Oh yeah, it's Friday! We have had such a busy traveling week that I totally forgot what day it is. Well, better late than never, right? Here are my Friday Fave Fives...Willow's Week described in sharing five blessings. The link takes you to Susanne's blog where you can read more or join us.
1. On Sunday afternoon, The Professor, Older Daughter and I packed our bags and threw them into our new car and headed out. The reason for our trip might not seem like a happy occasion. We were traveling to attend the funeral for a beloved co-worker in Papua, Indonesia. But truly, it is a blessing to know that the God we served in Indonesia had welcomed our dear friend to her eternal home. She joined her husband and youngest daughter and one grandson.
2. On the way, we stopped overnight in Michigan to visit another couple who also served with us in Indonesia. They now live here:
What a wonderful time of reminiscing we had! Their daughter was one of Older Daughter's best friends and roommates at the missionary boarding school. (you may remember that last summer we hosted a family who are missionaries in Thailand--that is the same 'girl'.) Our friends live on a large farm and we had great fun tramping through their woods before we left and went on our way.
3. Our destination was Wisconsin.
How do you explain to people that co-workers in places where we lived are really family. After checking in to our hotel and grabbing dinner, we drove over to our friends' home and just settled in chatting like we had seen each other yesterday. We got caught up on everyone's activities. Out of respect for this grieving family, I am not posting any photos.
The next morning, we attended the service for our friend and met three more co-workers who also made the trip to attend her service. Lunch was just the best catch-up time! And we returned in the evening to hang out again with them. Our hearts were full!
4. You can't travel to eastern Wisconsin and not visit Lake Michigan. It's 'almost' like being at the beach...
8 comments:
You really had a full week, visiting nice locations and being with friends and family. So sorry about your friend's passing....
A trip full of people time...wonderful. Wonderful to have the chance to touch bases with all of them before that grand reunion in heaven!
So sorry for the loss of your dear friend and former colleague, but when you know where that person has gone, it is really a time for celebration...and you know you will rejoice together again one day in heaven. I wonder what mission group you served with in New Guinea? My husband and I used to served in the pastoral ministry with the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. They have a very large mission organization and have had many missionaries in Papua, New Guinea and Indonesia, etc. I can remember hearing so many amazing stories from the missionaries when they came home on furlough and visited our churches during our annual missions conferences. I would imagine that even if you were with a different organization, you might have known some of their missionaries. Just wondering! It's been a long time since we were connected to that church, so I am out of touch with current missionaries serving there now, but over the years many prayers went up on behalf of those who were serving there. I am glad you had a good trip up and back. Yes, I am sure these folks were like family to you. When you are so far from home, God brings people together to become family for each other. You often have much more in common with your co-workers than you do with your own relatives. We have found that to be true even in serving in the ministry here in the states. Glad you are back home safe and sound now. Have a blessed weekend.
I am sorry for the loss of your friend. It sounds like her life touched many other lives and it was nice that you were able to share your grief.
I am so glad that you could attend the funeral and reconnect with family and friends. I have never visited the upper midwest and it is somewhere I would like to go. I hope you have a good weekend. See you again soon!
Though funerals and memorials are sad, I love how they so often seem like a mini-reunion. Glad you got to visit with so many friends and had a safe trip.
Like you said in my post a memorial service or celebration of life service in your case (sadly my cousin didn't accept Jesus that we know of), can be a blessing when you see people and connect with people whom you haven't seen in a long time. Your time away sounds like it was great for that. I have to say I did enjoy meeting my cousin's "children" and their children. So first cousins once removed and 2nd cousins!
I love the farmhouse they live in!!
And I've never seen Lake Michigan.....looks so pretty. We will be traveling to Michigan to stay on Lake Huron where a childhood friend of mine runs a retreat center for the Methodist church. I am really looking forward to seeing that great lake. I've kayaked and swam on Lake Ontario and spent some time on Lake Erie but that's it.
I hope you're having a wonderful weekend
Although a funeral is in our religion a rather sad event, it gave you the opportunity to meet old friends and family, that's something very nice. I know Wisconsin quite well, and also the lake Michigan which is huge, my mother's sister had married an American and they lived in Madison. We often went to the lake it really looks like an ocean.
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