David shared with me that a man was coming to serve for a little over a month here to conduct an aviation survey. We host many people in our home for meals, so it’s only natural to have him over for a welcome meal. He came over and we started to chat. He shared about where he has worked and served. He shared how he taught at CMSU (UCM) in Warrensburg, MO from 2002-2006. I was shocked! Not only is CMSU my alma mater, I taught there in 2001-2008. When I shared that, he was shocked! He was teaching aviation geography and I was teaching group tour operations. I asked if he knew of my home town of Leeton, MO (population 600). He knew Leeton and shared how he would pass through Leeton on his way to visit friends in Windsor, MO. I was born in Windsor, MO. My cousin and cousin-in-law were both aviation majors at CMSU and he knew and remembered my cousin-in-law. I felt like crying tears of joy how God answered an unspoken desire of my heart to have that familiarity and comfort while living in Cameroon.

It was a huge encouragement to be able to share about my past and have someone know what I’m talking about. It felt good to have a moment to share about my days teaching at CMSU, feeling like someone more than a mom and wife. Generally when I share that I’m from Missouri, I get many jokes about being a country bumpkin or asking if there are more cows or people, or asking me to pronounce pin and pen – the language gifted like this question because I pronounce them the same. Many of the people serving in missions with us are from east coast, west coast, deep south and extreme north of the USA– very few people are from the mid-west. What an incredible high note to end our service in Cameroon, God brought a complete stranger to Cameroon into our home who knows my hometown and college town. He also knew the Air Force Base where David spent his Air Force career, Whiteman AFB. I felt it was an incredible gift!