We first met while serving in the Philippines Cavite Mission — just a brief encounter during a zone conference in Mindoro. At that time, we were focused on our sacred calling, unaware that a quiet beginning had just been written into our story.

Near the end of his mission, he sent me a letter of encouragement. I didn’t recognize the name at first, but something about his words felt familiar. From that day on, he emailed me every Monday, faithfully, until I came home.

After my mission, our conversations grew — still a little awkward, filled with laughter and long pauses — but always sincere. Though we lived far apart, one thing stayed constant: our daily prayers together.

Eventually, distance pulled us apart, and we went our separate ways. But love has its own timing — and even in silence, something beautiful was quietly unfolding.

Years later, in the most unexpected way, our paths crossed again — this time, not in the mission field, but here at BYU–Hawaii. On August 26th, we saw each other in person for the first time since our missions — after all those video calls, it finally felt real.

We couldn’t stop smiling and giggling like old friends who somehow never missed a beat. That night, we went for a walk and visited the temple. We reminisced about our memories in the Philippines and realized that maybe... our story had never truly ended.

A familiar face, a gentle smile — and suddenly, all the quiet moments of the past began to make sense.

What once seemed like a brief chapter had become the beginning of something far greater — the love story we didn’t know was still being written.

Our engagement felt like a beautiful dream — a moment forever etched in our hearts.

That Sunday, August 10th, rain had gently fallen all day. As we sat outside the laundry room, quietly sharing hopes and dreams for our future, a single rainbow appeared — a tender sign that love was breaking through every storm.

Later that evening, while celebrating a friend’s birthday, Buen invited me for a walk. I thought it was just a simple gesture, but then a friend gently blindfolded me. When the blindfold was lifted, our favorite song filled the air, and there he was — on one knee, holding a ring that sparkled with all the promises of forever.

Tears streamed down my face as memories of our journey flooded my soul — every laugh, every challenge, every prayer we whispered together. In that magical moment, the world stood still, and our forever began.

With our hearts full from that unforgettable engagement, our excitement has only grown as we prepare to say “I do” on Wednesday, December seventeenth, two thousand twenty-five.

We can’t wait to celebrate our love surrounded by family and friends, sharing laughter, joy, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

This wedding day will be the start of our forever, and having you there to witness and share in this special moment means the world to us.