Just Kidding...I'm Going to Africa!!!

I am so excited to say that just four hours after posting that I was not going to be able to serve with Mercy Ships, I spoke for the first time with the lady who will be renting my condo for the next year! My bags are still packed, and my new flight leaves on Saturday night. I will arrive in Benin on Sunday night, just in time for the first day of school bright and early the next morning! I cannot wait to share the story of how God orchestrated all of the events to prove He was sovereign over my every step, even my decision to stay in Birmingham. I would love to share more now, but the past 24 hours have been such a whirlwind that I am exhausted. I certainly don’t want to write quickly and leave out something important! So, until I can share the whole story, just know that I’m going after all!!!

I am staying.

This was by far one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made in my life. After talking with my principal at Mercy Ships, I made a very difficult decision to stay, knowing that going without a renter was not only a risk for me, but it would also be unfair to the students if I were to go and then leave just two weeks after school had started. (The end of August was my deadline for when I would require a renter or other provision for my condo in order to stay.) Right now, I don't really have the words to explain everything, but I know that people have been praying with me through this, and I wanted to let you know that a decision has been made. I will write more later about the Scriptures, counsel, and circumstances that led me to remain in Birmingham. For now, please pray that I will continue trusting that God's plan is bigger than I could've imagined or created, that I will stop second-guessing myself and move forward, and that He will direct my steps to the employment/ministry He has for me here. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement. I am truly blessed with amazing, godly friends and family. I love you!

Decisions, Decisions

So I'm not in Africa. I haven't found a renter yet, and I just didn't have complete confidence to step on that airplane on Sunday. I have to be honest. I feel a little faithless right now. You know that verse in James where it says that "the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6)? That's the best way to describe how I felt as I tried to sleep Sunday night. Except there were numbers too. Numbers for dollars swimming through my head.

Does this lack of a renter mean that I should step out on faith, trusting that God will provide once I'm there? Or is it God's way of telling me that He wants me to stay here? I don't doubt for a second that God has been purposeful in bringing me this far. I learned so much at Gateway and throughout this whole process. Probably the biggest thing I learned though, is that Africa is not a spiritual honeymoon...the place where my relationship with God will magically be absent of doubts, insecurities, and effort. God is just as present in Alabama as He is in Benin. Sure, my life would undoubtedly never be the same, but God can transform me and use me here too.

I'm not sure what will happen from here. I'm praying for clarity, but more than that, I'm praying that God will be sovereign over my decision. I'm praying that He will act for me, regardless of my own desires, logic, and emotions. I'm praying that when the decision has been made, I will know that it was the right one.

Basic Safety Training

Our last week of Gateway was a U.S. Coast Guard program in Basic Safety Training. It included Personal Survival Techniques, First Aid and CPR, Basic Fire Fighting, and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities. In other words, we are now at least academically prepared for whatever emergency ship life may throw at us...not that my certificate means you would want me to be your rescuer in an emergency. Ha! Now that would be scary!

A few pictures to walk you through the week...

Danae and I in full fire gear. I hated the masks because there was always a brief moment of panic when it didn't connect just right and your air supply was completely cut off. Not to mention we are suited up in the middle of a 100 degree Texas summer day.

Meet Buck. Buck is 160 lbs. of dead weight. We had to rescue him from a smoky room with no visibility. He got about three inches closer to safety with me. I need to work out.

Here I am fighting a class B liquid fire (aka gasoline) with an ABC dry chemical (aka multipurpose fire extinguisher).



This was the worst part of the whole drill. The trainers started a fire in the container below, and we had to go inside with one partner and control it with the fire hose. (We couldn't completely put it out because then there would be no fire for the next group.) The container was completely enclosed and therefore entirely filled with thick black smoke. The smoke you see billowing up in the picture is leaking through small cracks, not a large hole in the ceiling as it might seem. We couldn't see a thing in front of us, and the temperature of the smoke on the ceiling was estimated to be 800 degrees at one point. One member of our team stood up into the smoke and didn't have his face completely covered, and his face was actually blistered in a small area from the heat. I don't mean to be dramatic. I knew it wasn't really dangerous because our trainers were inside the container with us the whole time. However, I felt terrified and was so glad when the exercise was over. It takes a special calling to be a fire fighter. I don't know how they do it.

We did it!

Survival at Sea was much more fun. We got to practice "jumping ship" in an immersion suit. Look, it's the Mercy Ship Teletubbies!

Forming a human raft in our immersion suits.

This was my favorite part--flipping a 12-man life raft from an upside down position in the water. We had to climb on top of the raft, grab the ropes, flip the raft over on top of us, and swim out from underneath. We could either do it with a partner or by ourselves. I initially wanted to do it with a partner, but we both decided we wanted to see if we could do it on our own. Surprisingly, we did!

Basic Safety Training was intense and challenging. There were parts I absolutely hated and parts that I loved. Overall though, I definitely learned some basic concepts of how to handle a ship emergency. I'm glad that Mercy Ships takes the time to train every crew member with such an indepth program. It makes me feel much safer knowing I'll be with hundreds of people who have all been trained in not only how to handle a crisis, but also how to prevent one from happening. Hopefully, our prevention skills will be put to such good use that we'll never have to use the survival skills! :)

Canoeing on Caddo Lake

Last Sunday, we spent the day canoeing at Caddo Lake State Park, which contains the nation's largest Cypress swamp. The scenery was unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it.

Parts of the water were covered in huge (2 ft. in diameter) lily pads.

Here we are paddling through the bayou before reaching my favorite part of the swamp.

The Cypress swamp looked like the canoeing scene in The Notebook.

We canoed for four hours. We were all completely exhausted (and disgusting) afterward, but as you can see from the pictures, it was well worth it.

Mercy Ships on Fox 6!

My parents were watching the news last night and saw a feature on Mercy Ships! Check it out...

Pray for Caleb

Please pray for precious Caleb Richards. Caleb is an adorable 2-year-old boy who was diagnosed with cancer (Wilms' Tumor) in June 2007. He has been in remission, but the doctors found some dark spots on his left lung during his regular CT scan on Friday. He has a second scan on Monday at 12:00. Please pray for his scan to be completely clear and for his parents, Jennifer and Daniel, to have rest and peace this weekend. You can visit Caleb's CaringBridge site by clicking here to read his story and write him an encouraging note. He and his family would love to know you are praying!

Praise Report (Added 7/13/09): Caleb's CT scan today was completely clear! Praise the Lord!

Right Here

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

These verses were on my mind as I walked to dinner today. Over the past few days, I've felt discouraged and confused about the situation with my condo. (For those of you reading this who do not know, I have to rent my condo out in order to serve with Mercy Ships. The rental process has been a roller coaster of getting my hopes up only to have something fall through...over and over again.) For the past few months, the condo has been my "fleece"--the final determining factor in whether or not God wants me to go. I expected it to have been rented at least a month ago. Now, here I am, less than two weeks away from boarding a plane to Africa, with no renter.

We've been talking a lot about contemplative prayer in our training. In other words, we are learning the importance of spending time silent before God, listening instead of doing all of the talking in our prayer time. I felt like I really needed to practice that today, so I grabbed my Bible and a towel after dinner and headed for the little pond behind our cabin. After several minutes doing the usual rambling in my own words, I finally prayed through Psalm 139:23-24 and asked God to still my thoughts and allow me to feel His presence.

I sat. I stared at the water. I lay down. I closed my eyes. I listened to the fish jump and the dragonflies buzz. I couldn't feel Him. I didn't hear Him. I asked, Where are You, God?

In frustration, I reached for my Bible and pulled the open-it-up-and-see-where-it-falls trick. I think it landed somewhere in the middle of an Old Testament war. I flipped...and flipped...until eventually my eyes fell on Psalm 139:23-24. Since that was the verse that had been on my mind before dinner, and had been my prayer, something in me felt like I needed to read the whole psalm from the beginning. When I got to verse seven, I understood why.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me." Psalm 139:7-10

Though I may not feel Him, He is there. Though I do not realize it, He is guiding me with His hand.

Contemplating Poverty

"Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5

When I first began to consider serving with Mercy Ships, I realized that I was becoming strangely jealous of the poor. I find it interesting that we tend to think we have something to offer the less fortunate. How many times have you heard someone return from a mission trip saying something like, "I went with the intentions of blessing someone else, but instead I was the one blessed." Why is that? Could it be that what they lack in financial security they make up for in faith?

I've grown up in a country in which financial status determines value, and self-sufficiency is to be pursued above all else. We don't seek God because we think we don't need Him. I don't pray when I'm sick; I go to the doctor. I don't ask God to provide my daily bread; I drive to the nearest restaurant or grocery store. What's worse is the sense of entitlement that develops from never experiencing need. When confronted with poverty, my first inclination is to question why God allows this kind of suffering.

But what if God eradicated poverty tomorrow? Would we all go about our daily business with God as an afterthought? Would we all forget that it is He who provides our next breath? Would we all miss what it really means to know Him...as Savior, Provider, Healer, Comforter, Father, and Friend?

The Bible teaches that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 19:24). I cannot help but consider, could it be that in all my American wealth, I am the one who is truly poor?

Lord, I have nothing to offer and so much to learn. May the poor of this world teach me how to be rich in faith.

Additional Thoughts (7/9/09): I wanted to clarify that I don't believe living in poverty is God's intention for His creation, or that poverty is in any way a blessing. There are so many scriptures that command us to look after the poor. He even told the Israelites that they would have no poor among them if they listened to His voice and obeyed His commandments (Deut. 15:4-5). There are certainly enough resources in the world that if all believers obeyed His commands, there could potentially be no poor among us either. However, Scripture also acknowledges that in a fallen world, there will always be poverty (Deut. 15:10 and Mark 14:7). The surrounding context of James 2:5 is about not showing partiality to the rich; it is a reminder that a person's value is not determined by his/her financial status. In reflecting on these verses earlier, I realized that material possessions are often a barrier to faith. As far as faith, I don't want to be like those in the church at Laodicea to whom Jesus cautions that he will spit out of His mouth, "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:16-17). It's too easy to be blinded by our own self-sufficiency. I'm tired of being blinded to my need of Him, simply because I think I have everything I need.

A Taste of Texas

It's not all serious around here! I have met so many great new friends, and we've really enjoyed spending our weekends giving a taste of Texas to those who have never experienced it. A few pictures...

Country Line Dancing at Big Sandy's Dance Hall

Real American Hamburgers!

Bowling

Gateway Week 1

I know this post is a little overdue, but I thought I'd post a few highlights of the things I am learning at Gateway. Our days are so intense that it's hard to compile everything into a few sentences, but I'll do my best.

We began our training by creating a list of expectations for the month. My expectations...

1. God will reveal His character and nature and correct any inaccurate views that I hold.
2. God will enable me to grow in faith, trust, and love.
3. Relationships will be built with others serving with Mercy Ships.
4. I will have a greater understanding of working with the poor.
5. God will transform head knowledge into heart knowledge.

What's in a Name?

I used to think of God's name as synonymous with His reputation. We tend to use phrases like "she destroyed her good name" and "his name is mud" to refer to someone's name as his/her reputation only. We are so focused on what other people think that sometimes we put more emphasis on our reputation than our true character. God is not like us; He is loving and compassionate because that is who He is! When Scripture speaks of His name, it is more than just His reputation--it is His very nature and character. Doesn't that make such a difference in verses like this?

"For the sake of my name I delay my wrath." Isaiah 48:9

"He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:3

Who am I?

We took a DISC personality inventory to discover our own strengths and weaknesses. I am a CS (C-Conscientous, S-Steady). Instead of boring you with the details of my personality, I'd love to share a quote that really made me think: "Teams are well-rounded precisely because the individuals in them are not." Hmmm...kind of goes along with 1 Corinthians 12, doesn't it?

"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be." 1 Corinthians 12:14-18

Silent Retreat

Last Saturday we went to a nearby state park to spend some focused individual time with the Lord. Of course, much of my time was spent praying about the situation with the condo and asking God to show me what to do if a renter has not come by departure day. I didn't get a direct answer at the retreat, but when I got home, I was completely taken aback by an email I had received around the time the retreat ended. My friend Joy wrote that she didn't understand why she felt so strongly in saying this, but she thought she should tell me not to let the condo keep me from purchasing my airline ticket. She reminded me of God's timing and provision, and she thought that if it is not His will for me to go, He would probably confirm it in a different way. Wow. Sometimes God speaks in a still small voice, and sometimes He sends emails. :)

Isaiah 30: 15-21

For thus the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

And you said, "No, for we will flee on horse." Therefore you shall flee! "And we will ride on swift horses." Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

One thousand shall flee at the threat of one man, you shall flee at the threat of five; until you are left as a flag on a mountain top, and as a signal on a hill.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.

O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.

Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold you Teacher.

And your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Loo Queue

We had a short break in the middle of one of our classes, and I was standing just outside the restroom. My new friend Cheryl from England approached me and asked, "Is this the loo queue?" I had to think for a second before realizing that she was asking if I was in line for the restroom.

My new friends have (lovingly) made fun of me for using the phrase "might would," as in "I might would go if..." Initially, the English teacher in me fought valiantly to justify my Southern misappropriation by arguing that the word "might" signifies something indefinite while the word "would" connotes something conditional, so therefore "might would" implies something that is not only indefinite but also conditional. It didn't work. I eventually had to concede that it would really be best to just say "might." At that point I insisted that I didn't use the phrase often. PRIDE. I caught myself using "might would" in a prayer yesterday!

If I'm lucky, perhaps a little British propriety will rub off on me. I saw evidence yesterday when someone apologized for bumping into me. Without thinking, I said, "Quite alright!" instead of the usual, "That's ok!"

I have a feeling I will come home changed in more ways than one. :)

Please pray!

Another renter fell through just before I left for Texas, so I still have no one to rent my condo. I am scheduled to leave in less than one month, and my airline ticket can only be held for three more weeks. Please pray that if it is God’s will for me to go, He will provide a renter soon. I know there is a purpose for Him allowing me to go this far, regardless of the outcome, so please pray that I would feel His direction and guidance strongly in the next few weeks.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Please let me know how I can pray for you too!

IMS Training

It has been a very eventful week in Texas. I just finished up IMS (Introduction to Mercy Ships) Training. We will begin Gateway training tomorrow. (IMS gives basic information about the history, vision, and mission of Mercy Ships, as well as tips for preparing for community living onboard the ship. Gateway offers more extensive training in faith foundations, working with the poor, basic safety training, etc.) I've met lots of great new friends. Here are just a few of them:

From left: Christina (CA), me, Leah (FL), and Danae (Canada)

From left: Rebecca (AZ), me, Gemma (UK), and Leah (FL)

We've had a great time picking on each other about accents and funny phrases. Apparently, I look like a Canadian but sound like I'm from the deep South. I hope that means that no one here has ever really been to the deep South. (Say it ain't so, y'all!) :)

I Made It to Texas

I've arrived safely in Texas for training. I've met some great new friends already, but I miss everyone. More to come...

Benin

It's a little country that I had never heard of until about four months ago. For those of you wondering, it's pronounced "buh-NIN," or less commonly, "buh-NEEN." Since this tiny country will be my home in about two months, I thought it might be a good idea to learn a little about it.

• It is located in West Africa. (The red circle in the picture shows Cotonou, the coastal city where we will be docked. Benin is the small, key-shaped blue country.)
• It borders Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
• The official language is French. (Je parle un peu Francais.) There are over 50 other ethnic languages spoken.
• The climate is hot and humid, with two wet and two dry seasons.
• Average temperatures range from 90-100 degrees for the highs and upper-70s for the lows.
• The population is around 7.86 million.
• And my favorite...according to various blogs...it is common to see dead cows strapped to the tops of cars.

Awesome.

Getting Closer

Wow, only six more weeks! I've got a lot to do! I've mentally adjusted to my new time frame, but I have to admit I'm getting a little stressed about everything that needs to happen before I go. I know that God has everything under control, so please pray that I will trust Him and not stress out about it! As for the specifics...

• Please pray that my condo gets rented SOON!
• I have written my support letter, but I am still waiting on some brochures to arrive in the mail so that my sponsors can be set-up through “myShipmates.” I'm hoping to send my letters out sometime this week. Please pray that I will be able to raise the necessary funds quickly and easily.
• Most importantly, please pray that I will be diligent in seeking Him, and that He will give me a passion for knowing Him and sharing His love with others.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

7 Weeks

That's how long I have left in Birmingham. Wow.

I received an email yesterday saying that there have been some slight changes to our training dates. Instead of flying out on July 31st, we'll leave on the 26th. We'll stay in Texas after Gateway training ends on the 18th and begin our teacher training from the 19th through 25th. This means I'll leave for Texas on June 15th and remain in Texas until the day we fly to Benin. I had thought that I'd come home on the 19th after training and have about two weeks to say goodbye to family and friends before I flew out on the 31st. Twelve days seems like such a small amount of time, but it's changed the idea of when I am actually leaving from three months to seven weeks from now.

Seven weeks. Seven weeks that I KNOW will fly by.

Amazima Ministries

My aunt sent me a link to a blog a few weeks ago, and I am challenged and encouraged every time I read it. It is written by Katie, a twenty-year-old girl from Brentwood, Tennessee. After graduating high school, Katie flew to Uganda for what she thought would be a temporary mission trip. The Lord had other plans. She has now adopted 13 orphans and oversees Amazima Ministries International, providing over 300 children with food, medical care, school fees, and spiritual encouragement. In her words, "JESUS wrecked my life, shattered it to put back together more beautifully."*

Her blog is located at http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/. There's also a link to Amazima Ministries on the right side of my blog. Check it out, and DONATE if you can.

"This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:28

Disclaimer: The quote taken from Katie's blog was used with permission. All of Katie's stories and photographs are copyrighted, so please do not reproduce any part without obtaining permission from her first.

What about now now?

"He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:26-27

When my small group went to South Africa last summer, we were perplexed by the children's repetition of the word "now." Instead of asking if something could be done "now," they asked if it could be done "now now." Eventually, we figured out that they used a single "now" to mean "soon" and "now now" to mean "immediately."

The Lord has convicted me lately that I have forsaken the "now now." In anticipation of my upcoming time serving with Mercy Ships (Lord willing), I have undoubtedly placed Africa on a pedestal. In Africa, God is going to change me in ways that I could never have imagined. In Africa, I will begin to know His heart. In Africa, I will learn to love like He loves. In Africa...in Africa...in Africa...

But what about now now? He has determined my appointed times and the boundaries of my habitation, and for today, I'm not in Africa. Am I seeking Him? Am I groping for Him? He is not far from me HERE. Pray for me, that I would not forsake Him now now.

One fry short...

Sometimes I really have to wonder how I've survived for the past 28 years. Take today for instance.

As I pulled into a parking space in front of my condo, I felt a wave of anxiety that I had left my keys at work. Searching through my purse, my suspicions were quickly confirmed. I heaved a sigh of aggravation at myself as I reached for the ignition to drive back to work.

Oh wait...

All My Shiny Things

"Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!" (James 5:3)

My small group is studying the book of James, and although it is one of the most studied and quoted books in the New Testament, this verse seemed strangely unfamiliar yesterday. Something about the phrase "it is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure" really resonated with me for some reason.

Perhaps it is because two Saturdays ago my small group hosted a garage sale in support of an orphanage in Zambia. The night before, I had hurriedly rounded up a few old sweaters and other odds and ends from around my house. I think the only time I slowed down enough to reflect on what I was donating was the time I second guessed whether or not I really wanted to get rid of what used to be my favorite brown sweater. I had almost worn it just that night, but after several minutes of shifting and tugging, I came to the upsetting conclusion that it had officially lost its shape. Into the bin of yard sale goods it went.

The next morning, my treasured brown sweater was one of the first items to go. My first inclination was to stop the purchaser. "Wait! That's MINE!" I had only donated a tiny fraction of what I never use or wear, and already I was clinging to my own discards like a toddler parting with a tattered blankie.

I can think of countless other items that never even made it to the yard sale. They sit uselessly in my closet. Just in case. Maybe one day. I'll need them.

"Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten." (James 5:2)

I like my treasure. It's MY treasure.

"You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." (James 5:5)

My brown sweater contributed $3 to orphans without food, clean water, clothing, or shelter, while the rest of my treasures rested comfortably in my oversized closet.

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!" (James 5:1-3)

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

*Disclaimer: The book of James convicted me to examine my own heart. In no way do I want to minimize the generosity and unselfishness of my friends. They donated to the garage sale with such thankful excitement that we were able to raise over $300 for the orphanage in Zambia. I am so grateful for friends who challenge me to place my treasure in heaven.

How many licks does it take...

...to get to the bubble gum center of a Ninja Turtle ice cream bar?

Not sure, but today was a gorgeous day to head to the park with two of my friends and their sweet babies. I couldn't resist snapping a shot of little Alex and his ingenious way of eating his ice cream without getting the green sherbert on his hands. :)

Happy anniversary, Mema and Papa!

My grandparents' 58th wedding anniversary is today.

I love my grandparents for many reasons, but perhaps what I admire most about them is their love and devotion to one another. My grandfather affectionately refers to his bride as "Sapphire" because she is his "precious jewel." My grandmother loves to share her memories of how they fell in love. Several years ago, I included their story in a family history paper for one of my classes at Auburn. This was written in May 2000 just after their 49th anniversary:

My grandmother attended college at Troy State, and the handsome young man awaiting her at the registration desk in 1948 was to be the man with whom she would fall in love for a lifetime. She thought he was the “cutest thing she had seen all day,” and she could hardly keep her eyes off him. He must have noticed her also because he kept coming back to ask her questions. My grandmother tried so hard not to like Tom Nichols because his "rumpled, boyish tendencies" seemed to contradict her "Christian standards" for her future mate. However, she could never escape him because they had speech class and band together. Eventually she became so infatuated that she would listen to hear the sound of his whistling as he walked to band, and then she would run down three flights of stairs from her dorm room so that they just happened to cross paths on the way. They began sitting together in class and going to the library to study on the weeknights. On special weekends they saw a movie, but because my grandfather had little money at the time, my grandmother was often happy just to sit and talk with him. My grandmother’s dorm had a curfew of ten P.M. on the weeknights and eleven P.M. on weekends, and my grandparents would stand outside under the pecan trees until the moment the dorm mother came to lock the door. Needless to say, they were just one couple out of many that were stalling the end of a date. Each couple had a tree to stand under, and when they saw the dorm mother coming, there was a “mass run to the door,” while the dorm mother grinned and waited until all the girls filed through. While preparing for bed, my grandmother always made sure to keep one hand away from soap and water so that she could smell my grandfather’s cologne on her hand as she drifted off to dream of him. Those butterflies that began fifty-two years ago are still in flight in each of them today. My grandmother shared her feelings on their recent wedding anniversary when she said, “And I still get a thrill when I see him from a distance.”

Happy anniversary, Mema and Papa! Your marriage is an example of Biblical love and commitment. I hope you have a wonderful day! I love you!