Joel Andersen & Misti Lewchuk Saturday, September 8, 2001

It was during my senior year at Franklin High School that I met a man who changed my life; little did I know he would become my husband. I was seeking for something in my life that year, but I didn't really know what it was.

There was a new student at school named Brian Wakefield and I introduced myself to him. To make a long story short, we got to know each other and he invited me to go to church with him. I came and heard the Good News. I was very broken hearted at the time because of some things that were going on in my life, so it was very easy for the Lord to speak to my heart. On Sunday morning, November 23, 1997, I prayed and the Lord saved me. That experience gave me a whole new life as well as new friends. Brian's brother, Scott, introduced me to a young man named Joel Andersen and Joel and I just “clicked!” Joel became my best friend. We did everything together, and he showed that he really cared about me. Joel had a way about him that just made me love him. He was (and is!) smart, funny, and really knew how to treat a lady.

Our friendship continued to grow, and over time I found out that he had a crush on me. When I realized that, our whole friendship changed. I was not really interested in him in that way at the time, but the more I thought about it, it made sense that we should try dating since he was my best friend.

Four years later, Joel finally asked me to marry him! We went on a surprise trip to Seattle, Washington and I could sense he was nervous that day, so I knew something was up. On the train ride back home to Portland I could feel him starting to sweat sitting next me. Sure enough, he popped the question with sweat beads coming off his forehead. I was so happy I was in tears and of course I said, “YES!”

On September 8, 2001 we committed our lives to each other and to serving the Lord together. It was a beautiful and exciting day.

As I look back over our lives together so far, the Lord has brought us through a lot in just a few years. We have had many big decisions to make very early in our marriage. However, when Joel and I said, “I will marry you,” we also told the Lord that we would serve Him together, no matter what. On our wedding invitation we quoted the verse from Ephesians, “two shall become one.” Joel and I were two separate people in two separate lives, but the Lord has truly brought us together.

During our premarital counseling, we were told that if we would put God first and have a family altar in our home, our marriage would continue to grow and blossom. I will always remember that and it is very exciting to see what the Lord has next for our life together.

His Story. . .

In my heart I always knew what I wanted; I have always had a plan, and rarely strayed from what I originally intended to do. Finding the love of my life and getting married was part of the plan, somewhere down the line, but part of the plan.

Even when I was not saved and relatively young, I believed that I would marry someone from our church, I just could not imagine who. I remember looking around at the young ladies my age and not seeing any real potential. It wasn't that they were unattractive or did not have the right personalities, I just could not see myself with any of them.

I did date while I was in school, but in the back of my mind I knew that unless I completely turned my back on what I believed or one of them became a Christian, it was not going to work out with any of those girls.

When I was a sophomore in high school my life changed. I had knee surgery and was unable to play basketball. I became somewhat depressed and my love for the Lord began to wane. At the same time, my best friend, Scott Wakefield, moved back from Chehalis, Washington and started attending Franklin High School. He and his brother became friends with a number of new people, one of whom was Misti Lewchuk.

I don't know what it was, but I did not really like Misti when I first met her. Not for any particular reason, I just did not like her. But as time went on, I would hang out at Scott's house quite often and Misti was sometimes there as well. I can't pinpoint the day we started talking, but when we did, we hit it off!

We were like a puzzle piece missing from each others' lives. Misti was exactly what I needed in my life. She was newly saved and dug in and received her deeper experiences, and I was in awe of her zeal for the Lord. Her love and true excitement encouraged me to redirect my focus from my depression to recommitting my life to the Lord. I was saved on July 2, 1997, and she was one of the first to hug me and encourage me in my new walk.

As the summer wore on, we became closer to each other. She was without a doubt my best friend. It was right after Thanksgiving that we started going together—officially. For the next three and a half years we dated, and then began talking of marriage.

Although I had planned to fall in love and get married, it was a bigger commitment than I thought it would be! Not that I was getting cold feet, but my feet were beginning to catch a chill! In November of 2000 we boarded a train for a day trip to Seattle to do some Christmas shopping. It was without a doubt the worst day of my life. The anxiety was grueling, but at last on the way home I mustered up the nerve to whisper a prayer, and asked her to marry me. She said, “Yes” and then she cried, we laughed, she cried some more, we called people, etc. It was great once it was over!

In the next few weeks we set our date for September 8, 2001, but the time before the upcoming wedding would hold a few surprises that only the Lord could have seen. During our pre-marriage counseling, Misti told me that she did not feel it was right for us to get married if I did not have my baptism. That was a shock to me and, quite frankly, made me upset. We had ordered the cake and invitations . . . everything was getting ready to go! Besides that, I thought, Who is she to tell me that I need to have a closer walk with the Lord?! Yet, it dawned on me that she was going to be my wife and had all the right in the world to tell me exactly what I needed to hear.

I was one of those people who had always thought that getting my baptism was a nice dream, but would never be a reality for me. At the same time, faced with the ultimatum of not marrying the only woman that I had ever loved and being left holding a huge amount of uneaten cake, I did not really see a choice.

So, I started to pray. And Misti prayed. At the same time, the Portland young people were becoming hungry and another friend of ours was praying for his baptism. It was hard work—literally! I lost 15 pounds while seeking for my baptism. On the last Friday prayer meeting before camp meeting 2001, I broke through. Just like four years earlier, Misti was right there to hug and encourage me.

Everything else went as planned, much to my delight. We were married on a beautiful, sunny September Saturday. What marriage and life would be like without both of us having our baptism is scary to think about. I am so glad Misti put a little pressure on me.

These years of marriage have been wonderful. Misti is my best friend and greatest love. It is truly incredible to me that the Lord could arrange all the circumstances for a girl born in Nebraska to become my wife. What else can I say other than the Lord is truly wonderful?!

Joel and Misti Andersen are members of the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon.