We met on the first day on Grade 9. Katrina says she still remembers the first time she saw Simon and thought to herself, "wow, he's tall!"

We got to know each other throughout high school, and even went on a mission trip together in Guatemala. It didn't take long for mutual affection to become apparent. Overall we behaved as our parents desired (other than one night of sneaking out of the house to go dancing together under the stars). We wrote letters, talked on the phone in the evenings, and of course, sat together at lunch.

We went separate ways after graduation. Simon worked for John Fuhrer as a mechanic, farmed for his cousin Phillip Krahn, and ultimately ended up working for Henry Petkau in forestry. He was certified on the forwarder and processor. This job meant being up in bush camp during the week.

During this time of his life, God was teaching Simon about what the daily life of a Christian looks like. Simon chose to spend his evenings reading books that helped him shape his life into a pattern that followed Christ.

Katrina went to Bible school after graduating. She also attended a year of university, and was actually engaged to someone else before God made it clear that it was not his plan for her to go forward in that relationship.

Fred Klug can be given all the credit for our love story. Late in the summer of 2024, Fred was the one who convinced Katrina to "come to Off Lake Church this week". It was here where Katrina spotted Simon serving in the church through music, and sharing the announcements. And it was also here where she wanted to speak to him again. However, she was too shy and hid behind her family's locked van so that she wouldn't have to talk to him! Simon too longed to talk to Katrina, but was detained because of his popularity within the congregation. By the time he broke free of the crowd, she was nowhere to be seen.

But love prevailed. Later that evening, Katrina's mom convinced her to send a "plutonic" text. "Hey Simon, I didn't get a chance to say hi to you today, but I thought you did a great job on the announcements!"

Simon shared a bush shack with Kian Jourdain at the time. Kian is quoted as saying "She likes you. No one wants to talk about the announcements."

And so, an old flame quickly rekindled. We were talking about getting married withing a few weeks, and we were officially engaged just days before Simon's 22nd birthday in late November.

God knew we needed those four years apart to grow and become more deeply rooted in him. We see his guiding hand and perfect timing. And we couldn't be happier!