Joel was born and grew up in British Columbia, Canada. His dad is a stained glass artist, and his mom is a piano teacher. He has 3 older siblings and a younger sister. Although his parents and siblings all went to BJU, he decided to go to school in Calgary, then to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY for his doctorate. Joel has a PhD in biomedical engineering, loves practically anything from Trader Joe’s, enjoys *good* coffee, long, scenic drives, history podcasts, and complex board games.

Erin grew up in Kansas, then moved to Greenville, SC for college. Her dad is a pastor, and her mom is a music teacher. She has an older brother and 2 younger siblings. She went to Bob Jones University and majored in Harp Performance, then did a Master’s in Composition. Erin works as an administrative assistant in the Division of Music at BJU, and also is a freelance harpist and harp teacher. She loves thrift stores, period dramas, puns, and Dr. Pepper.

Joel and Erin met in June 2019 on a dating app. Erin remembers seeing his profile and thinking “No way!” (Joel apparently had a similar experience.) After messaging a little bit, they realized they had tons in common and decided to meet in person. Their first date was on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Greer at a coffee shop; then a Mexican restaurant for dinner; then a frozen custard place for dessert. It was a wonderful 7-hour first date full of deep conversation and loads of chemistry. :) Less than a month later, Erin left town for 3 weeks, and Joel left for Boston for an internship. However, they kept in touch through FaceTime, texting, and calling. They started officially dating at the end of August when Joel came back for a visit halfway through those 4 months. In November he returned to Greenville, but after just a few months, he decided to return to his school in New York to finish his doctoral thesis (he now has a PhD in biomedical engineering) and so they were long distance again until June 2020. Since June, they’ve both been in Greenville working and seeing each other as often as they can. In June Joel finished writing his dissertation; in July he successfully defended his thesis; in August and September he applied and interviewed for science jobs; and in October he accepted a postdoctoral position in Boston, then asked Erin to marry him! It was a whirlwind of a year!

Joel has really come to appreciate the ministry of John Piper, so he and Erin sometimes listen to his podcast over lunch or watch one of his Look at the Book segments. They’re working on the same chronological Bible-reading plan, so sometimes they’ll read the passage together. And as a countdown to their wedding, they have begun reading backwards through the Psalms, ending up at Psalm 1 the day before the wedding :) When they’re feeling energetic, Erin and Joel enjoy taking long, scenic drives and exploring waterfalls in North Carolina. Joel loves new experiences, so they try new coffeeshops and restaurants when they’re feeling lowkey adventurous. And when they’re relaxing, they watch sci-fi shows together. Fun Fact: During their long-distance relationship, they had to get creative with dates. They went through a gaming phase, and discovered they are very competitive. Joel is the current champion of Words with Friends, while Erin is the victor in the Lord of the Rings category on Quiz Up (but only by a hair ;)

Joel and Erin plan to be married on January 16, 2020, in Greenville, South Carolina. After their honeymoon, they’ll return briefly to Greenville to pack up and say their goodbyes, then head to Boston to start their new life together as Dr. and Mrs. Janke. :)