BIG NEWS !!!

RYAN AND I ARE ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited I can hardly sleep at night! Since the day I met Ryan
8 months ago until now, I find it harder and harder to imagine my life
without him in it. Everything is more fun with him. Everything is more
exciting with him. Everything is more "right" with him. Everything is
more purpose-driven with him.

Ryan and I both have a deep passion for children-at-risk and feel God
has called us to spend ourselves on behalf of such kids. We also both
feel called to live in South Africa. Ryan has been here since 1999
working with the street kids of Cape Town, and he is now the Social
Development Manager of a sports academy in Khayelitsha. He's known "my
kids" from Capricorn for years, and they are actually the people who
took me to Ryan's house and introduced us when I first started working
with them. What a better way to meet your husband than through the
children you feel called to work with? :)

Ryan is from Cookeville, Tennessee if you can believe it!!! Had to
travel thousands of miles from TN to meet the man I am going to marry,
who happens to live a 45 minute drive from my home in America!
He's an incredibly talented musician, using music as an avenue to
gaining respect in Cape Town and also spreading his message of
equality and justice and love for all kids. He's started his own
organization "the brown foundation", and has plans to continue working
through the media (tv, radio, live performances) until God directs him
elsewhere.

Ryan and I both feel that God has organized this so perfectly, and in
His timing we've come to the conclusion that life just seems alot more
complete with one another. I respect, support, love and deeply admire
this man for his servant heart. He's brilliant and creative and gentle
and hilarious. I don't expect a dull moment!!!

It really is a match made in heaven and I cannot wait for you all to
meet him. We've set April 14th, 2007 as our wedding date and it will
be at bbc, so please mark your calendars now! It will be a wonderful
day of celebration and sharing with family and friends. We both look
forward to being home, visiting loved ones, and then heading back to
Cape Town next June as a team ready to commit longterm to the lives of
the children of South Africa---the future of this great nation!

Thanks to you all for supporting me to come to South Africa, b/c, as
you can see, there was yet another purpose!!!! Give Him ALL the
Credit!!!!