How Our Journey Began
NearGroup: Where It All Started
Nagsimula ang lahat sa isang dating app na tinatawag na NearGroup. One day, nag-post si Kath ng rant dahil may sakit siya at hindi niya makuha ang kanyang exam. Nakita ni Carlos ang random post na ito, at naisip niyang i-cheer up si Kath. So, nag-reply siya, at doon nagsimula ang lahat. From one simple reply, naging conversation, hanggang sa napagdesisyunan nilang magpalitan ng Facebook accounts. Pero si Kath, being the cautious one, hindi agad pumayag. 😆 Instead, binigay muna niya ang kanyang dump account. Meanwhile, Carlos confidently gave his real Facebook account. Habang lumalalim ang kanilang conversations as time passed by, napag-usapan nilang magkita. Pero may isang problema: si Carlos ay nakatira sa Makati, habang si Kath ay nasa Bataan, at strict ang parents ni Kath. Pero hindi iyon naging dahilan para umatras si Carlos. Kung hindi puwedeng pumunta si Kath sa Makati… edi si Carlos ang pupunta sa Bataan. 😂 Kahit hindi pa siya nakakapunta roon at wala siyang kakilala, naglakas-loob siyang pumunta sa bahay nila Kath just to meet the girl he had first known through a screen. At ang picture na nakikita ninyo? That was their very first picture together. Looking back now, ang cute isipin na ang isang random reply sa isang dating app ang magiging simula ng lahat.
“Some love stories begin with a grand moment; ours began with a simple reply.”
March 10, 2021: "I'm Yours"
Pero hindi agad-agad naging relationship ang lahat. Carlos spent three years courting Kath. Yes, THREE YEARS. 😆 And after all those years, dumating din ang time na naisip ni Kath na baka ito na talaga. Pero bago niya sagutin si Carlos, hindi niya basta sinunod ang feelings niya. She first asked permission and blessing from her parents. Because for Kath, saying yes wasn't just about choosing Carlos. It was also about making sure that the people she loved and respected were part of that decision. With the help of her sibling, naghanda siya ng DIY camera filled with their pictures and memories. Sa pinakadulo nito, may isang simpleng message: “I’m Yours.” March 10, 2021 came at habang nag-e-enjoy sila sa isang summer swimming trip, ibinigay ni Kath kay Carlos ang kanyang “late birthday gift.” At pagkatapos ng tatlong taon ng paghihintay, finally came the answer he had been hoping for. She said "I'm Yours". Their journey officially began as a couple that day, choosing each other every step of the way. At mula noon, kahit LDR at hindi laging magkasama, patuloy nilang pinili ang isa’t isa, araw-araw.
“Distance was never the thing that kept us apart. It was the love that kept bringing us back to each other.”
The Day She Said Yes to Forever
After four years of being boyfriend and girlfriend, dumating na ang moment na alam na ni Carlos kung sino ang gusto niyang makasama for the rest of his life. It wasn't just about having a girlfriend anymore. He wanted a wife. He wanted forever. So, Carlos started planning the proposal with the help of their families and friends. Sa araw ng birthday ni Kath, akala niya ay simpleng celebration lang ang lahat. Pero sa harap ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay, lumuhod si Carlos at tinanong ang tanong na magbabago sa kanilang buhay: “Will you marry me?” At ang sagot ni Kath, tulad ng unang pagkakataong pinili niyang mahalin si Carlos, ay isang matamis na “Yes.” From a random message online, to years of LDR, waiting, and choosing each other, finally they had arrived at the moment they had both been waiting for. And on November 28, 2026, in front of God and the people they love, they will promise to choose each other for a lifetime, with Jesus guiding them as they begin this new chapter together.
“What started with a simple message, we believe, was a love story God had already written, bringing us to this moment and to a future we will build together with Him at the center.”
