How We Met
I met my fiancé three years ago when I was volunteering as a music teacher in Uganda. He was a part of the ministry I was working with and a fellow music teacher as well. From the moment we first met we clicked instantly. Unfortunately, I had to go back to the United States for school, but I was planning on returning to Uganda to teach again the following summer. My fiancé and I stayed in contact that whole year until I returned. When I was back in Uganda we spent every day together for the next three months and fell in love. It was so hard to leave once again for school and I felt so overwhelmed about what to do regarding our relationship. I loved him so much and knew he was the one, but felt so unsure and intimidated about entering into a long-distance relationship. I decided to trust the Lord and my heart and we decided to go for it. Leaving was so hard because we did not know when we would be seeing each other again, but we knew it was all worth it and believed the Lord brought us together for a high purpose. Fast forward 6 months later, I had planned my trip to come to see him in May of 2020 and then the unthinkable happened. The world had been struck by a global pandemic. My trip to see him was canceled, every nation was on lockdown and I felt so helpless. We spent 7 months in uncertainty not knowing when we would be reunited. Those were some of the hardest months of my life, but I am forever grateful for them because they only made us and our relationship stronger. By God’s Grace Uganda opened its borders once again and I was able to book a flight for December right after I graduated school! I was unable to stay for long as I had to come back home for work, but I booked my next flight to return to Uganda for May and this time my best friend was coming with me!
How They Asked
Leading up to the trip back to Uganda with my friend, I had a feeling a proposal was coming. I wanted to be as surprised as possible for the special moment so I tried not to overthink things or look for clues that it might be happening. While in Uganda, my fiancé, best friend, my fiancé’s brother and friend (who so happens to be a photographer), and I all took a little trip to a place called Jinja. Jinja is a beautiful tropical place within Uganda that is located right next to the Nile River and Lake Victoria.
We were only staying for a couple of days and wanted to do as many activities as possible. On the first night, everyone suggested we take a boat cruise on the river. It was interesting enough that everyone seemed to know about the idea of the boat cruise prior to even coming, apart from me. I had my suspicions that the cruise might be the moment of the proposal, but I still wanted it to be special so I tried not to think of it too much and just enjoy the moment!
Once on the boat, it felt as if we were in a movie. The evening was absolutely perfect, the air was warm, and the sky was filled with beautiful shades of pink and orange. There was music playing on the boat so my fiancé and I began to dance and his photographer friend began to take some pictures, then suggested we pose and take some. In the middle of the photoshoot, my fiancé dropped to his knee and asked me to marry him! It was the most beautiful moment, one I’d been dreaming of since the day I met him. I would have never expected my love story to look like this, but I wouldn’t change it for a thing! ❤️
