Mary

My friend Mary came to Columbus yesterday. She is going to direct "Grandparents Camp" again this summer and I am going to help her.

She and I have been friends for over 15 years - really I always say ever since I stayed at her house when she had a concussion from walking her dogs on her bike! I have always felt like her big sis - we were ministers together serving hcurches 5 miles apart from each other. I am 10 years older than her. Mary has great musical gifts and is very creative and fun to be with. I can be as silly with her as with anyone else. We have been blessed to be together in Chautauque the last few years and it is fun, fun, fun for me.

Now I am in Columbus and she is serving a church part time in Oregon Ohio in NW Ohio. She has had a passion since she was a teenage to go to Burma and in the past few years has been able to go there. She has gone to a refugee camp in Thailand and taught at a seminary in the refugee camp with the Karin people. She has such a heart for this ministry. She has gone there at financial and physical risk to herself. She went back again this fall in September for 4 weeks.
I honestly don't know how she can afford to do this - but she does. And she raises money for the Karin people and sends it there in addition to her own trips.

As I listened to her talk so matter of factly about this I thought she is the big sister teaching me what it is to listen to God's call and to follow - regardless of the cost.

I admire her so much.