Created for HIS purpose and glory: #36 A blessing from many friends:

As you enter the facilities of my church here in Sebring, Southside Baptist Church, it doesn't take long for you to find somewhere written the following words - Know Christ, Grow in Christ, Show the love of Christ. I have found through this past year, that last part is something that my church does quite well. They have prayed for me, supported me, encouraged me and they prayerfully walk this road with me. I am so thankful that God led me to this church, this community of believers, who love Christ. Once again, they have shown the love of Christ to me by providing a huge blessing. A group of ladies from my Sunday school class decided it would be a good idea to bless me with a special gift. They came together and raised money to pay the traveling expenses for my best friend from college to come out for a visit from New Mexico.

Jodee Mitchell, who when I met was Jodee Thorp, was a classmate and very good friend of mine during my time at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. Jodee lived across the hall from me our freshman year. It didn't take long until we became good friends, a friendship that has lasted a long time. During our years at college, we also were roommates part of the time but more than that we were good friends. Jodee even came to Kenya a couple of times after I had graduated from college and had gone back as a missionary. She visited and worked with me in some projects in the churches there. She also honored me by asking me to be her maid of honor in her wedding at which time she became Jodee Mitchell. Jodee and Aaron (her husband) and their daughter, Kinli, now live just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico in a place called Rio Rancho. Aaron started and currently pastors a church there, City of Vision Baptist Church, where they have taken on a fantastic ministry for the Lord.

Jodee’s family has also been a huge blessing to me. During the time that I was in college, it was a long distance to my nearest family. My parents were in Africa, my brother who was in the America was all the way on the east coast, too far to go for a short visit. During one Easter vacation, with really no other place to go, I stayed on campus in a very quiet and lonely dorm room and I promised myself I would never do that again. I was miserable. For the rest of my time at college, Jodee’s parents invited me to their house every Thanksgiving and treated me as if I were one of their own daughters. I have been truly blessed by the Thorp family and by my friendship with Jodee.

So, this past week, Jodee came out from New Mexico during a very busy time for her, as she is a school teacher and school is about ready to start again.

We caught up on life, laughed about things from our past, laughed about things from our present, and just simply had a great time together. There are some friends that when you’ve been apart for a long time and get back together again, you don’t have to spend time reacquainting yourselves again. You just pick back up where you left off the last time. Jodee is one of those friends.