In today's news...

A few days ago, on Wednesday or Tuesday, I was in the Youth House filling up a bucket of water to take to my worksite (for the team to leave their paintbrushes in while they weren't painting). My van was parked out front, pulled off to the side of an alleyway, and as I was coming out the door, a Jeep pulled up and stopped next to it. I thought it was kind of odd, so I just watched them as I locked up the house. They didn't go anywhere, but when I walked towards my van, the window rolled down so I stopped at the passenger side of the Jeep. There was a woman sitting at the wheel, and when I said hi, she asked me if I remembered her. I thought fast, but she didn't look especially familiar, so I apologetically told her that I didn't. But then she said "It's me, Pearl!" and I was completely blown away! When I was here last year, we worked at Pearl's house all week, mostly painting, and spent a lot of time getting to know her and her 6 year old grandson. After we left, we sent her a card and a small photo album full of pictures from the week, and I have been wondering how she's doing. It's been on my to do list all month to stop by her house and say hi, but I just haven't done it yet. So anyway, she got out of the car and gave me a hug and we stood there and chatted. She told me that she isn't quite able to go back to work yet (after a surgery she had), but she wants to be doing something, and so she wants to volunteer with Mustard Seeds because of the impact that we apparently had on her when we worked at her house last summer. That's actually why she was driving by, because she was looking for the Mustard Seeds offices. She was a couple of miles off target, but what a blessing that she happened to drive by right as I was stopped there, and right as I was walking out of the house. And right as I was there, period! She wouldn't have known any of the other interns if they had been there instead of me. Another thing she said is that the pictures we sent her are on her mantle. Isn't that crazy? My picture is on her mantle, and has been there for nearly a year. She told me that she's been doing really well since then, trying to stay in church and stay on the right path. That's a great start, and I am excited to talk to her more about how everything has been going for her. She looked healthier and happier and pretty different from the last time I saw her, and she sounded a lot happier too. I am going to stop by her house one evening soon, and she wants to have me over for dinner. Praise God for arranging that meeting!

Pearl with the team last year