Who's Ariel???

So here's some more details and updates about Ariel and me. Maybe I should introduce Ariel first...he is Dominican, 29, accountant, and I like him a lot. He has lived in Montellano all his life and has 3 brothers (he's #3 of 4). He's really good at making juice and keeps us in full stock of passion fruit, pineapple, or whatever kind of juice we want. His heart is made of gold and his biggest desire is to make others happy. His sincerity and honesty have been the foundation of the the huge trust that I have in him.

We met through our church, Templo Biblico, here in Montellano. I remember meeting him at a church retreat a year ago and then we kept talking after that. We started hanging out more and moving onto dating February-ish. Since we began dating, we made the goal of our dating relationship to continue onto marriage. Why else date, right? I'm also a bit more complicated because of being with Kids Alive, being an American, etc. There were lots of "rules" to follow and we were happy to do what was right and walk correctly in both cultures. In May, we were presented at church as an official couple. This came after meetings with the pastors, seeking counsel from others, and lots of time between the two of us. Getting presented was much like getting engaged or even married!! It has been nice though, during these months of dating, to have our relationship supported by the church and those around us. We have many people to love us and check in with us which has been great.

So after having the approval of my parents on their recent visit, Ariel went forward with asking me to marry him. We went to Sea Horse Ranch, a beautiful place on the ocean where he used to work, on Sunday afternoon. We were talking about futures and families and then...he asked me to marry him and gave me my beautiful ring. Was I surprised?? Yes, only because I had been expecting it all the other days and had given up that it would happen on the weekend. So now we're into planning and working out the details for our lives together and our wedding. That's for the next post though...