We both grew up in Baptist churches, Isabela in Brazil, Ryan in Australia. Through the promptings of the Holy Spirit we where both called to CfaN where we completed the second round Spring Bootcamp in 2021. We were very focused on our individual pursuits of Jesus that we didn't have time to be looking for relationships. It wasn't until after we finished our Initiation trip in Tanzania and arrived back in the US that we noticed the Holy Spirit start to move us together as we lived with the Garcia's family for a month. However, we were determined to resist each other keeping space between us.

After that, we both ended up going back to Tanzania to work separately on different initiatives. We met again in August as part of Carl Butler's East African Crusades Initiative in a small rural town known as Ifakara. We where so excited to see each other after living together in the US that we just ended up going to dinner after the crusade holding hands (customary in Tanzania). When this happened, Ryan saw in an open vision both an engagement and wedding ring on Isabela's finger. Ryan begun fighting with God resisting what he had seen, until a few months later, when in Dar Es Salaam the Lord convicted his heart to surrender in Love.

Ryan then following God's voice went to Recife, Brazil for the CfaN Fire Camp and then stayed at Isabela's parents place in Brasilia for Christmas and New Years.
He ended up staying for a whole month! 😌 This was when Ryan truly loved me as a brother and showed me what unconditional love looked like, waking me up to the reality of who I was in Jesus and opening my eyes to things that had been happening throughout my life. Ryan then confessed his Love and Convictions to me, almost causing a car crash while I was driving, leaving me lost for words but still wanting to know him as a friend. He asked if he could pursue me in prayer and I gave him permission whilst saying "not sure what good that will do", to which he replied "don't worry, I'm a friend of God!". It was only a few weeks later that the Holy Spirit came to me in a dream and showed me that He wanted me to be with Ryan. This began my fighting with God 😅

I spent months in prayer and fasting as God called me to fully surrender my life, and I would consistently say that I felt like I was dying. I definitely was - dying to myself! After an incident involving a chocolate heart and a brief trip to America I made it very clear to Ryan, to leadership, and anyone else who would listen that we both were "just friends". I went back to Brazil and moved out of my parents house to São Paulo where I got involved with various ministry opportunities, but somehow Ryan's name would always end up coming up!

It was getting towards the end of the year and my lease was coming to a close and I didn't want another Christmas with my parents or in Brazil... I prayed to God to give me an opportunity to travel and He put on my heart Australia. I thought well, Ryan is going there but it would be weird if I just go with him, we are just friends! I would need a sign from God to know if I'm really meant to go or not. The very next day Ryan receives a prompting from the Lord, "This is how you know Isabela will be your wife: go outside, call her, invite her to Australia to meet your parents, brush aside plane tickets concerns, and she will come." Ryan thought I don't know how that will go. She was very clear last time on being just friends, but he went outside and called me.

Ryan: "Hey Isabela, would you like to come to Australia to meet my parents?"
Bella: "I don't know... the cost of tickets will be..."
Ryan: "Yes or no, it's not a hard choice..."
Bella: "Yes!"
Ryan: "Thank you, bye."

Ryan eventually came to Brazil for more mission work together and I made it clear as soon as I saw him, "Ryan, I know we are going to Australia together, but I need you to do these two things. First, keep leading me closer to Jesus, and second, don't fall in love with me." Little did I know that over that month the Holy Spirt would continually bring prophetic people into my path to prophecy our relationship and I would finally give into God. Our last day in Brazil I told him at the Airport, "Ryan, you know back in January how you told me if anything changed to let you know... Well, it has changed and I realized I love you!" He then smiled cheekily and said "Well, I don't date. So how should I introduce you to my parents?" 😏