Holes in Our Heart: Friends Left Behind

May 21, 2017

"I am sitting in our spare bedroom which is our "study". Rick is in the living room talking to a man who came to visit. We would meet him on the university bus on Saturday mornings. He always ecstatically seated himself so he could speak English with Rick. Tone of voice, social ineptitude, pressured speech all pointed definitely to Aspergers. We saw him one other time and he almost "stalked " us. Well our hearts kind of sank when he showed up on our doorstep tonight. However, (God is good) Rick and he spent an hour or more talking and Rick was able to explain Aspergers and his own struggles. The man immediately recognized that he also had these difficulties. Rick was able to start him on the road to getting some help. He and Rick are having supper Tuesday night. One never knows does one. God is good."

The above appeared on our FB memories recently. It took place in Taian where we were stationed a year ago this time and  reminds us of the development of a wonderful relationship for Rick and for this friend.  They spent a few hours a week together for a couple months. One of the results was in the friend becoming a believer.  We received word during our summer in the States that he had been baptized. However, we have not had further contact with him after we left Taian for Beijing. We have tried to reach out on several different levels, but have not been successful. This is painful, but also a common situation when we leave one location and move to another. How much of our heart is spread all over the world?  It is a price that people like us pay to live this nomadic lifestyle.  I would never change our choices. It has been a fulfilling and wonderful life, but there is also the pain of letting go again and again of friends, and other people who have been significant to us ....and we no longer have any way of contacting. We can and do pray for them, but have no idea how they really are. Please pray for our friends but also pray for our hearts which often have holes in them,