Julie wound up getting a job at Melrose Center, where she met a nurse by the name of Karen Bendell. It wasn't long before they became friends.

Two years later, this friendship began to bleed in to other Bendell's lives: Karen's son Drew. He lived in Florida at that time so all that occurred was a a friending on Facebook.

However, in late 2014, Drew happened to be passing through Minneapolis on his way to Bali with his cousin Josh. They decided this was the best time to get a haircut. With just a few hours left in town, Josh dropped in at a nearby concert, where he stumbled across this girl named Julie who he'd met a couple years back. A Ha! Could she be the answer to Drew and his shaggy haired dilemma? Skill or not, he asked her back to his apartment to take a stab at it. Upon arriving, she and Drew instantly recognized one another. Julie gave Drew a mohawk that night. And a door was cracked open ...

Early 2015, Drew broke the silence to ask Julie about Liberia and the orphans she was in contact with as a result of what he was seeing on Facebook. Therefore it wasn't long before further connecting occurred and a mutual respect began to grow.

By 2016, any former timidity was gone, and a bonafide friendship was in full swing. In September of that year, Drew even put all his chips in to join Julie on a trip to Liberia to help with the kids.

Every winter from 2015 - 2018, Drew headed off to Arizona to run his window washing business; so Julie and Drew would find themselves on the phone for hours. They'd often wind up in tears of laughter, swapping stories, never shying away from the gritty topics, grappling with questions, praying for one another, and sharing in struggles and joys, in their hope to know the love of God more, and live an authentic life.

By the end of 2018, things rather came to a fork in the road. They'd become deep friends. Best friends. With a rich connection. They'd also both begun to fall in love with one another. In fact it was out of the immensity to which they valued one another that they felt terrified at the thought of losing what they had, were romantic relationship to not work out. It felt like a great risk.

After a couple month break with little to no contact, and a lot of time in prayer, Drew called up Julie on November 1, 2018 and asked her if they could move toward marriage. He'd come to some powerful realizations: 1. If it wasn't Julie, then he didn't want anyone. 2. He wanted to be the man for her. 3. If we never "arrive" as human beings - then what are we waiting for? 4. Scripture to cling to; assuaging fear, and pointing to strength in God.

Drew got down on two knees on January 12, 2019 and told Julie he wanted to spend the rest of life, fighting for love, along her side. She said yes. And they cried, laughed, and danced much of the rest of that evening away.

We want to thank you. We are better for your presence in our lives, and are so honored that you would share in this with us!