Friday, June 14, 2013

Hanging Out With Missionaries, Part 2

They live down the road from us.  These missionaries who engage deeply in the lives around them.  She calls herself a frugalista and her neighbors save their extra coupons for her.  Later, she brings them treasures, shares her smile and encouragement with them.  Her husband joins forces with the neighbors and together they spend an entire holiday serving a woman on the corner, her yard getting a complete re-do.  They love people well.

Another couple lives atop the South Hill.  While she mentors women, her husband ministers with his devoted presence to the veterans he chauffeurs to appointments and events.  And their lives speak love and value into the people around them.

There's the family who lives in Northern Washington... the one with 11 children.  The missionary family who ministers through their outdoor adventures, preaching Christ while belaying rock climbers.  The ones who are raising missionaries who travel to far off places like Haiti.  The family that ministers to one another and all those fortunate enough to cross paths with them.

There are the missionaries who live across town and high atop Five Mile.  The ones who can tell you the  names of the people on their block.  The ones whose children play with the neighbor children.  The family who looks for opportunities to speak blessing and affirmation into the neighbor's hearts.

We know missionaries down the street who special order corn plant seeds to deliver to their neighbor. 

Several weeks ago, I invited the women in our suburbia cul-de-sac over for a Saturday morning brunch.  But they all already had plans.  So I'll try again.  I think we'll invite the whole family next time.  I'm curious about what they care about.  What are their stories?

What about you?  How are you loving the people who cross your path?  The people next door?   

2 comments:

  1. I love your take on mission right here, right now, right where you are. My family is raising support to move into the mission field full time, but we like to remind our children that we ARE full-time missionaries already-- right here!

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  2. Sometimes I'm loving them very poorly. But when I get it right it often looks like a meal around a table, a ride to the food bank, loving on some little ones, or listening to some heartbreak. Shared laughter, shared tears, and shared food speak love in any language.

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