the gospel in Charlottesville

This past weekend we journeyed back to our college days at UVA, to thank Trinity Presbyterian Church for many things. Supporting us. Fasting and prayer for our lives during the ebola epidemic. Believing in us over decades, particularly a former professor of mine who has encouraged us greatly, a former director of the Center for Christian Study who was one of my primary mentors in faith, and the former pastor who impacted our lives through his preaching and his concern for Uganda. And, the fact that Scott and I met BECAUSE I needed a ride to church as an 18 year old first year student one Fall 18 years ago, and he was a year old with a car and picked me up on a street corner one Sunday morning. Trinity has sent us a solid group of interns, at least two missionaries (Mary Ann Carter and Ashley Wood) . . . and two of their pastors over the years as John Hall became a missionary to London and Bob Osborne our executive director. So this was a homecoming in many ways, and one in which we were blessed. The current pastor opened the service with a moving gospel invitation, for the weary and broken to find resurrection life. This set the tone for a spirit-filled worship service that spoke to our souls. And after two services, we were joined by a good quorum of interested people at a luncheon where we once again showed our video and shared our life. Ashley's dad ended with a true benediction, good words of blessing, as he told a story from his time in Uganda speaking with experienced military types unrelated to us at all, who said the real impact on Africa only comes through people who are willing to live out their lives in villages, small-scale and long-term. It was a kind and gracious conclusion to our reporting.

The weekend was also very significant because we stayed with Ashley's family, who had been to see us in Uganda. And not only did we enjoy reuniting with Ashely, Heidi was there as well! So there was this interesting combination of "It's Sunday late afternoon, must be time for family soccer with Ashley and Heidi .. . " and "It's Sunday afternoon, must be time to watch Redskins football with the 'dad' in the den". I felt our family relax.

To cap it off, we drove back to northern Virginia Monday via the Skyline Drive. Not exactly efficient, but beauty rarely is. Fall, muted somewhat this year, but still glorious, spreading over the Blue Ridge Mountains we love so much.

Now we've visited all five of our supporting churches, and a good number of individuals as well. Just in time to plunge into major planning meetings with WHM through the first half of November. Semi-homeschooling and survival, travel and correspondence, not as restful as I perhaps imagined, but I think we're where we are supposed to be this season. Not a lot left to offer, but that's the message of the gospel we were reminded of, we receive and carry the Life in spite of ourselves.