Hey this is Annie. Michael and i's story is very long but if you really must know, here it is!

Gosh it’s so cool looking back and seeing how our lives were so beautifully knitted together by the Lord! I did YWAM in the fall of 2020 and part of the program is that after 3 months of discipleship and training, they send us out in teams of 10 or so into the world to make disciples! I had some friends on a YWAM team that got sent to Minnesota and crazy enough, the BLUMS (my future family, yay) so graciously hosted them in their house for a week! I began seeing pictures and videos of Mike on my friend’s Instagrams as they did ministry with him in Minnesota. We ended up following each other on Instagram which led to the infamous message in my DM’s “Hello, Annietheathlete. Who are you?”

Mike and I became friends and continued to get to know each other over phone calls until I flew to Minnesota in the summer of 2021 and met him in real life!! Our time in Minnesota was incredibly platonic as I spent most of it getting to know mikes girl friends and not really engaging much with him. I did notice from afar though, how wonderful and perfect he was. Supposedly he was noticing the same of me. At the end of the week he asked me to go for a drive where he completely friend-zoned me. His desire was to set clear boundaries on our friendship in order for him to focus on making community and disciples at GCU where he planned to attend in the fall. In the conversation he said he wasn’t gonna talk to me ever again for the next 3 years in college! I think I was a little crushed considering I had just realized how incredible this boy was, and now I wasn’t to talk to him again. But I also remember having a quiet peace in my spirit about it.

A few months go by and I went off to summer camp as a counselor. Meanwhile mike was seeking wisdom from mentors and the Lord cause he couldn’t quite shake me! In his words “anytime I would sit with the Lord my desire for her would grow!”. He began to write me letters to camp and I would pray for him almost every day. When camp was over at the end of July, I drove to Alabama to see some friends and knowing this, mike came up with the master plan to fly to Alabama, drive with me back to houston, and ~shoot his shot~. How could I say “no” to someone i was stuck in a car with for 9 hours? So sure enough, that's what happened. He flew to Alabama, met me there and drove with me back to Texas. On the road, he explained the mistake he made and his desire to date me. I said “sure!”, Praise God. That was just the start!

We dated for almost 2 years long distance and it was so challenging but so worth it. Looking back I’m thankful and can see how the distance was for our protection, refinement, and overall good! Mike and I spent the summer together in Minnesota and then he moved to Arkansas near me in the fall! We got engaged in November and here we are! Whew!! This recent season has been filled with LOTS of cookie baking and sweet companionship with one another and our community here in Fayetteville. And I just cant wait to marry him!

Praise the Lord!