A Treat From a Saint

There are many stories that touch us and inspire us. But, there are two stories in particular that have really, really impacted my life in a huge way.

The first story was that of Corrie ten Boom and her family during the Holocaust. Mama gave me 'The Hiding Place' as a gift when I graduated. She inscribed in it "May you always have the faith of Corrie ten Boom." Amen to that. Wow...it is such a powerful story (true of course). If you haven't read it yet, go get it NOW!! I'm serious. It will inspire and challenge you like no other.

The second story was that of the five missionaries in the 50s that were killed while making contact with an indian group in Ecuador. A-mazing! The story didn't stop with just that bit of history. No, a few years later, one of the wives (and her toddler daughter) of those slain missionaries and a sister of another of the missionaries went in to live with that same indian group. The story goes on and is still being 'written' today...it's literally incredible what God did (and is doing) through the killing of those missionaries. "I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24

I first came into contact with this story by reading Elisabeth Elliot (I have pretty much every book she's ever written on my shelves...Corrie ten Boom also). Joel and I had the great privilege of having breakfast with her and her husband some years ago (I was pregnant with Grady at the time). It was amazing.

Well, this week the son of Nate Saint (one of the 5 missionaries...the pilot of the group), Steve Saint, was in town. Asas de Socorro and a college here brought him in. He's actually speaking several places around the country...about indian rights and such. Seriously, what a refreshing it was to hear him speak. He's so simple, but yet so very dead on. Powerful!! He is so very wise. I could write a book just on some of the things he talked to us about.

We also had the awesome privilege of having Steve in our home for lunch yesterday...just him and us. It was SO neat. I'm not one to get star struck. Let me clarify: I do get very excited when meeting/seeing someone who I've admired or looked up to for a long time. But, I do know that they are, in fact, just people like us...so I make it a point to act like and treat them like they are just an old friend from Saline, LA. :) But, truth is that people like that aren't old friends from Saline, LA. :) Ha ha ha. I joked around with Eliane (our house help) yesterday about how, for me, it was kind of comparable to the story of Zacchaeus. :) I've been reading about and being encouraged by and following this story of these missionaries and the after-effects for years now. To have one of the key players come to our house was pretty incredible, I have to say.

There is much to tell...maybe I will get to it at another time. But, I do want to show you some pictures of this week...and our time with Steve. He left and Joel remarked that he felt like we've known him for years...like he IS just an old friend now. It's true...he's just that kind of person. Very personable, very friendly...very just one of us. He was great with the kids (has 12, soon to be 14 grandkids of his own). He's really, really funny too.

What a great treat God gave us this week!

Steve spoke all week long at many, many different meetings. This was Tuesday night at the college next to our house. The man in front of Steve (who is the 3rd from the left) is Pastor Rocindes, the president of Asas de Socorro.



Joel and Steve pulled in for lunch and we just hung out on the porch for a while. That's Steve in the hammock.
Meanwhile, Grady was riding around with Eliane's helmet on. :)
Getting a little relaxing in.
The girls decided they needed to hang out in the hammock too. They were just mesmerized by that scratchy stuff on Steve's face (I seriously don't think they've ever touched facial hair before...and it showed; they kept touching it over and over...it was funny).
Carol (Eliane's daughter and our babysitter) was here too. She took the pictures and didn't realize it was just really zoomed in, so that's why all the different pictures from different angles...to try to get everyone in a picture. :)

Me and the kids.

Steve had some henna tattoos on his arms that the kids were really admiring (and coveting). So, he grabbed the sharpie and said, "this is what we'll do" and started drawing to make them some of their very own (with permission from Mama of course). :)



After lunch, he had another meeting (talk about a busy speaking schedule) and then he spoke to all of us at Asas.



With our Asas president, Pastor Rocindes.
Having a good laugh.
Being prayed for by Milton (the director of the school).
All of the students and faculty of the aviation school took a picture with Steve.