The Joel and Michawn Story - Part 6

(Sidenote: **Scroll down all the way to the bottom of this post for an update on Poliana.)

Things went on as normal. Every time Joel had questioned the possibility of a girl in his life, he would just lay her at the altar...and there she would stay. He said with me I never stayed at the altar like I was supposed to. God was probably smiling lovingly at Joel...repeatedly bringing me to the altar, placing me there, saying to me "now stay put" just like you would a toddler on a chair. Such a funny picture of it all. Anyway, I just kept getting off the altar. ;)

As for me, I just continued to pray. But, I also was making major life-changing decisions. I was praying about what God would have me do in the area of missions. And, He was making it very clear step-by-step.

Joel and I were continuing to hang out, just like before...mostly in groups of friends. I met his parents that May at his college graduation. I was especially glad to meet his mom, just because at that time I felt like I would be doing somewhat of the same thing as she had done. She had moved away and worked as a missionary, leaving her home, parents, and all her brothers and sisters, moving away from the small town where she had grown up. She did that to a certain extent even before she married Joel's dad...but, even moreso after she married him and moved to Brasil. I felt like God was leading me in the same way...minus the husband of course. ;) I was glad to hear her experiences.

Also in May, Joel and I both found ourselves in the Dallas area. I was visiting a friend from college who was about to leave for the summer and he was attending a helicopter training of some sort. We met up a few times to hang out there. Things seemed to start to change in some aspects in the month of May.

It was an interesting time. Not only were things seeming to change in that area (nothing I could put my finger on...just sensed more and more that Joel might indeed be the one for me), but I began to really feel like I knew more specifically what God would have me do in the missions area. I made work arrangements to be off during January-March 2001. I booked flights, bought airfare, and made deposits to attend a language immersion course in Costa Rica during that time. I didn't know what was going to happen at the end of those 3 months in Costa Rica, but I just knew that was my next step. God had called me to some pretty life-changing things...I needed to follow through with some irrevocable plans, so I did. It was done. I was well on my way to full-time missions.

June brought something a little different along. I worked nights and people would often come up and eat with me or pop in for a visit on my floor at the hospital. Joel had never done that and decided to come up and have supper with me one night. We were sitting there and we were done eating...I was about to go back to my patients. All of a sudden, he said, "So am I doing a good job of not letting you know I like you?"

Whoa.

My response, and more of the story, in Part 7.

Pictures...(and something to point out: some are a little dark; sorry about that; just the way our scanner is). Also, the pictures above in the text: #1 - It was such a great day for a graduation held outside. The weather was PERFECT (a nice breeze as you can see by my hair), so sunny, and so pretty on the LeTourneau campus. Also, Franklin Graham spoke at Joel's graduation. It was pretty cool. #2 - in Dallas with Alisha and her family. It was her mom's birthday (or maybe for Mother's Day...or maybe both...either way, hence the crown on her head). Alisha later married this great guy Piper and that is her sister and her husband Lonnie. They have 2 other sisters who weren't able to make it at the time.

Some good slinky art with Anna, Melissa, and Joel. This one and the next 2 were actually taken right before Panama, but deserve some good blogtime too.
Me and Eeee-na! ;) Such a great friend!!
This picture CRACKS me up. Ahh, so much fun...love the creativity of Brian Boyle.
Me and Joel.
After graduation, Joel took his parents to Gladewater to show him the airport where he worked. Our friend Anna and I went along too. Along the way we stopped and took pictures in the flowers.
After we went to Gladewater to hang out for a bit, we went to the Graves' house. While there, Joel asked me to go with him and his family and Fuller and his family to Dudley's for supper. Of course I said yes...1) I wanted to hang out with them all more, 2) Dudley's is GOOD. :) I usually don't like cajun food unless it's from a cajun's own personal kitchen, but Dudley's...they do it right.
Alisha about to head off to Branson for the summer (wasn't that where you were going Alisha?).
Me and my brothers after Jared's graduation.
The brothers.
Me and my little cousin, Gillian, at the lake.
The weekend before the fateful night at work and the question from Joel, he and O.L. went home with me. That was Joel's first time in Saline. Ahh, the lake. Of course he loved it. That's probably why he wanted to marry me. :)
I was on my way to work for the night. That day John and Nicole's 2nd child, Joseph, was born. This was just a couple of days before the fateful night at work when Joel came to unload that question on me. :)

**(from an email received from Steve and Kristin) There is so much that has happened and yet so little that has changed since I last wrote! Every bit of good news is followed by a bit of bad news. Just when things start to look positive that Poliana will not be sent back to the tribe, suddenly things take a turn and we are back on our knees asking God to protect her. Last week it looked like everyone was in agreement that Poliana would not be sent back to the tribe and FUNAI was being quiet. The current situation is that FUNAI turned over Poliana’s case to an organization of Yanomamis (called Rupuqara) who are very much against Yanomami children being handed over for adoption. This group is going to make a visit to the tribe in order to encourage the people to demand the return of Poliana. As I said in my previous email, the aunt who abused Poliana is feared by all in that community and she will not be satisfied until Poliana is dead. Returning her to the tribe would be a death sentence. I will be calling the contact that we have in the FUNAI in Brasília tomorrow to ask for more advice and help. Please pray with us that the plans of Rupuqara will be frustrated and that Poliana’s case will quickly be decided in favor of adoption. She has been in the hospital for 6 weeks now awaiting this decision. She is in good health and needs only follow-up physical therapy and routine doctor visits to make sure the infection she had does not come back.