03.13An Awesome “Second Date”
This first half of March has been full of encouraging happenings and signs from the Lord that He is blessing our plans.
The first weekend of the month, we traveled to Atlanta to meet up with Allan & Annie Greig of Africa Revolution, who drove down from Chicago, and our buddy Will Brown, who is also going to be on our team next year. Nate’s dad, who happened to be in the U.S. flew in, my parents drove up from lower Alabama and Will’s parents joined us from Griffin, GA. It was an awesome weekend! It was, as we’ve joked, Will’s “first date” meeting Allan & Annie in person and our “second date,” having met them for the first time in Chicago last October.
In true Will Brown style, Will smoke-cooked loads of brisket and chicken wings and threw a big party that Saturday night in honor of Allan and Annie’s being in town and to kick off his plans to move to South Africa in August. It was a mini-reunion of folks from the Saturday Night Soul benefit event we threw with Will in September 2006, as well as other folks from his neighborhood and church. Katie Brock, our good friend from Auburn, was in town that weekend, too, visiting our friends Charley & Sarah and, that night at the party after Allan offered some remarks about Africa Revolution’s vision to come alongside the work God is already doing in Mamelodi, graciously offered to encircle us — Will, me & Nate, Allan & Annie and our sets of parents — with prayer. It was moving to be prayed for as a team for the first time.
We rode with Allan & Annie back up to North Carolina on Sunday afternoon after a visit to Will’s remarkably vibrant 6-month-old church plant, Atlanta Westside, and goodbyes to all the parents and friends. Our week in Chapel Hill was marked by many highlights:
- daily excuses to show Allan & Annie around Chapel Hill/Carborro and Durham and to eat out at our favorites spots;
- a great dinner one evening with Katie & Travis Smith, who had hosted Allan almost 10 years ago on a visit to Chapel Hill with missionary Bill Rapier;
- what I hear was an awesome sushi lunch with our pastor Ru, who is pumped about Allan and Annie’s vision;
- a very encouraging dinner with Khou Xiong, the Director of Cross Cultural Missions at the Bible Church;
- a fantastic Info Session held at Steve & Jeannie Cox’s house– we had more than 30 people in attendance!;
- an unbeatable dinner in Raleigh, compliments of our good friend Andrew Hester’s dad– and a great visit with Andrew & Callie;
- the opportunity for Allan & Annie to speak at Hope Cathedral Mission Church, an African-American church in Carrboro, thanks to Jeannie Cox; and a wonderful connection made there with Pastor Larry;
- the chance for Allan & Annie to share with our church, Grace Community, about Africa Revolution;
- vacuum sealing more than 50+ bridesmaids dresses (many thanks to all you ladies who dontated!) for Gloria’s rental shop in Mamelodi; and
- an unexpected extra day with Allan & Annie.
God really blessed our time together. Allan & Annie are so easy to hang out with; the notion of being roommates for a year is exciting. We are excited that Allan & Annie left North Carolina feeling encouraged and renewed by the many connections and friendships made among people interested in their vision for Mamelodi and alongside the Powerhouse Church.
Meanwhile, Nate and I are also feeling encouraged. Though we have a lot of work to do during the months of March and April to ramp up trip preparations, we feel the support of our community around us. Thank you so much for how you are making us feel loved and supported with your prayers and financial support.
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