Caitlin & Daniel
CaitlinWatts
&DanielBrooks
December72025
Glenville, NC
Our Story
How We Met
Caitlin and I met four years ago, in 2021, at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes weekend camp called WinterBlast that is held each year in Black Mountain, NC. Both of us came with different friend groups and backgrounds, and she would tell you that we probably would have never been friends if it weren't for FCA. I was a freshman baseball player at the time, and Caitlin was a junior who was new to the ministry of FCA and what I like to lovingly call a "NARP" or Non-Athletic Regular Person. Our first impression of each other wasn't too memorable for me, but if you asked Caitlin, she'd tell you she thought I was a stereotypical jock. The following year after camp was when Caitlin and I would really get to know each other. (*Caitlin interjection* And upon getting to know him, I would learn that I could not have been more wrong about Daniel. He was and is so much more than I could have ever given him credit for!)
In the fall of 2022, Caitlin joined FCA leadership team as a senior while I was still on it from my freshman year. A small group of us on that leadership team got an opportunity to go to Sapphire, NC, for a leader's weekend retreat. That's where Caitlin and I really got to know one another, and from that weekend, and many laughable memories of each other, stemmed a great friendship. Caitlin and I remained super close friends for about a year and a half with no romantic interest. The Lord would later use that foundation of friendship to author us a love that was beyond our greatest dream. One of Caitlin's favorite quotes is "Love is a friendship set ablaze." That was clearly true for our relationship with one another, and the foundation we built as friends will be the same one we carry into a life partnership. Though we've encountered various trials and hardships throughout our relationship, we can confidently say that God was the one who brought two people together, who were seeking hard after Jesus, were best friends, and who couldn't see what He was doing at the time but are so incredibly grateful to serve Him together, forever.
The Proposal
(Daniel's Perspective) This past January, Caitlin served for the second year as a WinterBlast huddle leader, but this time she was in for a bit of a surprise. After nervously asking for her dad's permission, I had received the green light, and could not have imagined a better spot than where we met to show full circle all that God has done in our relationship. Meanwhile, Caitlin had absolutely no clue.
The night before I had planned to propose in Black Mountain, NC, I had a CofC baseball banquet until 9pm in Charleston. Caitlin knew that, and she also knew that our coaches weren't going to let the baseball team go to camp this year because of practices and the banquet we had that weekend (or so she thought). I had an exception made for me by my coaches so that I could leave after the banquet to go propose to Caitlin that weekend, so that whole night I was anxiously checking my watch, ready to get on the road so that I could meet my mom and her sister who were waiting for me at her place in Sapphire, NC. That way I could spend that night and prepare for the next day, and I wanted to be intentional on the drive and make sure I spent quiet time with God to take in this moment and the excitement I was feeling. Again, Caitlin was completely oblivious, but just in case I changed my location services to make sure she wouldn't get curious and see me outside of Charleston. If you were curious, that whole detail was redundant, she didn't end up checking!
The morning of January 18th I woke up, did my Bible study, and God gave me a scripture to share with Caitlin during our proposal. Later, my aunt and mom prayed for me before I went on my way for the big day. Caitlin at this point still had no idea I was in NC, and sent me tons of pictures that morning saying she was "Wishing you were here!"
I picked a trail in Montreat, about 5 minutes from WinterBlast camp, that had a mountain overlook of Ridgecrest Retreat center, where the camp is held. I left for the trail around 12pm and prayed the whole way until I arrived at 1:30pm. I had one of my best friends, Zak, who is also an incredibly talented photographer meet me at the trailhead, so that he could do the photography for us.
We both started hiking up the mountain, which took us about twenty minutes. It wasn't the easy, smooth trail I had pictured when I chose it. Instead, it involved rock climbing, ankle deep mud, and slick ice, so I made sure I had appropriate hiking shoes on (Christmas Hey Dudes, obviously).
I thought the whole way up, as I ran out of breath and had to stop multiple times, "Caitlin is going to absolutely hate me for making her do this." Eventually, we got to the top and thankfully, it was absolutely beautiful! Despite what seemed like a cloudy day, the view at the top had perfect visibility and sunny skies. Zak and I got set up, practiced a few times what knee I would go down on, and then we coincidentally had a group of people who were believers join us at the top of the hike. We all made a huge prayer circle together, and we prayed over Caitlin and I's future marriage and the ground that I would be proposing on soon after.
God was in every single detail of that day. After that, it was time for me to head halfway back down the mountain to surprise Caitlin and a few of her coworkers (*Caitlin interjection* I thought I was taking a picture for my boss, Will, to use at an FCA fundraiser. He had come up with a long, sentimental story about how he wanted the staff photo to overlook WinterBlast camp, since that was my first, and would be his last, big event with FCA. Will is a huge dreamer, so making a group of staff members hike a mile up an icy hill in dress clothes for one photo was not unbelievable, but to me seemed ridiculous! I made that known, as you'll hear in a moment!) She still had no idea I was there, or that Will's story was a diversion. The whole way up, she was sending me pictures of the snow and updates on their walk. Two of the people hiking with her, Will, my mentor, and Isaiah, my friend, hiked faster than the others so they could meet me and pray with me.
All of a sudden, I started hearing this voice complaining about Will making everyone hike through ice and mud in nice clothes. In laughter, I knew it was Caitlin. After a few minutes, she caught up to the others and I came out from hiding behind a tree. She was shocked! (*Caitlin interjection* The MOST shocked I've ever been in my life!) She looked SO beautiful, my eyes were frozen on her, and I was so nervous that everything I prepared to say went out the door.
At that point, Caitlin still didn't know I was proposing (*Caitlin interjection* I'm not an oblivious person, I promise! Daniel is just very romantic and LOVES to do surprises like this. I couldn't tell if it was a normal surprise of his or a proposal- but he had nailed it into my brain the months prior that he wasn't proposing anytime soon. So much so, I had just gotten my nails taken off the day before!), but we kept hiking just the two of us, until we got close to the top and I pulled her aside. I told her there that the last fifteen feet would be the last fifteen feet of us dating, that it would be her and I for the rest of our lives, and that I wanted to spend that last fifteen feet in prayer over us. I told her I wanted us to always come back to that moment so that we can remember how we will face every battle: together and with prayer, because two are stronger than one. Once we made it to the top, I forgot to put on the nice shoes I had stashed to change into because I blacked out, and we got to the spot where I read the scripture God had given me, gave the best romantic speech I could muster up, and got down on my knee to ask her to marry me. She said yes!
Then we were officially engaged! We had to hike the treacherous trail back down, now as fiancés, and at the bottom our families had come to surprise her too and take us out to lunch. That night we went back to camp and got to worship together, lead small groups, call the rest of our family and friends, and play dodgeball. It was perfect, and one of the best days of our lives. At a place where we originally did not truly know each other, see each other, or love each other, we came back to years later fully knowing, seeing, and choosing to love each other for the rest of our lives!