Fellowship

It started with a simple request from a member of the La Rochette Church here in Neuchatel and a game of “Peek-a-Boo” with Noah.

The Request:  She is a high school student who had a paper to write.  Her topic was “Foreigners impression of Switzerland before and after their arrival”.  She interviewed Lydia at the end of January.  The Game:  Sometime during the month of February and as documented in “Short Stories,” three teenagers played “peek-a-boo” with Noah on the bus.

The Result:  We are not sure of the exact events but believe our blog was read by the high school student, who then told one of the three teenagers about the write up.  From there one of the teenagers introduced him-self and a simple conversation was had about who we (him and I) are and what we are doing (He is a young Christian man who is finishing high-school this year and will be studying Law at the University this fall).  This was followed by two more conversations with the teenagers in question, one with the young lady who hid behind the seat, embarrassed at being caught playing peek-a-boo with Noah (She is a young Christian lady who is also finishing high school this year and will be studying management this fall.  Not only that, she has been to Togo and knows the area where we will be working – what are the chances of that?!).  Topping this off was being identified in the grocery story by one of the fathers of the teenagers.

So, you ask, “What is your point?”  I can tell you very specifically that we have smiled at least 6 times while in Switzerland –at the end of January during Lydia’s interview, when the teenagers were playing peek-a-boo with Noah, and at the four follow up conversations.  And yes, especially after finding out that one of the teenagers had actually been to the area we are going to serve.  There are other examples too of us smiling – a shop keeper in Les Ponts de Martel, the elderly couple of Peseux who waves at us and Noah every-time they see us, the families that have invited us for lunch, the Portuguese Lady who gave us a French Novel to read, the other missionaries here, and the other random conversations we have had on and off the bus.  

As Christians we are asked to fellowship with each other, to encourage one another.  Often we are uncertain what to say, or think above all else that we must talk solely about God.  And afterwards we often question the contribution we made.  We devalue the simple “Hello, how are you?” and overlook the people dressed nicely.  Instead we look for the obvious, the people in distress. 

We, for the record, are not in distress but have appreciated greatly the encounters that have made us smile, especially after difficult days of study.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10: 24-25.

God Bless