By ThinkJP.Consulting® Copyright© 2015 - All Rights Reserved
Jack and I have
always been involved in our home church and always willing to lend a helping
hand wherever needed.
During one of our concerts, we became aware of a church not far from
us that was struggling to keep its doors open. We agreed to help out in any way
that we could. It was a very small church and my husband paints a very adequate
picture when he explains that the doors to the sanctuary, when open, collide
with the entrance door.
One particular
day as my husband was stepping out of the sanctuary, a young black man was
entering the building just before church began. Of course the doors collided and
thus the two men were introduced. The man was just sent away from a sister
church, being told that he might be more comfortable at the church another town
over. Jack’s heart went out to this man and made certain he felt welcomed here.
He invited him to sit with our family and to come home with us after services
and join us for lunch.
We learned that
this young man was a nursing student doing his rotation in our area while his
pregnant wife was working in another state. Logistically, it was impossible for
them to be together. He was a pleasant man, originally from Rwanda, and we
enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with him.
We exchanged telephone numbers and told him he was welcome in our home
anytime he was in the area and that we looked forward to meeting his wife
someday.
A few weeks
later we got a call from this man asking if he could come for lunch after church
and bring a couple of friends with him. Of course we were happy to oblige. His
friends were two women from Rwanda. They spoke very little English but we
managed to enjoy a wonderful meal and an afternoon together singing and
chatting, albeit via an interpreter for the most part.
The next day
Jack got a call from the young man wanting to explain that one of the woman that
we entertained the day before was the wife of the Prime Minister of Rwanda. She
wanted to know if she could come to see us that afternoon.
I was shocked when Jack relayed the conversation to me, thinking that I
may have cleaned a little deeper and cooked something fancier had I known, but
apparently none of that made any difference.
Having learned
from our previous visit that Jack was a computer consultant, Mrs. Prime Minister
was now on a mission to convince Jack to make a trip to Rwanda to advise on
their security preparedness for Y2K. Jack was a bit reluctant so she got up and
asked to use the phone. We said of course. She briefly spoke to someone in her
native language then handed the phone to Jack, who apprehensively said, “Hello.”
Jack was now speaking to the Prime Minister who was aggressively
negotiating a contractual agreement for Jack to come to their Country on a Y2K
consulting trip. Jack said there were many details that would have to be worked
out in regards to visa’s and passports, etc. The Prime Minister said not to
worry about any of that as he would take care of it, which of course he did.
We enjoyed many
visits with Mrs. Prime Minister and despite our communication barriers we were
developing a bond that would remain strong over time. In fact they were sending
one of their sons to the boarding academy we were going to work for.
I am so glad for
the opportunity to become friends with these lovely people. When we open
ourselves up to letting God lead, we never know what surprises await.