Our Story
Malachi and Anna first met during their freshman year at CCU, unaware of the story that would unfold between them. For a while, they remained friendly acquaintances, passing each other on campus and sharing the same community, but not much more. It wasn’t until their third year, when they began sharing more classes, that their paths started to overlap in more meaningful ways.
Anna took the first step by inviting Malachi to join her for a class project in World Music. The assignment required a “foreign musical experience,” to which Anna proposed Brazilian Zouk dance lessons. What followed was… memorable. As the instructor gathered the small group (of which Malachi and Anna were the only newbies) and asked for words to describe the dance, phrases like “sensuality,” “passion,” and “love” floated around the room. Malachi and Anna exchanged glances, both wondering if they had signed up for something far more intense than expected. Unsurprisingly, the dancing itself proved to be awkward—especially for two people who kind of liked each other and were still testing the waters.
Their next outing was no less bold: outdoor rock climbing. Anna experienced her first multi-pitch climb, her first belay, and her first double rappel, all in one day. By the time they planned a third date, they decided on something quieter. They drove up to Lookout Mountain, made tea together, and watched a supermoon rise in silence and conversation. Unbeknownst to them at the time, it was on that same rock, under that same moon, that Malachi would propose one year later.
As the school year went on, Anna and Malachi grew steadily closer. A significant step came when Anna traveled with Malachi to visit his grandparents in Florida. Long lines at Disney World, walks along the beach, and the simple rhythm of traveling together gave them space to really know one another in a way the busyness of school rarely allowed. That rhythm continued through the summer, filled with outdoor adventures, cooking dinners together, concerts, time with each other’s families, and a shared life less burdened by deadlines and schedules.
By the end of that summer, conversations about marriage began to feel natural and serious. Quietly, Malachi started planning. He worked on the ring, coordinated with Anna’s sisters, and chose a meaningful date: the night of the same supermoon that had marked their third date. That evening, they returned to Lookout Mountain, made tea, and watched the moon rise once again. As the sun set and the sky turned pink, Malachi proposed. Anna soon discovered that her sisters had been hiding nearby, ready to celebrate alongside friends who joined them afterward.
Throughout their relationship, Anna and Malachi have grown deeply, both individually and together. God has faithfully used their relationship to shape them more into the image of Christ, through moments of joy and fun as well as seasons of challenge. They are grateful for the daily work God continues to do in and through their lives together.
As they look toward their wedding day, they are excited to celebrate this journey with their friends and family, before God, as they are joined together in marriage. After the wedding, Anna and Malachi look forward to a year with fewer external demands, a season to be fully present with one another as they discern and plan the next steps of their life together.
