Well folks let me try and set this up for you – a week or so ago Ericka and I bought an engagement ring. So obviously she knew it was coming at some point. And since that day I’ve been having the hardest time trying to figure out a way to surprise her with the big question. You see, that was my top priority – to shock her with a totally unexpected proposal!
Alright, so fast forward to last night, (Sunday the 14th) Ericka was at a Christmas party/fundraiser for her non-profit – The Sound of Hope. The event was going on between 7 and 10 Eastern time. Well, she wanted me to be there, but because I was giving a presentation that morning at my church I told her there was no way I could make it. But for all you folks that know me, ya’ll know I can drive like the wind. So I made the 569 mile trip from Monticello, Arkansas into Louisiana, across Mississippi, Alabama and into Georgia to Atlanta in 8 and a half hours! She had NO CLUE ! NONE! She thought I was driving to Fayetteville that day.
This was my plan for when I got there – to have someone give her an “African Text Message” (its what we called the notes we wrote each other the first time we met in Africa back in June of 07). Inside the note it read, “Will you marry me?” I knew when she got this note she would flip out and know that I was there. My hope was when Ericka turned around I’d be on a knee waiting for her response.
So, here’s how it ACTUALLY went down. The whole way there I was trusting that God would bring someone outside the building who could help me pull this off. And what do you know, I drive up and three women were walking out. I asked them if they would help me propose to Ericka – they happily agreed. So, I told one lady to give Ericka the note and I asked the other woman to film the whole thing. The cool thing is this, turned out that Ericka was in the middle of addressing the crowd about what the Sound of Hope is and how it raises money and awareness for orphans overseas. Well in the middle of her talk, she gets interrupted with this “African Text Message.” So the entire focus of the crowd was on her when I came running in.
And that’s where we pick things up in this video.
Now if you want to see more photos from our amazing night just click on the “pictures” link on the left side of my blog.
A special thanks to Lane Leagans who took these beautiful pictures. ([email protected]) Turns out Lane is a professional wedding photographer who just so happened to be at the event. God is so good:)
