Jason and I met in October of 2014. We've had an awesome year together full of adventures and have decided to continue the journey by being sealed for eternity in the Twin Falls, Idaho, temple on November 21st, 2015.
One of the things that first impressed me about Jason was his desire to 'change the world.' As we got to know each other, our conversations often revolved around books we had both read about inspiring people who had done just that. Some of our favorites are "Mountains Beyond Mountains," by Paul Farmer and "Gifted Hands," by Ben Carson.
In March, Jason lent me a new book to read called "Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World?" by Jim Ziolkowski. I took it with me to Alaska where I was on a week-long exchange for a public-health related internship. Near the end of my trip in Alaska, I received the news that my little brother Justin had taken his life.
The next few weeks after that were a blur, filled with family, friends, heartache, questions, all the emotions, and also just trying to continue normal life. At some point during that time, I finally finished the book Jason had given me. The book was about a man (Jim) who, years ago, decided to take a leap by quitting his job to dedicate his life to building schools in developing countries. He further went on to expand his organization, Build On, to involve kids in inner-city schools in the United States to help raise money for the projects and have the opportunity themselves to go build them.
Shortly after I finished the book, Jason told me that if a family raises $30,000, they can go and help build a school in any of the sites chosen by Build On. I immediately got super excited about the idea. By this time, Jason and I had started talking more seriously about the idea of marriage--at one point he had told me that wherever life took us, he just didn't want to live a 'normal, boring life.' That was one of the many moments where I was thinking, "Great, then I'm in!" I thought something like this could be the perfect way to start off our marriage with a pattern of giving and service. One of the biggest legacies that my brother Justin left was his passion for life and the way he always went out and actually DID all the ideas that came to his head. Following his death, I believe many of us who were close to him were left wondering how we could better live our lives to follow his example and do something meaningful. Jason and I thought it could be an awesome experience if we got both our families involved and made the trip together sometime next summer.
For this reason, in lieu of gifts, we are inviting those who wish to celebrate with us to donate to our school fund. We have chosen to go to Nicaragua because both of us, as well as some family members, have served Spanish-speaking missions. Please note that all donations are tax-deductible. Donations will not be used for any travel expenses, but will go directly towards the building of the school.
We appreciate the love and support of our many family and friends and are excited to share this adventure with you! The school will be built in loving memory of Justin Maitland Graham.
