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Billy, Kate & Will in Perú

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proposal

I said Yes!

Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2012 9 Comments

Billy asked and I said yes!

Last Friday night, Billy and I went to dinner to the Rosa Nautica, a restaurant we had visited a couple times in the past. We decided to go out for the night since it was going to be one of our last nights together without volunteers before the busy season of traveling with work teams began.

Dinner was lovely and we ended up sitting at a table right next to the window. The restaurant it built on a pier and a majority of the restaurant is built over the ocean on stilts. The water was a little rough and we could hear and sometimes feel the waves crashing against the floor supports. We spent the evening just talking, something we will not be able to do very often for the next few months.

After dinner, we each ordered a dessert and ended up getting three different plates. While the waiters were setting the plates down on the table, Billy smoothly got down on one knee and among very sweet words and sentiments, asked the question every girl wants to hear sometime, “Will you marry me?”

Of course I said yes!

The third plate that the waiters brought with dessert happened to be a dish with a red rose on it, and text written around the sides. Inside the rose, I found a beautiful ring that Billy had lovingly picked out for me.

After the initial shock of “oh my gosh, I can’t believe this is happening!” slightly wore off, we took a few photographs ourselves.

…and asked one of our waiters to take one too.

And, we made a few calls to share our happy news!

After dinner while walking out to a taxi, Billy told me he chose this particular restaurant to propose to me for a couple reasons – it was one of the first places we went after we started dating and so that it would be a place we could always come back to on special occasions and remember the night. I’m looking forward to returning for the beautiful view, delicious food and absolutely wonderful company and memories.

How we met

For those that don’t know, Billy and I originally met in 2001, during the summer after our freshman year of high school on a trip to Peru. We were both 15 and it was our first trip to Peru. We both joined teams at our respective churches, where our youth pastors happened to be brothers. We’re both from Michigan, and our parents live approximately 20 minutes from each other.

A few years later, after the occasional encounter in Michigan, we both ended up spending the summer of 2008 in Peru as volunteer translators. During the past 7 years (since our first trip in 2001), we both had remained involved with Scripture Union and traveled to Peru numerous times, but with our respective churches.

During the 2008 trip, we spent a month working together at the Girasoles home in Kusi and became friends. After that month, we both returned back to Michigan and remained in contact and went out to dinner, got coffee or caught a movie about every other week.

2008

The following year, Billy had finished raising the support needed to begin full-time ministry with Scripture Union Peru and he moved to Lima in March 2009. I remained in Michigan and a few months later, went to Peru again as a volunteer translator for 3 months. We didn’t see much of each other that summer, but managed to spend a few days here and there together. I returned to Michigan, and we traded the occasional email and about once a month, a lengthy phone call.

2009

During the summer of 2010, I returned to Peru yet again as a volunteer translator while I was raising my own support to work full time with Scripture Union Peru. Again, we didn’t see much of each other since I was working in the Amazon jungle and Billy was primarily in Cusco.

2010

That year, Billy decided to spend Christmas in Michigan with his family. We spent a few days together while he was home briefly, including an extended family dinner for his sister’s birthday and going to breakfast at 6am the day he returned to Lima. We spent a few hours at breakfast that morning and it came up that we had mutual feelings for each other, but agreed it would be difficult to maintain a long distance relationship.

During the next 6 months, from January to June 2011, when I finally moved to Lima myself, we spoke on the phone or Google Talk (so handy!) almost every other day. When I arrived in Lima, we were able to spend a couple days together in Lima before I headed north to the Amazon jungle again and Billy traveled with volunteer teams. It wasn’t until a few months later in August when I returned from the jungle that we officially started dating.

2011

When our volunteers ask, I like sharing this somewhat long and complicated story about how we met because despite the fact that we were raised about 20 minutes from each other in Michigan, God had been working in each of our lives separately and preparing us for a ministry in Peru and a life together. We both developed our interest and passion for working with Scripture Union apart during those first few years and then have been able to see it develop even further together.

2012 – just last week!

And now, we’ll have the great pleasure of spending the rest of our lives together.

Posted in: General, Peru | Tagged: Billy, Lima, photos, proposal

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Happy fourth birthday to our little Will! You have Happy fourth birthday to our little Will! You have made our world a whole lot sweeter and you are our greatest adventure 🤍 We love you forever! #littlewilliamnoah
Last night the Peruvian president announced a two- Last night the Peruvian president announced a two-week lockdown covering 1/3 of the country, including Lima, amid a significant rise in COVID-19 cases here. The new lockdown will run from January 31 through February 14. New restrictions include the closure of all non-essential shops (only pharmacies, grocery stores/bodegas/markets and banks are allowed to be open) and a ban on domestic air and land travel. The ban on flights coming from Europe (and now Brazil) is extended. As of right now, the border remains open to all other international flights. Only 1 person is allowed to go grocery shopping at a time, and we are no longer allowed to use our personal cars. We also are only allowed outside for 1 hour per day for exercise/mental health, and should be at home the remainder of the time. 

We are experiencing a second wave of infections and with the variants, it sounds like there will be more positive cases this time than we had a year ago during our first quarantine. Experts are predicting that we will not hit our peak until April. According to Johns Hopkins University, Peru has reported more than one million cases and about 40,000 deaths related to COVID-19. 

This evening Will and I went for a walk through our neighborhood to squeeze in a little more outside time before Sunday when it will become harder to complete our 1000 hours outside. 

It’s difficult knowing we have to go back into a lockdown, but we are thankful for our health and that we have a safe place to quarantine at home. Join us in praying for the country of Peru and that these measures taken will make a positive impact on the pandemic here. 

#littlewilliamnoah
Working towards spending #1000hoursoutside and put Working towards spending #1000hoursoutside and putting many kilometers on Will’s scooter and bike this year 🚴‍♂️🛴#littlewilliamnoah @1000hoursoutside
To end what has been a long, unexpected year we di To end what has been a long, unexpected year we did a little staycation at a hotel in Lima. We walked around a new neighborhood, had a picnic in the park, watched movies, studied the city from above, spent time swimming in the pool and watched fireworks being set off over the city of Lima as the clock struck midnight and we entered the new year. 

While 2020 may not have been what we envisioned it would be a year ago, I am thankful for my little family, our health and the opportunities we have had this year. 

May 2021 be filled with adventure, laughter and hopefully being able to see family again! ✈️ #littlewilliamnoah
It was a quiet Christmas at home for the 3 of us i It was a quiet Christmas at home for the 3 of us in Lima this year but we enjoyed a slow 2 days, lots of good food (including, per Will’s request, funfetti cupcakes for Baby Jesus’ birthday), Zoom calls with family and time together. 

(Also don’t let the first gift your child opens to be a costume of one of their favorite characters unless you want all of your photos of the child to be in that costume 🤦🏻‍♀️) #littlewilliamnoah
Today was Will’s last day of 3 year old preschoo Today was Will’s last day of 3 year old preschool. It was bittersweet way back in March when we took him to his very first day of school. I wondered how it would go for him not knowing Spanish and his first time being away from family, and if he was really ready to start school (or, more like if I was ready!). Little did I know that Will would only have 1 week of in-person classes before switching to @greenmanbilly or I assisting with Zoom preschool at our kitchen table. While there were challenges with balancing school and work, I am thankful we were able to be a part of the start of Will’s academic career. It was fun to see him learning Spanish, and as the year went on, interacting with the other students and teachers. Will also was fortunate to have wonderful teachers, specifically Miss Dani, his Spanish teacher. She truly made this year a joy and encouraged Will in their daily Zoom calls. I don’t think there has been a day since March that Miss Dani has not come up in conversation. She has set the bar high for future teachers ❤️ So now it’s summer break and next year we will have a pre-kindergartener! #littlewilliamnoah
After many months of staying in our city apartment After many months of staying in our city apartment due to the pandemic (and 2 weeks of very cautious quarantining ahead of time), we rented a house through @airbnb for a few days. It didn’t matter that the property was only 30 minutes south of our apartment and still within the province of Lima - it had a lawn, beautiful outdoor space and a pool! We were able to relax (as much as a 3 year old lets you), read under a tree, fly kites in the field, swing in a hammock and take deep breaths of fresh air with friends. #littlewilliamnoah
The little cookie elf was busy this weekend making The little cookie elf was busy this weekend making (and decorating) sugar cookies and chocolate dipped shortbread 🎄 #littlewilliamnoah
As you may know, tomorrow is #GivingTuesday! As mi As you may know, tomorrow is #GivingTuesday! As missionaries in Peru, @greenmanbilly and I rely on a group of people to financially support us as we work with at-risk teens and young adults through a mentorship program with @pathsofhopeministries. Every month we receive our giving statement from @uwmorg and we are humbled to see the list of people who God used to love on us that month, and people that want to invest in what God is doing here in Lima. It never ceases to amaze us. You know who you are, and we appreciate you.
If you’d like to partner with us here in Lima, it would be an honor. Giving link is in my bio. (📷: Christmas 2019, pre-COVID 😕)
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