Blast from My Past

Wow! Who would have thought!?!

Greg went to the Wichita airport last Saturday night to meet and greet Team #1 as they arrived from Uganda, Africa after a 2-week long missions trip. As he was leaving, he turned around when he heard his name called. There, calling his name, was Amy Murrey (pictured with me on the right).

Amy and her family were stationed in Stuttgart, Germany with the Air Force when Greg and I and boys were living on the Germany economy as American ex-pats from August 1997-February 1998. We met Amy and her wonderful family at the only English-speaking church in the area. She became my instant friend. She became my link to speaking English, eating poptarts and Kraft macaroni & cheese (military commissary), watching Young and the Restless, and playing as well as shopping with friends. They were and continue to be wonderful people!

Amy and her family relocated to Memphis, TN 9 years ago and have lived there ever since. Amy and her son, Joseph, were on the same flight from Memphis to Wichita, KS with our Team #1 just returning from Uganda, having had a layover in Memphis. As Greg greeted and meeted the team, Amy saw Greg and made contact.

Greg called me as he went to get the car and said, "You're NOT going to believe who I just saw!" (How do you answer that!!!!) When he said, "Amy Murrey", my mind began to turn and move through the past and quickly remembered the face with the name with true amazement. It has been 10.5 years since we embraced and hugged goodbye, yet one does not forget the face nor the person. Amy became my best friend - my sister in Christ - when we lived 5000 miles away from everything familiar. Amy was a gift from the Lord to me when I grieved for everything American.

After staying up late with Amy and her son in our home, here in Wichita, Kansas, last Saturday night, and another day together on Sunday, it truly was a blast from my past. The voices are the same. The laughter is the same. Our values and politics are the same. All that shows that has changed are more wrinkles around the eyes, gray hairs on our heads (just me...Amy looks just as young!), and the children being taller and smarter than we are!

God is just SO good to arrange such a supernatural reunion. To open our eyes and ears to see and hear the blessing he wants to give us. I thank Him so much for my friend, Amy, whom I've not seen for 10.5 years. (Read back through my posting on going to Paris...Amy and her family took care of Lewis while we were away.) Never did we think God would arrange a reunion in a small airport in the middle of the United States on a late Saturday night.