“Im excited about today!” Mrs. Hansen said to me as she gave me a welcoming and well-appreciated hug before church. “Not as much as us!” I said returning her hug. ”Just wait, the farong are coming out of the woodwork for your hamburgers and brownies!” She laughed and smiled and we talked a bit more. Once again we had the pleasure of the Hansen household hamburgers after church. They took in about 20 of us BQ starved teachers and husbands without wives (they are in the states for the summer). It was a blast! We all rubbed Coco and Chenyl’s stomachs (their dogs) furiously enjoying their company and energy too! We are so used to street dogs with parts hanging that shouldn’t be hanging and pieces missing as well as their hair that these 2 wonderful dogs caused the kid in us to come out. Well, that and the pool noodles and dive toys in the pool that we soon occupied. I got a really good hit on an incoming dive bomb from another teacher, right on their best side! Hee hee!
Its fun to sit around the table and listen to the others as they try her food for the first time. “Did she really make all this? Colleen, ask her if she made this!” Sometimes there was no sound at all as we all feasted. Then as the chatter resumed and some returned to the watery haven, I talked to the Hansen’s and husbands a bit. I found out that Mr. Hansen can fly! He also told us of some of the laws that Thailand ignore…ahhh, Thailand! I also discovered that Jim Turner has a PhD in Geology and knows of some sweet places to take my kids on field trips and would enjoy it! I talked to Mr. Lance about his daughter Amanda that is in the States right now and how much she is enjoying it. Amanda is a girl that I have breakfast with every Sat when she’s here. What a blast she is and a joy as she reminds me a lot of me when I was her age! She found out that she can text me from the States on her phone! Too funny!
So the point? Sweet fellowship. The joys of sharing time and space with friends and discovering something new about people that you have known for a long time and seeing the light in their eyes as they tell about things they love. Throwing a wet ball on a non-swimmer and leaving a telling mark behind. Seeing your friends in a breath holding contest under the water and staring with unbelief as the winner comes up just under 3 minutes with a purple face and glassy eyes!! The reminder that when I have the opportunity to open up my house to others, the privilege and joy that will be! You know, its so not the stuff, food, and even the cheesecake and apple pie (although that’s a bonus), its that this couple WANTS our company and desires fellowship with us. WOW! So many people can look at us teachers and toss us aside because we are only here under a year. Yet they see it as a privilege to serve these fish out of water teachers and show love to us.
How much more does God do for us! What an awesome picture of God’s desire for us to spend time with Him and the joy it brings Him when we sit down and find out something new about His character. Oh dear friends, taste and see that the Lord is good!