By Karen E. Butler, Marketing & Public Relations
Hoping to marry one day, Astrill Morales has been praying for God’s guidance since she was a child. As they say, there are a lot of fish in the sea—but not all are a match and fit. For Astrill, the man of her dreams had to have a shared faith in God and be equally dedicated to family and church. In March—when the time was right—that “perfect someone” popped the question whilst gently slipping a simple timepiece on her delicate wrist.
Astrill met her fiancé, Carlos Roque, at World of Pentecost Church in Burlington, North Carolina. The Bible—considered by the pair to be the blueprint for their lives—cautions against allowing jewelry or any outward adornment to become a distraction from the inner beauty which the Bible says matters most (1 Peter 3:3-4). With that in mind, Carlos presented his bride-to-be with a silver Citizens watch—unconventional, to be sure, but as much a declaration of unwavering love and devotion as any diamond-encrusted platinum ring.
“The proposal was a complete surprise,” shared Astrill, who has worked in Customer Service since 2022. “Over the years, we had talked about marriage, but I had no idea when or where we’d become engaged.”
Carlos immigrated to the United States from El Salvador when he was 10 years old. He tells Astrill that he was interested in her from the moment they met. But Astrill needed time.
“We attended high school together and were always in the same Sunday School class throughout our teen years,” said Astrill, who first met Carlos when she was 15 years old. “We were good friends and hung out together quite often, but I didn’t notice Carlos romantically until I turned 18. We took a year to get to know one another, and then we decided to date.”
Astrill says she likes that Carlos always takes time to recognize and appreciate the small things she does for him. She also admires Carlos’ dedication to his job as a supervisor with the Budd Group at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Wedding plans are already underway. The couple will wed in September at their home church. They hope to honeymoon in Mexico, Hawaii or Greece. Until then, they’ll keep a close eye on Astrill’s watch, counting down the days, hours and minutes until they are united in marriage as one.
Congratulations, Astrill and Carlos. May you enjoy a lifetime full of happiness and joy! — Andersen Sterilizers