Taped Refrigerators and Construction Mysteries

This week was Zone Conference week, with conferences on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday—our last ones! We provided fruit salad, a veggie tray, and cookies to go along with their lunch, which the missionaries greatly appreciated.

The meetings were held in a different church building that we weren’t familiar with. When we asked the missionaries if it would be safe to leave our food in the refrigerator overnight, they assured us it would be fine. They must have had just a tiny bit of doubt, however, because when we arrived the next morning, we found the refrigerator taped shut with a Stay Away sign on it! It gave us a good laugh.

Since this was our last Zone Conference, we were invited to share our departing testimonies with the zone. It was definitely bittersweet. After spending so much time with these missionaries and watching them grow, serve, and share the gospel, saying goodbye makes us realize just how much these young people have become a part of our lives.

We mentioned early in our time here the construction happening directly in front of our apartment. We have followed it from the very beginning—watching them dig out a huge hole in the ground, build a 15-story building, and maneuver cranes, tractors, and all kinds of equipment around the site. We have often wondered exactly what they were doing!  We especially wondered this week when they removed the construction walls and covering over the sidewalk we walk on every day. They put up poles across the street (see picture), and we expected to see some kind of cover being built over the street. But no! The very next day, all the poles they had spent the day putting up were taken down, and the sidewalk and construction wall were completely removed, leaving a huge hole right next to the street. I’m sure there was a very good reason for all of it—one that was simply beyond our understanding!

The whole process has been a little like watching our baby grow up, LOL! We won’t be here to see the finished product, but it certainly has come a long way since last April. 

We continue to meet in our homes for church. We have had the honor of gathering with an embassy worker, other expatriates, and mission leaders and their families. It has been such a pleasure to get to know them better as we worship together. These small home meetings have created a special sense of closeness and fellowship that we will always remember.

It was another full and memorable week filled with missionaries, laughter, a little construction-site mystery, and the simple blessing of worshipping together. We are grateful for the many ways the Lord continues to bless us through the people we meet and the experiences we have each week.