Sarah – “Up” has been central to our friendship and relationship. It was the first movie we watched together as friends in 2009. We were instantly connected by our love for Disney. We would always say “cross your heart!” or “no backing out!” even as friends. It made sense that our relationship soon blossomed into endless adventures! …thus, “adventure is out there!” is our thing!”
Sarah – “Two years ago, Julius gifted me my own Adventure Book (made by hand, by the way <3) for my birthday. This was before we became a couple! He started to think to himself… why am I spending so much time and energy on this gift when she is just a friend? At the same time, I started to question why I always missed him when he wasn’t around or enjoy myself so much better when he was there. I think God was opening our eyes slowly, but Julius leaving for a short-term mission trip to the Philippines really confirmed that we had feelings for each other. We really missed each other while he was away, but Julius made a grand effort to keep in touch. When he came back, our next adventure began…”
Sarah – “I really thought it was going to be an Up-themed photoshoot with Roy. A part of me was thinking *maybe* something special could happen, but there were absolutely NO clues given by Julius, my friends, or my family members. They did a great job hiding the surprise!!! When I turned the corner and looked at the hills, I was completely shocked. That’s when it hit me, and tears started to flow like a flood. I was so emotional because I knew that this would be the beginning of the rest of our lives. Everything was perfect, almost picture perfect, and it was all because of God.”
Julius – “of course I wanted everything to be “perfect”… which included the weather, with blue skies and bight sun, but God had other ideas in mind. When we arrived it was overcast, and during the photoshoot portion it started to drizzle, but by the time we turned the corner, it rained like crazy, and once I finished proposing it stopped. Sarah loved it and thought it was so romantic, but initially I was a little bummed because it wasn’t “ideal.” The day after I was reflecting with God and asked, “God, why did it rain yesterday?” And He told me that the rain shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing. It was a reminder that no matter how detailed my plans are, God is the One who directs our paths, He is in control, and in our relationship, God will guide us. The significance of rain in the Bible is powerful — during the Flood it washed away the old and ushered in a new season of rebirth. It also symbolized growth, purity and the cleansing of sins. When God revealed this all to me I started to cry and thank Him, because it made me feel like God was symbolically blessing Sarah and me during the proposal… literally showers of blessing!”
Julius – “I had the picture (balloons/hill idea) in mind for a long time. Anna (Sarah’s sister) even has a picture of my ugly sketch side-by-side with roy’s photo, and they’re exactly the same as my vision!”
