When time stands still...

I am a blessed guy.  I really am.  If I were to take the time to write about all of the blessings in my life, they would have to create more space on the Internet.  Of course, Kellye and my kids would have to be at the top of the list, but very close to the top would be good friends.

Have you ever had friends that are so close, so in-tune with who you are that when you are apart time stands still?  You know, the kind of friend that when you are together it does not matter whether a year or 20 years has passed since you were together last, it feels like just yesterday?  While some people are never lucky enough to have those kinds of friends, I am blessed to have two sets...guys that I went to college with, and some people who went through missionary training together in Richmond.  I suppose there are some similarities, we both lived together in pretty close quarters for some time.  But the biggest similarity is that these couple of people in my life just "get me."  And, conversely, I just "get them."

Ya know, missionary life is not always easy.  As a matter of a fact, some days it can be downright hard.  It can be discouraging, lonely and sometimes it makes you wonder why God has called you to serve in this way.  But I think that there are rewards, and one of those is that He provides friends to help you get through those times of discouragement.  Friends who somehow transcend both time and distance.  Friends who will make you laugh so hard an for so long that you don't want to go to bed no matter how tired you are.  Friends who will celebrate your victories with you and encourage you.  Friends who understand that sometimes you want to toss a family member (or two) out of your balcony window...and then stick around just to watch them bounce.  And friends who will tell you that you are wrong when you are.  These are the kinds of friends God gives missionaries.

This week is a special one for our family.  We will have the opportunity to spend time with these unique friends in our life.  We will laugh.  Some of us will cry.  (Oh, man-up and get over it!)  We will eat foods that we cannot get in our own countries.  We will worship and pray.  We will be tourists together.  But most importantly, we will be friends for each other.

I pray that God gives you at least one "time stands still" friend in your life.  And, if He does, that you will get to spend as much time together as possible and that you will cherish that.

Blessings,

Marc

PS-There are more photos and video of this magical cit to come, so stay tuned!