Lymph Journal # 16

1/23/2012

Good day today – so far – it is one of the two days in the week that I take an antibiotic dose that sort of set me back the first time.  I think I’ve figured out how to better manage the hit to my digestion.

Today has been a day to really appreciate the encouragement many have extended to us.  The email notes, written notes, blog responses, offers to do – well, just about anything, gifts of music or reading material, dinner (tonight thanks to the BFA Personnel Department), the countless folk pledging prayer support – why, it’s all quite overwhelming and I know we’re going to miss thanking some people properly so here’s a general THANKS! right now. 

Today we also had a delightful and encouraging visit from a young couple dear to our hearts, Molly and Nico.  We’ve known Molly since I had her as a student in World History at BFA in the 2001-02 school year.  Molly’s one sharp cookie (from a family of likewise sharpies) and is the one person to accurately and succinctly nail my teaching style in one word (a secret observation gleefully spilled by her missionary Dad later to me).  The word was “pontificate” – bot, did she get that right – I do pontification well and was secretly delighted that she understood that.  Well Molly went on to finish well at BFA then attended a secular university in Boston – not so far from RI – and she flourished there.  When I asked her how she was able to be so successful at not only surviving but thriving in the transition to the U.S. she shared a powerful secret – she went there with a mission/as a missionary.  I had to admire the wisdom in that – she went to shape things rather than be shaped by them because she already knew what was important in life.  Following university she eventually ended up in student/community ministries in Rhone-Alps region of France.  There she met Nico, a young man who came to faith as, well, a young man.  A few summers ago we had the privilege of attending their wedding which was a blend of Asian, Alsatian, and Scottish culture (anyone familiar with the BFA community would not be surprised at this sort of eclecticism).  To fast forward, Molly and Nico now are serving in a major city/university area in central France.  They’re leading investigative Bible studies as outreach, serving in leadership with a church youth group, investing in the lives and discipleship of students.  When this semester wraps up they’ll be moving to a new location and, with another couple, starting up a similar work there.

This was all such an encouragement to me, to us.  Here’s this little half-pint sized young woman who, seemingly yesterday, was a student in my class but in reality, ten years on she’s on the frontline of reaching out to students in a nation not so friendly to the Gospel.  Nico will preach at a baptism this weekend – he says it’s the first time he’ll be preaching to a non-church crowd.  She’s stayed the course – man, that’s encouraging.  He’s grown so much in a few short years.  The girl I used to pontificate over joined with us and her husband to pray together – to pray for us and for what God’s doing here and to pray for them.  It really doesn’t get much better than that.