Friends are Friends Forever!

Spending time with family for over four weeks of our trip, left little quiet time, but lots of time for fun and laughter. Family comes first, and these days it seems as though grandchildren are the center of our attention, but “friends are friends forever!”

We arrived at the appointed time and place and found friends from our home church gathered together for dinner and great conversation. It was so good to see everyone and to reconnect with some of our Bridgeway Church family. In no time at all, we picked up where we left off a year ago, catching up with each other and our families. Dining on a delicious dinner, with dear friends, and having delightful conversation! Can’t get any better than that; but wait – the icing on the cake, yes it was a birthday cake in my honor. Now, that’s pretty cool when your friends plan ahead with a surprise. Joy had asked the church family to save beanie babies for us to use in our ministry, and for one of her birthday gifts she received another bagful of little cuddly animals from a friend who shopped at Ikea! Friends are friends forever.

Not long after, we were in the Northeast with family and friends, and the weather was far from pleasant. It was grey, cold and rainy. But the warmth of these relationships is indescribable. Since we don’t have rain in our home town in Peru, Joy was teased by our friends that they were glad she didn’t ask the Lord for snow because we would probably still be digging out! We spent the day with David and Carolyn Wells. We travelled up the coast, in and out of some little towns that brought back sweet memories, lunched on delicious New England Clam Chowder, and visited a favorite place in Maine, LL Bean. The return trip allowed time for dinner at one of the best restaurants. Good food, (good fish!) good friends, good fellowship.

The Nashua, NH Boy’s & Girls Club is the best hangout in town! Over 40 years ago at his kitchen table, Don began to brainstorm with a few men about the starting of the club. It was a huge undertaking and yet the family has remained involved in the club operation to date. While we were visiting Kurt (Don’s son) & his wife Diane, the local newspaper reporter interviewed Don and they travelled down memory lane together. Friendships were formed years ago and still today some remain.

We cannot be in New Hampshire without seeing friends from Community Chapel, our home church for 13 years. We were so excited to have a gathering at the local Dunkin Donuts to catch up with one another. These are special friends and special memories. We worship at Community Chapel when we are in town and find that this is a place we can still call home, although it has been years since we have been part of this fellowship. It is here that our girls also formed life-long friendships and although many have scattered to other parts of the states, the social network F/B has enabled us to reconnect and renew our friendships.

As I said earlier, family is most important and most of our time was spent with family in Georgia on this trip. But since we were originally from New England, there other family members remain. We had a blast with Kurt and his family, enjoying four generations together! Joy was delighted to see and spend time with her cousin, his wife and daughter during our quick visit. The conversation included some of the past as well as the present. It was a very special time for all of us.

As we journey through life, God brings different people into our lives during different seasons. Sometimes it is for our benefit and other times it is for theirs. But we trust we are glorifying Him as we build one another up and spur one another onto good deeds. We are connected in a special way with those who have been called to serve the Lord in missions. Therefore the friends we made, through short-term mission trips seem to have a special place in our hearts. We were able to visit with many of them (in addition to the people and places mentioned earlier in this writing) at the IHOP in John’s Creek, Arms of Love Church in Norcross, some at the Kublers home, others at the Duluth Historical Society, over coffee at the Rexall Drug in Duluth, at church and even in their homes. There are way too many to mention individually, but we are thankful for these friendships. We thrive on the connection with these people that God has blessed us with. Friends are friends forever – if the Lord’s the Lord of them. And He is!