brother’s wedding. Later that week, Josh told Hannah he wanted to marry her, which led to some serious conversations about their future. They started discussing what a life together might look like and began to think through the next steps.

Well... about a week or so after their conversation in December, the Lord opened the door for Hannah to get a job offer in Anchorage, and within just a few weeks, she was able to move back home! With this new opportunity, Josh and Hannah were no longer separated by distance and could date more seriously. They both felt incredibly grateful for how God made a way for them to be together.

Josh and Hannah continued to enjoy their time together, serving at church, and embracing the beauty of Alaska’s outdoors. As the weeks went by, it became more and more evident that God was leading them toward marriage, confirming His plan for their future together.

On an ordinary Tuesday, Josh picked up Hannah to take her to dinner. On the way, he casually mentioned that he had “left” his wallet at the church. Hannah had no idea this was part of Josh’s plan all along. When they arrived, they walked inside to grab the wallet and unexpectedly found themselves in the room they had first met in nearly four years earlier. What Hannah didn’t know was that back in 2021, when they first met, Josh had written a journal entry about her. Four years later, he read it aloud to her and then got down on one knee and proposed (in case you were wondering, yes, they both cried)!

After Josh proposed, he planned a surprise engagement party back at Hannah's parent's house with close friends and family. It was a special time of celebrating what God was doing and praying over them!

The Thursday after they got engaged, they went back to the same room after "The Gathering." Josh preached that night and crushed it! Josh and Hannah are in awe of God's faithfulness and guidance every step of the way. As they step into this next chapter of their journey together, they're excited about all the ways He will shape their marriage and their ministry. They truly can't wait to celebrate this new season with all of you soon!