Four years after saving Nathan Peterson from attacking pit bulldogs, Ricky Ray has returned to help Nathan again – by officiating his marriage.

A bond between Nathan and Ricky was formed a on Nov. 16, 2021, when two pit bulls escaped from a house and attacked Nathan, 17 at the time, on a quiet cul de sac in Webb City. Ricky saw it happen from his kitchen window and ran to help.

The dogs turned their attention to Ricky, pulled him down and severely injured his left leg. The ordeal ended when Ricky’s wife and a friend came wielding thin boards… and once the dogs were secured inside.

Ricky, a Baptist pastor in the process of leaving town when the pit bull attack occurred, was credited for being a hero for saving Nathan’s life.

The dogs were said to have been taken to Colorado, but other than that there have been no repercussions for the dogs’ owners.

The only positive thing from the incident is that Ricky says he believes he and Nathan have become friends forever.

Now living near Little Rock, Ark., Ricky has kept up with changes in Nathan’s life, including when he met his bride to be, Gracie Shoultz.

“You know, they fell in love,” says Ricky, “and when it came time for them to get married, they reached out to me. I mean, of course, I’m what four hours away but 100% want to be there with them on this day.

“To me, it really was a chapter of a story that I couldn’t have written a better ending.

“I was looking for closure to this book. And seeing him and hugging him and seeing what kind of man he’s become and everything, it just solidified in my heart that the power of Christ can change and can help anybody no matter what he goes through.

“And so that’s how it all happened. God put it all together to help change him… and I went to a bad season of the nightmares reliving the drama. To this day, I have no feeling because they (dogs) severed everything down there.”

That was Satan’s bite, “but God is not finished.” Ricky says he believes God has placed him as the pastor at one of the “greatest churches in America.

“It is just phenomenal the way that God has ministered in my life and changed change my life as well. all because I think of that day.”

Nathan was also traumatized, according to his father, Tron Peterson. But it’s been amazing “seeing him recover from that, just enjoying life and then being able to meet Gracie.

“It was icing on the cake having Ricky Ray, who saved his life, be the one that came back and was able to perform the wedding and see Nathan doing much better.

“We’re just forever grateful to him. At the wedding, everybody just came up and told Ricky, ‘You know, we wouldn’t even be having this day if it wasn’t for you saving Nathan’s life that day.’ And so it was a beautiful wedding.”

Ricky Ray agrees.

“I consider that a happy, amazing, miraculous ending to a very horrible story. “So yeah, it was a great day.”