Matt and Elsa met each other online through a dating website. Matt (uninspired by the dating scene in NYC) did a nationwide search for his top match and found Elsa (a grad student in Chicago). Matt asked her on a date to Cafe Skype and she fell head over heels. After a few painfully long weeks and hundreds of hours on the phone, Matt flew to visit Elsa in Chicago. O'Hare International Airport's baggage claim #5 will forever hold a special place in their hearts.

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Long weekends were spent visiting each other. Frequent flier miles accumulated. Matt learned about Adivasi theology and inculturation; Elsa learned about sand. Ice skating turned to wet suit buying. Matt composed music for a horror film; Elsa graded horrible freshman English papers. New acquaintances became fast friends. They packed up thousands of books. Farewell parties were followed by welcome parties. They unpacked thousands of books. Matt toured the Polka circuit from New England to Guantanamo Bay; Elsa toured Indian churches, writing away. Exactly a year after their first fateful meeting, they regrouped at baggage claim #5 and decided to keep this adventure going.

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A LITTLE BACKGROUND

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Elsa is an advanced Ph.D. student in Theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School. She has spent much of the past year in India doing ethnographic fieldwork for her dissertation. Elsa is also an approved candidate for ordained ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). After finishing her dissertation, Elsa hopes to combine her passions for pastoral ministry and higher education.

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Matt is a composer who's written music for projects ranging from independent films to Google photos. He also plays the accordion in a polka band, and does video and media work for the Parish of Calvary ~ St. George's. In the summer ("which goes until December, right?"), Matt can be found sailing his Hobie 16 during the day and fishing at night.