After returning home to the United States, Gio and I immediately began planning her visit here. My parents generously agreed to host her, saving her rooming costs. And I offered to cover the majority of any other needs she had during her stay. We settled on her coming to visit for the month of August, 2024.

Gio immediately began the process of applying for a tourist visa to the United States. This, in and of itself was a step of faith. According to the personnel she had spoken to at the US embassy in Jakarta and her own research online, it can be difficult for Indonesians to acquire tourist visas to the US. Several of her friends had made attempts in the past – some had been rejected entirely, while others waited for months to be approved or had to apply several times.

Not so, for Gio. God’s hand of provision was shown once again, as she received an approval notice weeks later – on her first application attempt. She purchased plane tickets immediately, and a few months later, she was landing in Dulles, Virginia.

At this stage in our relationship, I knew I wanted to marry Gio. My initial plan was to plan another trip to Indonesia at some point in the near future to ask her parents for their blessing in person. She and I had had several open conversations about our future together leading up to this trip, but I hadn’t completely made up my mind yet as to the “when” and the “how.” So I decided to simply enjoy our time together and see what doors God would open.

Gio visited the USA for nearly the entirety of the month of August. She followed me around as I worked during Wellsboro Comic Con, joined me on my travels around our county as I gathered video footage of the tragic affects of Tropical Storm Debby, enjoyed many meals with my family and friends, and worshipped and prayed with me and my church during our Sunday services.

One of the first experiences we had together was touring the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. We spent half the day wandering the 5 floors of the facility. She was impressed by the many multimedia displays and exhibits, and watching her express her shock and awe was a genuine joy for me.

The depth of her heart was demonstrated again one day when she requested we take some time to worship together after a hike along our Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. I brought my guitar along and we spent the morning in reverence and prayer to our heavenly Father. What made this time so particularly special was the circumstances surrounding it. I had recently discovered my dad was battling prostate cancer – and the day of our hike was the day we would find out just how much it had spread. I was feeling very anxious and emotionally distraught. Gio knew I needed to reshift my focus. And she was right. During that time of prayer and worship I felt my heart spill out before her and my heavenly Father. With my eyes and hopes now focused on Him, I was able to let go of the fear I had in that moment and exchange it for trust. I was reminded of His goodness, His faithfulness, His love. And her comforting hand on my shoulder. She was so gentle and encouraging. She stood in agreement with my prayers and we confidently returned home.

During her time here in the states we also had the opportunity to visit New York City. Two dear friends of mine, Blake and Christine, let us stay with them in their apartment during our week in the city. It was a joy to spend time with them and explore the city ourselves. Gio also made a wild discovery in their apartment. Christine had inherited a decorative woven banner, but she was unaware of the origin. Gio identified the piece as being not just Indonesian, but likely made by her very tribe – the Batak people. Christine interpreted this discovery: “I guess you visiting with us was meant to be!”

During our time in the city, we enjoyed a variety of tourist activities: we took a ferry to Liberty Island, walked around Time Square, enjoyed New York City pizza, had our pictures printed on M&Ms, perused the B&H Photo warehouse, wove our way through the many subway stations, and shared many home-cooked meals prepared by Blake. All these experiences gave us plenty of opportunities to talk, witness each other’s responses to the outside world, and expose Gio to the melting pot of American culture.

It was during one of her many evenings here that we discussed once more the prospect of marriage. She admitted she had spoken to her parents about the idea of me coming to ask for their blessing in person. Engagements are rarely a surprise event like they are in much of western culture. She told me they don’t celebrate with a ring or big proposal…that for them, simply asking for the family’s blessing was enough and requested. “My mom said it’s fine if you want to ask for their blessing on a video call while I am here. To travel all the way to Indonesia for that would be very expensive.” I pondered and prayed about this option for several days. For some reason, now it seemed rather sudden. And was it really that simple? It didn’t take me long to realize that it never was sudden or simple – everything leading up to this point was an answer to a prayer I had made years ago.

“God, I’m pretty dense when it comes to women and relationships. I’m going to need your help big time. Please…just make it plain as day for me when the time comes.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t think He could’ve made it much clearer. And I knew she was the one I was ready to commit my life to loving, honoring, serving, protecting, providing, and pursuing.

So we called her family together, with our translator friend Jason joining as well, and I asked for their blessing to marry their daughter. And much like their daughter, they were so very gracious and kind to me in their response and affirmed my request. To celebrate our engagement, Gio and I made a day trip to Niagara Falls in New York. During that car ride we challenged each other with pre-marital counseling questions from the book “Called Together.” It was a joy to hear and understand each other’s perspectives, cultural predispositions, and compromises.

When it was finally time for her to return to Indonesia, I would be lying if I said we had dry eyes at the airport. As I embraced her before she departed, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and confidence – grateful for my time with her and our future ahead, and confident in the direction we were headed.