deborah

i had been counting down the days until my visit with my friend, deborah, from NC. with great excitement, i had planned a few days of cute boutique shopping, quaint lunches out, home cooked dinners, and whatever else we could pack into a 2 day tour.

but, shortly after the night of her arrival, i got very, very sick.  boo.

stomach bug? not sure.

feverish, achy, nausea and a few other symptoms that shall go unmentioned here.

never actually tossed my cookies, as i am quite proficient in mental gymnastics.

ie. mind-over-matter.

my poor dear friend awoke the next morning to a very sick hostess.

however, in the spirit of true friendship she didn't turn tail with her bags barely unpacked and run.

"bless her heart"

instead, she reassured me it would be fine, sympathized with me and offered to help out in anyway.

boy did she ever live up to her words!

she graciously gave up a day of the aforementioned frolicking to lay around with me, and watched  Downton Abbey (season 1), cooked dinner for the family, cleaned up, helped with homework and loved on our neighborhood crew like a champ.

a true friend, indeed.  i'm blessed.

by the second day, i rallied so as not to miss out on a tour of h'burg guided by my friend and cohort in ministry, michelle.  i sat in the back seat and listened as michelle pointed out the existing darkness and spiritual battles, places where seeds have been planted, and shared about the hope we cling to, and i found myself falling in love with our city all over again.  i'm thankful i pushed myself to go along.  it was a blessing for sure.  deborah shared in our excitement and enthusiasm for what God has for our ministry here, but she also empathized with the pain and difficulty we face.  she continually affirmed our calling here and was very encouraging as to our specific roles.  she's a treasure.

here are a few snippets of our time together.

i was too sick to walk to titus' bus stop on tuesday so a couple neighborhood boys kindly showed her the way.

bruce helped deborah make chicken parm for our family.  he loves to help me cook and bake in the kitchen.  he was thrilled when she extended the offer to help.

dinner time!  i laid in the big chair nearby and at a safe distance in the living room and listened as they all dined and chatted.

of course, it only made sense to invite bruce to dinner.

and his brother, destyn, never turns down a meal.

a snapshot of our tour the next day with michelle.

 she loved the capital building

 and, the rest of the architecture.

 don't you just love these blue doors?! really need to come back and do a photoshoot here.

so sweet of her to help titus with his homework.  i was worn out from our grand city tour.

deborah ~ thank you. thank you. thank you.  you are a treasure of a friend.  i'm so glad it's never goodbye.  so, on that note, we'll see you soon!

love, lisa