Eryka and J.R. officially met in 2008 at a church concert (whew those Clark Road late night musical days, lol). J.R. then messaged Eryka on MySpace (do y'all remember myspace???). You know they had each other in their top five, 😊!

Eryka and J.R. eventually became an official couple in 2009 and dated for three years. Music is what brought them closer together. They did ministry together at New Zion Temple in Hammond, IN where J.R. was the minister of music and Eryka was the praise and worship leader. Even though there were some ups and downs, they understood the bigger picture and wanted to make sure they were fulfilling their purpose.

Unfortunately, they did break up and Eryka moved away to Maryland. But, that never stopped them from being friends and having love for one another. J.R. would say that Eryka played him those years that she was in Maryland because she was not trying to “circle the block”. Eryka was told that she was only supposed to move forward and not backwards, lol. J.R. even shared a dream with Eryka in which he had a vision that she was his wife. But, Eryka was still not moved.

However, the friendship and communication remained and in October of 2022, J.R. responded to an Instagram post. Eryka replied “Are you flirting with me Pastor?” and J.R. responded “I never stopped”. From that moment, they began talking on the phone again for hours at a time. But, this time the conversations were different than before. Both Eryka and J.R. had matured and were in a better personal space. The love was still there and the connection was just undeniable.

After the “second-first date” in December of 2022, Eryka and J.R. have blossomed ever since. They created a long distance relationship while traveling the country together and meeting in different states. After, falling back in love with J.R. (which she swore she’d never do again 🙄), Eryka made the choice to move back to Chicago in November of 2023. And, in December of 2024, J.R. saw the fulfillment of a vision as he proposed to the woman of his dreams.

Their love has grown stronger than ever and this time their bond is unbreakable!