old friends and mentoring

I am writing this later today than normal. This morning we finished a visit with old friends... that term used to bother me-- it sounded like we were calling our friends old instead of stating that we had been friends for a long time, unfortunately now the term maybe correct: we have been friends for a long time and we are old! --Sorry Mary Ann and Gaylon, but this truth just came to me!

We met Mary Ann and Gaylon when we were stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha Nebraska. It was our first assignment after Tom finished pilot training. During the two years that we were there, we attended First Baptist Church in Bellevue Nebraska and became involved in a very active Young Married Sunday School Class. The wonderful people from First Baptist and especially that class were a family to us when Tom and I were first learning to be a family.

Tom and I were not only learning to be a family during those two years, we started our family there also. Andy was born on May 5, 1981. Mary Ann and Gaylon had their first child, Daniel on May 4, 1981. In fact, Mary Ann and I shared a hospital room... yes, that was back in the day when women didn't have a birthing suite and actually had to share a room with someone else. I'm sure that experience cemented our friendship forever.

Mary Ann and Gaylon have been a part of Campus Crusade for Christ for almost 30 years and have been overseas for most of that time. We have only been able to see each other a few times over the years. But isn't it funny that the things that drew you to each other and made you friends in the first place are the same things that can erase the miles and the years that have separated you. Last night we got to reminiscent about being young couples and new parents. We got to remember some of the people that were instrumental in our development as families, but also as Christians, those that mentored us. We also got to remember all the friends that we made during that time and the experiences we had.

We caught up on our lives over the last few years. Which have been busy for both of our families. We have become empty nesters. Our son Andy and their three children--Daniel, Stephanie, and Nathan, have gotten married (Nathan just got married a few weeks ago and that is why they are in the US.) They have also become grandparents, as we have. So we had many stories to tell and pictures to share. We also talk about Matt and where he is and what he is doing.

We caught up on what is going on in their ministry. He is a regional manager and Mary Ann has been his office associate for years, but she decided recently to get back to working with people more, so she is starting to do mentoring with young wives and mothers. She has come full circle from being the mentored to mentoring. Isn't that what Titus 2:3-5 is all about!

We had a wonderful visit with them, wish them well with the next part of there visit here, and ask God's blessing on them and their ministry when they return to their home.