Courting Erin, Episode II

July 12, 2003, Erin and I became one.

An Adventure 3 Years in the Making: Episode II

Wednesday, July 26th, 2006 at 6:00pm, Chili's restaurant, 2 couples (Chris and Aletha Wachter and Bernt and Erin Eidsmoe) reunite after a 3 years absence. Will this reunion result in the excitement as the first meeting? Only time tell.

What am I talking about? A new movie? The reconciliation of Abba? Nope, something bigger. The first time these two couples connected, Erin and I met and eventually got married. And after our meeting with them at Chili’s last night, we are excited to see what the future holds as the four of reunite.

5 years ago, this September, the courtship of an unbreakable unity began. Erin Michelle Johnson and Bernt Bruce Eidsmoe met.

(...Continued from yesterday.)

Episode II Fall, 2001
I knew I liked Chris Wachter from day one. A great guy who loves the Lord. He is one of those Christians that reflects Christ like the "Bat Signal." There's no way anyone could miss it. So it didn't take long (probably the first day) that we found out about each other's relationship with Christ.

I was a noob (rookie) in my walk with the Lord and I'm sure it showed. I found out about the church he attended. Hope Community Church on the U of M campus. Whoa! What did you say! (That Bat Signal just nailed me like I was wearing infrared goggles.) (Like I said in the previous post, I was going to church but 100% of my heart was obviously not on finding the Lord.) All I heard was Christian college girls!

That week, I was the latest attendee of Hope Community Church. Much to my surprise, I really liked the church! And I didn't meet my future wife that Sunday either. This was a winner! I was honestly excited about going to church. (A first in my life.)

The best way to get involved in church (and meet more girls I might add) is to join a small Bible study group. That September, I met my future wife!

I had given a girl a ride to Bible study (see, I told ya chicks dig Jeeps.) ;) and we walked up the apartment building stairs. As I opened the door, there she was. The cutest girl in the room was sitting on the couch. I knew I just HAD to sit next to her. I quickly found her name. Erin.

After Chris introduced me to everyone, including what would turn out to be his future wife Aletha, we started out the night with a game of "spoons". A fun game but to be good at it, you have to be aggressive. And with just meeting everyone for the first time, I didn't want to show off my stuff. ;)

Round 1 of Spoons, Erin got eliminated from the game.
(Hmmm...)
Round 2 of Spoons, I got eliminated from the game.
(Coincidence? I'll let you decide.)

With both of us out of the game and everyone else deeply engrossed in strategy, she had no choice but to talk to me. (Pretty sneeky huh?) Anyway, at the end of the night, Erin and I already had our first nicknames given to us...Bert and Ernie.

Fast forward a couple of years, and the same Bert and Ernie who got eliminated from spoons, got married and Chris and Aletha were in the wedding party.

So what does all of that have to do with meeting Chris and Aletha at Chili's a few nights ago?

Well, not much really, but I just thought it would be fun to tell of how Erin and I met. But, having said that, Chris has now graduated from seminary and with that same church (Hope Community) serving as a "sister" church, he will be pastoring a brand new church plant. Week #1 for the new "Hiawatha" church (it's off of Hiawatha Ave.) will be the first Sunday in September. Erin and I will be there.

Will this also be our new church family? We don't know. But God used Chris and Aletha in the past to introduce Erin and I so who knows. Maybe God has brought Chris and Aletha back into our lives for increasing our courtship. Not the courtship between Erin and me, but between us and God!

MY UPDATED CHECKLIST
Step #1: Commit my life to Christ. Check
Step #2: Get a Jeep. Check (After all, chicks dig guys with Jeeps right?)
Step #3: Get the girl. Check
Step #4: Get a house. Check
Step #5: Get a dog. Check
Step #6: Ummm...Well God, you have given me more than I will ever deserve. I think my attitude should have been, "Lord, teach me to give to you."

—b