How it all began..

I am Bryana and I am married to my soulmate. I am dead serious people. I am from California and lived in a suburbia like place where the houses were so close that I am pretty sure the neighbors could hear every time we sneezed. The grass is green all year round, and to get anywhere, EVER means at least 30 minutes of traffic. I always thought I would marry someone who was just like me, they would appreciate art and we'd go to concerts, and live at the beach.

Then I met Derrick, an all American kind of guy who grew up working on his grandpa's farm in Idaho. Literally, a potato farmer. Where he grew up, you couldn't even yell to the neighbors from the edge of the driveway. He says "spuds", calls soda "pop", and regularly attends the Demolition Derby at the State Fair. While I was listening to Indie music, he was drumming to Metallica.

One may wonder how two people from completely different worlds ended up with each other. Lets just say God knows exactly what He is doing. He knows how to get us at the right place and at the right time, we just need to be ready for it.

I love this quote by Winston Churchill:

"To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder to do a special thing unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour."

We were both blessed to have served the Lord in the Ohio Cleveland Mission. I am so glad we both made that choice to serve the Lord. We met some amazing people and were able to see miracles happen. Not only did we see the Lord bless so many others, we individually were blessed to grow in ways that would not have been possible if not on the mission.

With that said, Derrick and I have enriched each others lives with our unique backgrounds. I can now say that I have learned a little bit of farm lingo, and I have a deeper appreciation for providing for ourselves by growing our own food. I even attempted a mini vegetable garden last year... not everything grew but I'm still trying! We go to the lake in the summer and snow machining in the winter. Derrick has a love for the beach, he even tried surfing with by brother last summer. He has a growing appreciation for the arts and I even got him to like some of my music. Those things are fun, but in the end, we have the same goals for this life and eternity. We love cooking together, laughing about everything, and we never run out of things to talk about. And most importantly, he doesn't just put up with my girly, dorky, and demanding self, he loves me for it.

And that is just a glimpse as to why Derrick Likes is my soulmate.