A long time ago, In August of 2017, Sarah went to Leadership Quest 2 through Tentmakers at Wilderness North, near Duluth, MN. On Thursday, Sam went up to Wilderness North for a final meeting for his year on mission that he did through Tentmakers the previous year. During supper, on that Thursday, Sarah was talking with Carl (Sam's best friend), and Carl told Sarah he'd be right back. Carl then proceeds to bring Sam in on piggy back and tells all of the LQ and LQ2 kids to be nice to him.

The next day, Sam is put into Sarah's work project group. As Sarah tells the story, no one was talking with Sam, even though all of the campers had been learning about how to talk with people all week. So not wanting Sam to feel left out, Sarah started talking with him. Sam and Sarah talked for about two to three hours (which is not unusual for this camp).

The next day, Saturday August 14, Sam and Sarah said goodbye, and parted their separate ways, not thinking they would ever see each other again.

But! A few weeks later, Sarah's sister, Becca, invited Carl to come to Valley City for homecoming just as friends. Then Becca's friend, Nita, invited Sam to the same dance just as friends. During that weekend Sam started to have feelings for Sarah. As Sam tells the story, when he got in the car with Carl, Sam told Carl he had feelings for Sarah. As Sarah tells the story, during the weekend Sam kept asking her very deep questions, and she was like I think he likes me.

After this weekend Sam and Sarah started talking a lot.

Fast forward to November 2017, Sam asked Sarah if she would date him. Sarah told him that she wanted to pray about it, and Sam said it caused him to want to date her more because she wanted to talk to God first. That same day, Sam asked Sarah's family if he could date her. They said YES! Then on December 12, 2017, Sarah told Sam that she wanted to date him. From that day on, they have been dating ever since.

Throughout their four years of dating, Sam went to Air Force Basic Training, Sarah signed for Mandisa, Sam went on Air Force assignments, and Sarah finished her first bachelors degree. Everything came to a head though on August 12, 2021.

On August 12, 2021, after spending sometime at the North Shore in Minnesota. Sam and Sarah did a photoshoot with Sam's mom at Wilderness North in Minnesota. It was as the photoshoot was finishing, that Sam got down on one knee. He told Sarah, "Four years ago today, we said goodbye for the first time. I have realized over those four years I never want you out of my life again." Then he signed, "Sarah Marie, will you marry me?" Sarah signed and said Yes!

And they will live happily ever, with each other by their side and God in the lead.

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