our life enlarges, even as the world shrinks

In our course through life we shall meet the people who are coming to meet us, from many strange places and by many strange roads, and what is set to us to do to them, and what is set to them to do to us, will all be done.”
 
This somewhat dark quote is said by the character Miss Wade in the novel Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens.  (I highhhhhhly recommend this book and movie!)  This quote has captured my attention several times as I think about the way life seams together over the years.  Now Miss Wade's intention in saying these words was to somewhat strike a chord of fear and threat to her hearers, but I see the truth that Mr. Charles Dickens was aiming at....life is simply full of providential moments where people we never would dream of come across our paths.  In the 9 months of life we've had here in Nassau, the "world" has definitely become smaller.... Let me explain.....

Yesterday, we had the very sweet privilege of meeting Tanya Lester and her daughters Natalie and Christy.  They came for Sunday lunch.  Now who is Tanya Lester?  Well....she is the sister-in-law of Alan Lester, one of the pastors at Heather and Donovan Drew's church in South Africa.  Tanya lives here in Nassau with her two daughters.  Tanya was in South Africa visiting family in August and met Donovan and Heather Drew.  They passed along the word to us that Tanya lived here and would be glad to meet us.  Small world?  I think so.

A month or so ago, I was chatting with Alissa Finley, half of the new Canadian/American couple that are attending our church here.  She mentioned that her sister lived in Culpeper, VA and had recently started attending a good church there.  I said, "Oh, my cousin lives in Culpeper and is very involved in a good church too...What's the name of your sister's church?"  Well, you might guess the rest...not only do her sister and my cousin attend the same church, but they already know one another and have been forming a friendship.  Small world?  I think so.

Also yesterday we had a few more surprises in this small world of ours.  Ian McConnell and Bo Beck were here from Grace Bible Church in Philly.  Ian stood at the pulpit wishing us greetings from none other than SARA RANKIN!!!  and then preached a wonderful sermon on seeking Christ in all of scripture, based on the conversation between Jesus and the two men on the road to Emmaus, found in Luke 24.  Dan and Jodi Birkholz, who were at the PC last year, just had their first Sunday meeting in their new church plant last night, which was birthed out of Ian's church in Philly.  Small World?   Bo Beck shared his passion for coming alongside missions in local churches and around the world.  I told him about the Drews and the orphanage in South Africa.  Smiles!

And finally, another American couple and their sons attended our church yesterday for the first time.  The Seeleys, a family who just relocated here for ministry purposes, run the Adventure Learning Camp, where the mission team coming in August will be predominately staying.  This family hails from Minnesota and, as the Lord would have it, are looking for a reformed church with many of the characteristics they found at Kingdom Life.  Mindy homeschools her sons Logan and Zach (both teens), which is also a great connection for us.  There is nothing necessarily "small world-ish" about the Seeleys coming except that we've been curious about the Adventure Learning Camp for some time now, have driven out to see it...and now BOOM!  Here are the people who run it...from the U.S. who just moved here in January and are looking for a church home.  God is definitely working many things we cannot see.

So continue to pray that God will build Kingdom Life Church.  Pray that the gospel will take shape...with bones, and sinews, and flesh, and the breath of the Spirit of God pouring out of it.  All things are possible for him who believes.  And we say, "I believe, help my unbelief!"