Posted in Friendship

My longtime friend and confidant Alisa, along with her eldest daughter Ashley (12), will be coming for a visit from Dallas.  We have been planning this for quite sometime, and finally get to have them visit us here in MN.

I first met Alisa while we were in Bible College, back in 1988.   We were both single and in separate dormitory/apartment buildings.  We didn't have any classes together, but would always see one another at the morning chapels, sitting relatively closeby.  However, we truly connected - strangely enough - at the senior retreat, our last month of college.  Here we went several years without even saying hello to one another, and then the final month of school we end up sitting right next to each other at the cafeteria table. 

We did the regular greeting and name exchange, and then she said she has always admired my red hair and beauty.  Of course this caught me off-guard and I nearly spit my food out.  I have never considered myself anywhere close to being a beauty so this statement brought a bit of a shock to me.  I also shared with her my impressions of her, and we began to laugh and hoot as we realized how much we had in common.  She thought I didn't like her and I thought the same about her, and that is why we never spoke before this.  Man, oh man how the lies of the enemy can keep women from true friendship sometimes. 

(picture left to right):
Allen, Alisa, Me and Hubby in 1993; 
both newleyweds, and in our first year of marriage.

Note:  sorry picture is so small but I had to scan, and the larger it is the more blurry.

Needless to say we have made up for lost time and are so honored to say we have been the very best of friends for over 19 years.  After college we went our separate ways for awhile, however always kept in touch by mail and phone (there wasn't the handy-dandy email back then). I went off to work for a Japanese Fortune 500 company, and then became a Senior Pastor's Admin, while she went to Hawaii as a missionary.  Then in 1992 we met up again in Dallas and she had her fiance Alan, and I had my fiance "Hubby."  We went out to eat after church and reunited as we shared all the Lord had done in our lives up to that point.  It was touching to see how the Lord brought those two together while on the mission field.  Now they have four beautiful children: Caleb (14); Ashley (12); Christian (9?); Charity (7?), and have been married for nearly 15 years. They reside in Plano, Texas and are Apostolic leaders; starting new churches and ministering in several different countries, including Spain, South America, and Africa (this Fall). 

I can't tell you how exciting it will be to "hug her neck" and sit up till all hours of the night talking and chatting, while our girls' (who have been friends since they were itty-bitty) get to chatter away as well.  I wish Alan and the other kiddos could be here, but it seems to be a special girls' get-together this time around.  

Then in September, Lord willing. . . we will be seeing our dear friends Chuck and Kristine, also from Dallas.  They will be up in our area for a convention.  We've known them for over 15 years and were in church Youth Group together. Oh it is going to be so great to connect again with these dear friends.  I'll write more as it happens.

Have you had any visitors staying with you this summer?