What a Church
We made it safely back to Italy. All six luggage pieces at 70 pounds each followed us too. Luggage piece #2 coming off the conveyer belt is what threw my back out.
When we arrived, one of our deacons and his wife came to pick us up. The girls wanted to ride together with the kids and the fellows together to “catch me up.” Now, the last 5 times that I’ve returned from a trip, that “catch you up” thing has never gone well. So, I was bracing for the worst. Maybe you can catch a glimpse of what I’m talking about after just arriving from a whirlwind trip, dealing with your small children for 25 hours, only to hear how bad your life mission is… Trust me, it’s a great “welcome back.” 
This time was incredibly different. We got in the car and the first thing we did was pray. We prayed with jubilation. Then, for the next hour, I listened to blessing after blessing. We got to the house and our grass was cut, house dusted, office organized (a miracle in and of itself), pasta in the fridge with homemade hot oil from South Africa, mail sorted, bills paid, and dog still alive.
Then our friends sat us down and played a skit that they had done of a morning service. They had us in tears laughing. Shortly after, our friends left to do a ministry project.
The next morning was Sunday. Usually Sandy and I do a lot of logistical support. However, the church had everything done. The attendance was greater with new families. The worship team was larger and full of enthusiasm. There were more Italians. And, there was a salvation last week too. The folks cheered for us when we came and all I did was stand up and speak.
Then we heard the stories of selfless service toward one another, revival, accountability, growth, and joy. It was clear that the Body was healthy and full of life. I can truly say that we were shocked with joy. So I called the airport to say, “I don’t think our plane landed in the right place — could you confirm that for me?” It did — what a church!
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So glad to know that you arrived safely back in Italy and that reports were so wonderful. Sorry about the back. I hope it is doing better.
Comment by Ann Rees — 2/1/2005 @ 3:18 pm