That is my friend Erin...the brave one. She left for her new life in the Philippines yesterday morning bright and early and now she should be there! Tuesday evening, Fargo time she told me last week on Friday when I got to see her for the very last time. Two years she will be there. A lot happens in two years! I am quite certain that our other friend Jess will be married by then. Cari will have her doctorate. Jenn will be somewhere doing something good for the world. Who knows what I will have happened in my life when the two year mark rolls around.
Erin came to my school in 4th grade. She had grown up in the Philippines because that is where her parents were missionaries. I can't remember exactly when we became good friends...I just know that it happened. We wrote notes during class constantly. We had matching shirts...mine had a J, hers had an E. We joined yearbook to spend more time together after school.
Then graduation time came, then summer after graduation, and then we all went our separate ways...all to different schools in different states. Erin went to New Tribes Bible School in Wisconsin.
I think it was that first Thanksgiving after we parted that Erin came to stay with me at my grandparents house for a couple of days. She talked to this one boy on the phone a lot...I had my worries. She had a twinkle in her eye.
I got the phone call later that year..."Jessi...will you be my maid of honor?" Haha! I knew it! So she got married and I had to change her name in my phone.
Erin...married. After Bible School, Matt and Erin moved back to Fargo and that is when an extra happened to be on the way too! Erin...pregnant. Can I just tell you how adorable Erin is pregnant...sooo cute!
And then she came...
Then they were three...
and then four...a boy!
This is the picture we took last Friday at their farewell party...
Erin and Matt are off to be missionaries in the Philippines. There parents were both missionary families in the Phiippines and that is where Matt and Erin met as kids. There lives didn't meet up again until Bible School and then they fell in love. They also fell in love with the idea of maybe going back to where they grew up to serve again. It has been a long process for them and now they are finally going! There, in fact! Guys! I am so proud of you...so excited for you...so happy that it all came together. This is one of those times that you can see how God puts puzzles together. Each piece...working together.
God is leading...there is no doubt. I can't wait to hear all about it.
Erin and I are at such different stages in life, but our friendship has proven its worth and hung in there this long...I am sure that two years will be "ain't no thang" (in the words of a dear friend named Ben Schnell).
3 comments:
Aaaah! I love being able to say "We've been friends since high school." You're good at loving Jessi Jo.
Nice post Jessi! It's cool that your friendship has stayed close through the separation so far. Have you considered attending New Tribes Bible Institute?
sometimes it seems like we were made to do one thing. like we've been groomed our whole lives to be a certain way. like someone is in charge of all this. this is a nice story.
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