Have you ever longed to go on the trip a friend of
yours was taking? I had this experience
many, many times growing up. My life
long best friend, Sarah Gaither, and I met in the sixth grade. She came from a family of travelers and
adventurous eaters. She was my only
friend whose parents served me cow’s tongue, Yorkshire pudding, and Japanese
food for dinner. For the Midwest, this
was certainly non conventional.
Sarah’s parents had the traveling and learning bug
as well. I remember phases of trips to Europe, learning Japanese, and flying
lessons. My family got “crazy” by simply
playing tennis and perhaps an afternoon at the pool. So the Gaithers had a big impact on me, and I
enjoyed my growing collections of post cards they sent me from around the world.
As we entered high school, Sarah and I grew closer
and stronger in our Christian faith. We
sought to encourage each other to make good choices and have our faith shine. We would leave each other notes and Bible
verses in our shared school locker. Like
most teens, we sought mostly to show Christ’s love to our other friends and
peer group. (Looking back I dread
recalling how my acts of kindness were less apt to show up at home with my
younger brother and parents…)
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| Erin and Sarah make it to Seattle. |
Most summers, Sarah would go on a fabulous trip,
sometimes for fun, and sometimes to a foreign mission field. Since Sarah studied Russian in high school, there
was the YWAM trip to Russia just after the fall of the Berlin wall. I still have the small hand painted oval
trays that were given to her by Russian hosts.
Then there was Sarah’s mission trip to Brazil after college, where she
even lived on a boat on Tapajos River, a tributary to the Amazon. Portuguese was added to her former study of
French, German, and Russian.
While Sarah’s family traveled the world, I soaked up
every detail I could about each foreign land.
Her sister Laura lived and studied in Scotland. I soon got hooked on “Thistles and Shamrocks”
on NPR to be like Laura. I longed to
skip my boring life of summer jobs and travel too. Looking back I see how working hard and
saving money for college was a good move for me, but during those days I was
heart sick to be a world traveler.
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| Indiana to the Pacific Ocean to Arizona. |
One trip Sarah took was a hard one to watch from
afar. Sarah and our dear college
roommate Erin did a cross country trip to explore the American West. And what girl from the flat land of Indiana
doesn’t have romantic notions about that?
(Cue music from “Dances with Wolves” and scenery from “Little House on
the Prairie.”) They invited me—and I was
crushed to say no. I was living in DC at
the time, and I didn’t have permanent employment lined up yet, and little to no
savings. And yet, it seemed so responsible to “see the world” and take
in the beauty of our National Parks…how could I say no when my heart and lust
for adventure said a mighty “Yes!”
While I didn’t travel in the faithful red LeBarron,
my heart went with them. I was thrilled
that these two friends took some risk and bucked some convention to live life
to the fullest.
The strange twist to the story is that now I live out west. I have more than
travelled here in Montana, and God has been beyond generous with me. I’ve
traveled to Kenya, Jamaica, the Bahamas, England, Scotland, and now we’re
gearing up for a new life in Bolivia. In
middle school I was sure that I’d never really make it anywhere “thrilling” and
yet God has spoiled me on many, many occasions.
My heart was full of (healthy) pride for Sarah and
Erin that summer as they wrapped wide circles around our beautiful
country. I truly felt as if I were a
part of the adventure as I clamored for every details and sought to learn
everything I could, vicariously though their road trip.
Would you do that with me as I head to Bolivia this
winter? I hope for my friends and family
to join our hearts for Bolivians, and soak up what we are learning and be
thankful for what God can do through some risk, prayer, and God’s people
willing to step out in faith.
Mind you, now being a mom of a 3 and 5 year old,
beginning my 40’s, I am much less adventurous in many ways than I was in my
20’s. I haven’t slept in my car to save
money on a trip in a long time. I ask
questions about insurance, coupons, seeking wisdom, etc. So I hope that what I learn and how I grow in
faith, will be a blessing to our partners for Business As Mission, back in the
States.
I hope you will join in this adventure…I may even
send you some Cochabamba postcards.
