In this bonus Q&A episode, Dawn takes us behind the scenes of the challenging first year of marriage with Wiesiek—dealing with depression, financial struggles, and the pressures of building a family together. She shares how they overcame it all. Dawn also reveals a powerful moment of reconnection that became a turning point in their relationship.
As the conversation unfolds, she reflects on the unexpected twists in their lives—moving across the country, teaching hip-hop worship at a conference to launching a successful dance video business, with Wiesiek as her creative partner. Discover how their leap of faith turned into a worldwide ministry, impacting churches and worship leaders across the globe, and what led her to start sharing love stories through podcasts.
From hardship to creative success, Dawn’s story is full of surprising turns that prove love can thrive even in the toughest of times.
In this episode, Dawn answers questions as she and Tom reflect on the remarkable journey that brought Dawn and Wiesiek together and the powerful moments that followed. From the early days of journaling her adventures to leading a mission team to Ukraine just months after their wedding, this story is full of surprises and unexpected blessings.
Dawn reminisces about their second honeymoon through Poland, Germany and the Netherlands. She also opens up about the painful losses they faced while trying to grow their family, and how a miraculous vision in the midst of heartache brought her healing.
Through faith, determination, and God's unwavering love, Dawn and Wiesiek’s path to parenthood is a story of hope and resilience that continues to inspire. Join them as they share the details that shaped their love story and led them to their beautiful family.
After a stunning wedding, the newlyweds head to Chattanooga, TN, for a blissful week-long honeymoon. Their five days together are nothing short of perfect, and Dawn is overjoyed with her new life. But even fairytale beginnings can falter, and within just a few months, she and her husband find themselves pushed to their breaking point.
The day is finally here! That morning Wiesiek win’s Dawn’s heart again so that the two can get down to business preparing for the evening. At 5:00 pm on September 19, Wiesiek and Dawn finally see the part of the prophecy come true.
With the countdown clock ticking, Vee & Sara quickly get things in order and head to the states to settle into their new lives. Wedding planning comes to a close and the soon-to-be bride & groom enjoy their rehearsal dinner surrounded by loving friends & family. It’s on the way home that night that Dawn has a disappointing realization about her entire love story.
Despite receiving a breakup message, Dawn pushes through and talks to Vee, setting the record straight about their relationship and their future. She then pushes the wedding a few weeks to try and give her fiance’s visa more time to process. With only a month until the special day, Vee gets summoned to the Embassy with an important message.
Dawn sets the wedding date and gets wedding planning rolling. Only problem? No guarantee the groom will be in the country by Sept. 5th. Thanks to an unexpected visitor, Vee’s paperwork is submitted for approval, though it enlightens Dawn with info about his first marriage she wasn’t previously aware of & sparks their first fight. Tensions reach a breaking point when Dawn receives a cassette tape from her fiancé, ominously titled “The Last One, Goodbye My Love.”
In an effort to prove the legitimacy of their love story to the Department of State and the Embassy, Dawn launches what she calls “Operation Get Wiesiek Over Here.” She rallies more than 25 people to contribute letters and photographs that document her whirlwind romance with Wiesiek. While Wiesiek works to get everything in order from Poland, Dawn finds herself in constant communication with D.C., receiving frequent calls as the stakes for their love story grow higher.
Willy answers fan submitted questions and talks about his experience in the whirlwind love story with Dawn in Europe. He covers everything from meeting Dawn and falling in love, introducing her to Sara, tackling the obstacles they were bound to encounter, and working through a rejected visa to visit her in America. Listen to Willy’s perspective of this unexpected love story in this special bonus episode!
Willy sits down to talk about his backstory that led him to attend the fateful trip. He shares about his battle with cancer, his musical background, how he got his nickname, living in Poland at the time, and whether or not he, too, received “sign posts” regarding the tour.
Dawn decides to humor her parents when they suggest wedding dress shopping, only to find “The Dress” at a price she could only dream of. She then says goodbye to her Maryland friends as she moves home to Tennessee with her parents, choosing to share the news of her engagement with a few close friends. At the end of the week, Wiesiek is set to meet with the American Consul regarding his visitor’s visa. Will the Embassy give him the green light?
Returning to the states is a whirlwind for Dawn as she attempts to catch up on sleep, dodge questions about her love life, and remain in contact with Wiesiek. Though she resolved to keep her engagement a secret until she could tell her parents, the pressure builds and she cracks, sharing the news with friends in Maryland. When her parents finally arrive, their response to the news is somewhat of a surprise to Dawn.
Dawn finally meets Sara, her future daughter, and is filled with a mixture of love and fear. As she contemplates how to move forward, Wiesiek reassures her with a gentle promise. The team enjoy one last night together, and in the morning begin their journey home. Dawn boards her flight back to the U.S. unaware of an event that threatens to throw a wrench in her plans.
In a whirlwind of events, Dawn faces many emotions on her last full day in Europe. She is moved by Wiesiek’s heart, wears an engagement ring on her finger, and steps into what will be her future home, causing all her expectations to shatter. She’s left with one question: “Can I really go through with this marriage?”
In a backward sequence of events, Dawn and Willy go on their first date after affirming that they’re meant to be married. It’s during this meal that she finds out what her future last name will be, and that Willy is indeed not her fiance’s real name. Drunk on love, Dawn’s head is in the clouds as she prepares to head back to Warsaw.
Dawn continues to receive surprise after surprise when yet another familiar face shows up to her hotel. The new addition heads out with the rest of the team on a tour of historical Kiev sites, which makes Dawn feel as though she’s entered a romantic movie. That night, she has “the talk” with Willy, and feels resolute in their decision. But now others on the team are talking as well. https://www.loveunexpected.us/s2-episode-2.html
Following the realization that Willy is her other half, Dawn is met with a variety of experiences in Kiev. From a first-time bathroom encounter to an elegant and delicious meal bribed with a few American dollars; it’s a day to remember. During the outing, Willy makes a move to solidify his interest in Dawn, causing her yet another sleepless night. https://www.loveunexpected.us/s2-episode-1.html
That evening while at dinner, Dawn hears a voice that speaks a life-changing realization. With many questions racing through her mind, she has to make a decision: will she fully release control and follow the signs that are clearly marked ahead of her?
Dawn’s first morning in Ukraine pulls on her heartstrings. She quickly falls in love with the country and its people, though later becomes distracted by the shift in her feelings after finding a note directed to her from Willy.
Dawn’s anger and frustrations towards Willy solidifies her resolve to avoid him, but he works to find a way around it. To her delight the team flies to Ukraine and checks into a hotel in Kiev. Between Dawn and Willy's close proximity and constant interactions during their travels, she continues to find herself in an internal war between her heart and her head.
