Devotions, Friends, and Services in Florida

Friday morning in Florida Jonathan and I accepted the invitation to attend FEA staff devotions.

Harold Martin cooks breakfast at the school cafeteria every Friday, and once a month (if I remember correctly) brings breakfast over to share at staff devotions.

So here we were eating breakfast of bacon and eggs, hashbrowns, and biscuits and gravy with quite a number of folks, most of whom we know personally such as John Dykes, Harold Martin, the Hobbs, Benjamin McDowell, Ephraim Cruz, as well as ones we got acquainted with that week, such as Lucas Brown, the videographer.

After breakfast, we all listened to the FEA missionary in Mongolia over Skype (or some such thing), and had a time of prayer for her and other needs.

So in between all the hard work of filling nearly 5 dumpsters with old building materials, we enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

It was amazing on Sunday morning to see an old acquaintance from clear back when I was about 12 years old in South Dakota,

up on the platform with her family. It was Lisa [Howard] Wiseman, whose son is listed in the church bulletin as "Online Pastor" there. I went up to greet her after the service, as we hugged each other, she laughed about how we keep meeting up all the time!

Last time was at Kansas State Holiness Campmeeting last summer where she was going about with a tiny granddaughter.

We sat down, totally accidentally, beside other folk I knew from back when I was about 15 years old in Pennsylvania (only I didn't know it when Jonathan picked the seat). During greeting time I told her I thought I recognized her, and she told me their names. My how many years it has been!
And then of course there were Peter and Rebecca Brinkmann, who have been friends of our family for so many years, since I was about 21. We were so happy to see each other and catch up on our lives.

She is a grandma now, but we are both mothers of youngsters, still.

Again it was encouraging to get to talk to someone my age who understood right where I am in every way, and to encourage each other in the Lord.
Thank You, Lord, for friends!