Written from Kate’s perspective.

Mark and I have a pretty unique story. We met in July of 2018 but I believe our story started way before. Both of our families were centrally located in the Bremen area. My parents moved to Brunswick right before I was born and I have lived here my entire life. Mark didnt move here until he was 12 years old. I was in a homeschool co-op until I was roughly 12 and Mark began attending the same co-op shortly after I left. We knew so many of the same people in similar places and yet we never met until July of 2018.


In July of 2018 we met at the motion conference we attended with the Edge Youth Group. Pretty quickly after meeting we were laughing, talking, and connecting as good friends. After the trip, we remained good friends and talked after youth group every week. Mark soon showed interest in me by gifting me a beautiful bracelet from a family trip. At that time I only saw Mark as a good friend.


After a season of separation (due to life events and other romantic relationships) we reconnected during senior year of high school when he enrolled at Heritage Christian Academy. A couple of months into the year our friendship deepened again and we bonded through shared difficulty and struggle. Mark now confesses that he began to have feelings for me again right around Homecoming where we went together in black attire.


Soon after he told me how he felt and I expressed to him that I didnt feel the same way. I remember feeling so afraid that he would abandon our friendship the next day that I immediately pulled away from him without giving him a chance. I assumed he would leave like all the other guys did but Mark was different. He continued to make the choice to be my friend even if it never went any farther than that.


Fast forward we remained friends for the rest of the year into our freshman year of college. I remember this year feeling very conflicting for me. I wanted to adventure and get to know other guys and friends but Mark was always around and people usually asked if we were dating. Part of me found this issue frustrating but I also believe I had a great deal of denial about my love for Mark due to my hurts and needing to see growth in Mark before I was willing to take that chance. During this time Mark and I both had to face past traumas and begin the process of learning how to relate in a healthier and more fruitful way to ourselves and others (though this process has taken a large amount of time and is continuing today).


By the end of freshman year, Mark had met with my mom for coffee. He told her that he was choosing to really invest in his relationship with the Lord and he was willing to wait for me. This is when my parents knew I was in trouble. Three months later after some difficulty and breaking off more denial, I agreed to go on a date with Mark. It took a large amount of time for me to face my fears. moving into a dating relationship with Mark was so scary. For one, facing my fears of emotional intimacy, commitment, and fear of being hurt like I had been before. Mark was always so patient with me in the process. I gave him many mixed signals for a good amount of time before we started dating.


Our first date was amazing and both of us were fully invested from day one (though it took me some time to commit to the title of boyfriend/girlfriend).


We had an amazing first year of our relationship filled with many highs and infatuation and all the excitement. Soon after we hit our one year anniversary, things become much more difficult. Very quickly the infatuation phase ended for me and we had to face some rocky seasons together. We both had to face our brokenness in some pretty real ways. I wasnt really sure if we were going to make it, but I knew mark was someone who I was willing to fight for. I began to have intense fear (which I now know to be OCD) regarding my relationship with mark, myself, and God. It was a really hard season for both me and mark to work through.


Over time we have been able to heal in our relationship and as individuals. Though there are still daily struggles, without this long and difficult season of our lives and relationship I dont believe Mark and I would have had the opportunities to grow, mature, and learning what it really means to live the life that God designed for us to live. A life that is full of life, empowerment, and freedom.


Now being engaged, mark and I had to face a lot of fearful avoidance and become willing to keep taking steps forward to deeper intimacy and commitment. I am so beyond excited to go through life with mark and I couldnt imagine someone else who I could see myself facing the highs and lows of life with. Someone who challenges me and encourages my heart every step of the way.