A letter for Michele

Dear Michele,
I tried twice to write before, but both times I was unable to finish. I didn't want you to think that I had completely ignored your last posts.
First, I know and understand your desire for a break, or even an end for your blog. Even good things have to end, and that doesn't mean that they weren't good anymore.
That being said, I would still hate to see you go! You are a kindred spirit and you know just how hard those are to find!

I have put off writing because I hate goodbyes and endings. I have had so many! As a missionary, I have become somewhat hardened, simply as a coping mechanism. But I also know that as Christians, there is never really "goodbye", just "see you later". Sometimes, that is literaly the truth! I'll tell you a story. we met this nice couple several years ago in California at Hopewell Baptist Church in Napa. Have you ever heard of their pastor, Mike Ray? Anyway, we had a nice visit with Steve and Sandra. And I never really thought we would ever see them again. On our next furlough, we didn't go to Hopewell. Later, we were in a small town, south of Jacksonville Florida, at the Spanish ministry of a large baptist church there. The pastor asked Neil to ride on the church bus that morning. So he went. And he saw a man working that bus route that looked familiar. Yes......Steve Reyes. Thousands of miles away from where we had met them. We couldn-t believe it. Steve will be arriving this Saturday to spend two weeks with us here in Chile. This kind of thing can only happen in the family of God.

So even if you decide to quit, I comfort myself at the loss of my friend with this knowledge. God gives us friends, and we get to keep them for eternity. No matter where we are on this globe.


Your friend,
Rhonda