November 15, 2007
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boo hoo it is cold
Saturday night was the CCS missions banquet. Except it isn’t called CCS, it is Lifepoint. But it still has a bunch of people that I knew from growing up at that church. Andrew and Ann Sims spoke, about their work with the Ketenbam tribe in New Guine. Amazing. To go somewhere, learn a language that is not written, figure out how the grammar works and how to write it—teach the people, and then translate the Bible into their language.
I sat in wonder. These are some of the missionaries I grew up hearing about and from. I remember playing with their kids when I was 8. I remember Christmas letters and updates and slide shows. I heard their stories. They came to my church and showed me things I had never imagined. Every Sunday I saw their picture on the bulletin board, with a little flag marking the spot where they lived on the world map. I stared at those pictures until I almost saw the people move. When I was 16 these missionaries took me to places I had never gone.
And now I live a life in a place far away. A place like those pictures. And I take pictures of my own. Sometime, I am going to show those pictures to little children. Maybe to a little girl about 8 who will look at my picture on the bulletin board, a little flag marking my home in Brasil, and stare so hard she sees me blink. And I will show her things she never imagined. And maybe when she grows up, she will go places she has never gone. And take pictures.
So I have been back a week. I am not really sure where all I am. I just got a call from Borders. Borders Downtown. The job I REALLY really wanted. They want an interview. Groan. And I just got trained at the store RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. oh well. so yeah, i work in the womans department at Carson Pirie Scott. I never get the name right. that is bad. very bad.
Mom made feijoada and bolo de rolo yesterday. Pastor Assuario and I had a nice long talk in Portuguese on the couch. When we were looking at pictures of ’99, he asked “Do you know some girl that came and drew a picture of the church and gave it to me?” I did, actually. It was me. Turns out Pastor Assuario saved that picture. Even in going to Africa and back. When he has an office, he is going to frame it and put it on his wall. Small world.
My Aunt and Uncle flew in from California. That is what you can do when you are retired. They rented a convertible, and we rode around in it with the top down—on November 14th. Yep, pretty sweet. I think I really like retired people. Uncle Loren said he wanted to make sure he got to see those pictures on Xanga for the next while…so guess who has a lovely new camera? I am so excited. We picked the one that would last the longest time even with frequent dropping and manhandling…
