Meet my friends

One of a prayer request of mine even before we moved to the Philippines was that I would have at least one friend.  I actually stole that prayer request.  Well okay I guess you can't steal prayer requests, it was more plagerism than steeling.  It was a prayer request a missionary shared about his wife.  They were missionaries to Africia and had to yet again move to another town.  His wife said she could live anywhere in the world if she had at least one friend, so he asked his supporters to pray for a friend for his wife.  That has to be one of the sweetest prayer request I have heard a missionary make and prayer request that I was more than happy to pray for.  So when we were getting ready to move and Allan asked me what prayer requests I had, I quickly said, "pray that I may have at least one friend."

I never found out if that missionary wife to Africa ever made a friend after she moved, but I trust that the Lord answered graciously.  So since I made a similiar request before we moved here, I thought I would record and share how the Lord has been answering thus far, as a way to thank all of you who have graciously prayed this prayer.

TEAMMATES
The quickest and most immediate friends I made were those of my teammates.  It was such a blessing to move to a mission field with a team of people.  That meant we were not alone in our adjustments, but we had friends who had gone or were going through similiar adjustments.  One teammate being on the field for 10 years was able to give advice and support from the bigger long term perspective.  And with two other teammates moving to the field just 6 months before we did, I also had friends who would understood my struggles.

FILIPINO AMERICANS
A unique set of friendships that was strengthed was with my Filipino friends back in the US.  They uniquely understand what it is like to move to a new country and culture and leave your childhood memories back in another country.  And they understand the tension of thinking American vs. Filipino.  Then when I would experience something new and different here it would stir up those childhood memories and they could share my excitement.  It is always a blessing when God gives you a friend to share your joys with.

PEN PALS 
Social media has changed missions.  No longer is the missionary isolated without any contact with friends and family back home.  Skype, my blog, Facetime, Facebook, and Viber have enabled me to keep in touch with my friends and family back home.  A unique way to share with them the exciting new things in my life even across the miles.  Of course it is not the same as in person, but it does require me to be more purposeful and it causes me to take the iniative in those relationships, rather than passivity.

LIFE COMPANION
I haven mentioned it before but I will mention it again because I cannot speak about friends without mentioning my husband.  Moving to another country has grown my friendship and companionship with my husband in ways it would have never done if we didn't move.  He really is my best friend.

TRIALS
Friends show up in weirdest places.  I met my best friend in high school because I was nervous and scared on my first day of school and my mother told me, "just go up to someone and say hello."  ha ha.... so I did.  On my first day I saw a girl sitting by herself and went up and said hello.... and she became my best friend all throughout high school.  That small trial of being nervous and scared brought about a treasured friendship.  Here, one trial so far has been language.  They say in order to learn a language you have to speak it.  Makes sense.  Some of the friendships that have started at my new church is because of my language trial.  That trial caused me to ask for help to practice.  Which in turn caused some ladies of the church to graciously responded in help.  Some of the new friendships I am forming at church are directly related to that trial.

VERDA PEET
One specific friend I have now is Verda Peet.  She was a missionary in Northern Thailand for 30 years ministring to tribal groups.  She wrone a book called, "Sometimes I Prefer to Fuss."  A friend recommended it to me and it has become such a treasure to me!  As soon as I read the back cover I smiled, hugged myself and said, "I have found a friend indeed!"  The Thai culture and Filipino culture have enough similiarities that as she described her life and trials I could relate in many ways.  Here is a snipet of the back cover: "Her book is sometimes painfully honest, often very funny, and always realistic.  Because she has opened her heart to show not only the frustrations but the spiritual lessons which came from them."  I love being friends with sinners.  People who know and understand their hopelessness and yet desperately cling to Christ.  I have a hard time relating to people who don't seem to struggle in life.  It is not the struggles by themselves that I enjoy, but I love the contrast that struggles and humanity paint against the righteousness and mercy of Christ.  And Verda has shared her struggles in a way that makes me go, "wow God is good!"

Thank you for praying.  God is good and has graciously heard your prayers.