Uncle Bob

I am one third of a family who are full time missionaries vocationally and who are constantly going here and there to talk about the call on our lives. Our life is a little crazy, very unconventional, and sometimes gives me a headache. I unpack bags and bags of clothes, toys, food, sheets, diapers and the like - just to repack those same bags sometimes not even 48 hours later. Sometimes I feel like I am doing the most mundane tasks over and over again. The frustration in that can occasionally creep in but thankfully that is not all this is about. We also see God's work every day through conversations with great friends, some of whom we have known for years and others who the Lord plopped down right in front of us to encourage and love on us. So yes, sometimes I have a struggle internally to love and live out this call given to us by the Lord. But the sweetness we get to be a part of is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

We decided an hour and a half into our drive to Portland that we were ready for a pit stop to grab some coffee and use the facilities (as my dear husband would say). He took his refillable (for free every day of January!) travel mug to the counter and I took Siena to the bathroom to get changed. After we got freshened up, we left the bathroom and started making our way toward daddy who was looking at the iPad, cozily sitting in Starbuck's comfy chairs and sipping on his coffee. Before we could even make our way past the counter an older gentleman declared Siena to be the most beautiful baby he had ever seen! Look at those blue eyes he said! He proceeded to then stand up in the middle of Starbucks and away from his acquaintances to ask me if he could pray for her. I said of course he could and so with no thought of anyone else in the room Uncle Bob (as I came to find out later was his name) praised Jesus for our little girl and sought his blessing on her life.

One of the ladies that was with Uncle Bob asked me if that happened to me very often, strangers praying for us in Starbucks. I replied with a no but that we pray for her all the time! I told them that we were about to move down to do college ministry at SDSU and he got so excited! I called Chris over and he bear hugged Chris. The next twenty minutes were incredibly sweet. He told Chris that he thought he was going to do incredible things for the Lord, he told us about how he was a part of the Jesus Movement down in California in the 70s and how he personally knew a pastor that we greatly look up to. Throughout our conversation they also found out that we were raising support and they were eager to hook us up with some local churches who might be interested in supporting our ministry.

So, even in the midst of another Sunday of unpacking bags, organizing clutter, loving my husband and little girlie - I will rejoice in what God has called us to. The mundane and the great.