The story last week about the young Asian couple’s first year in America to attend college got a lot of response from my readers.  Emails and blog comments all mentioned the encouragement that story was.  This week is the beginning of the back story of that young couple and how they entered our lives.

“I’m just going to run across the alley and get a snack for the kids at the kiosk,”  I said to Husband 35 years ago.  It was to be a momentous day.

Being very pregnant, I sashayed down the driveway of our rented house in a teeming Asian city.  Just a few more steps and I was in front of our tiny neighborhood store.  At the same time, a young university student was also approaching.  She looked me over in a friendly way as if to assess whether I would be a candidate for conversation.  It was obvious that I was a foreigner, but she politely greeted me in the national language.  “Selamat Siang.”  (Good Afternoon.)  I was still struggling with my language acquisition, but I managed to come up with the appropriate response.  She soon realized I was an English speaker so she switched to English.

“You should meet my brother,” she declared emphatically.

Rather off-put by her directness and force, I was thinking, “Actually what I should do is buy what I came for.”  But out loud I said, “Sure!  Come over to our house anytime.”  Of course, I had no way of knowing this young woman was about to introduce us to not only a lifetime friend, but to two lifetime friends.

Later that afternoon, Husband was sitting at the end of our driveway greeting the many passersby.  Our street was actually a narrow lane which led to a densely populated neighborhood which most people accessed on foot.  So as folks walked past, Husband greeted them which was his assignment from language school.  Our teacher had instructed us to use the new phrases we learned in class each day in conversation with native speakers.  Half of our language acquisition training was daily practice with real people in the real world.  So Husband was doing his duty to learn the language.  He was faithfully practicing all the phrases he knew with anyone who would pause on the street.

“. . .as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”  I Corinthians 4:2

The young woman I had met earlier approached Husband.  Her message was the same, “You should meet my brother.”  She seemed insistent and single-minded.  Husband agreed.  She left, and a few minutes later returned with a friendly young man.  And that was the beginning of a friendship that has blessed us beyond telling.

The young man started to visit Husband in the evenings after his university classes and work were finished.  He and Husband grew increasingly close as trust was built and language skill increased.  He was extremely intelligent and eager to have meaningful discussions.  Three weeks prior to our first meeting, he had met another American who introduced him to reading the Bible.  Hungry for spiritual understanding, he had dived into the Scriptures.  He loved the truths he found, but he had many questions and Husband was delighted to encourage him in his newfound faith.

” . . were of more noble character, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11

Meanwhile, I began visiting the sister in their tiny apartment across the lane from our house.  To my surprise, there were four people crammed into an area no bigger than a room but divided into several spaces for sleeping and cooking.  There were the brother and sister, a distant relative, and a hired helper who lived with them.  Everything was neat and orderly, but claustrophobic.  Almost immediately I knew I had found a soul mate in the young relative.  She also was a college student about 7 years my junior.  But what a help she was to me!  Filling my need for a friend, a language coach, and later a companion in adventure.  I loved her like the sister I never had.  She was untiringly patient at correcting my language flubs.  She taught me about her country, its customs, its food, and its culture.  I admired her sense of fairness and justice.  In a culture where household servants were mistreated and underpaid, she treated her house helper like a friend.  I admired her quick mind and was continually amazed at her multiple skills.

When I had to quit language school to take care of our newborn, it was she who came alongside to help with Baby, keep me learning the language, and just be my best friend.  She had been loving and kind to all three of our children and now to our newborn.  I never felt that I needed to hide anything from her.  All my questions, concerns, anything; I could share with her.  How merciful God was to give Husband and I dear friends right across the lane in this city of 4 million!

“Jonathan had taken a great liking to David”  1 Samuel 19:1

“Jonathan my brother;
    you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful”  2 Samuel 1:26

In time, the young man disclosed to Husband that he would like to marry, but didn’t know if he could serve God as a married man.  He had been taught that only people who refused to marry, could truly serve God.  So the two of them read Scripture together and talked.  He developed a peace that he could serve God and be married after Husband pointed out that he and many like him at the language school were dedicating their lives to serving God and man while married.  We introduced the young man to some of our friends from the language school who were preparing to serve in all corners of this Asian nation.  The young man began to voice an interest in serving God as a technician like Husband.

“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”  I Timothy 4:3

Only later did he divulge that he loved the bright young woman who was our friend, but was concerned about marrying a relative.  One night Husband asked him to draw out the family line and show him how she was related.  What a relief for Husband to tell him that the relation was so distant there would be no fault in marrying her.  We were elated that our two friends would be husband and wife!

After only five months of friendship, the time came for us to leave.  We had finished our language school and were headed for a remote jungle location on another island where Husband would maintain a fleet of airplanes for an organization that provided air transport for medical emergencies, community development, national Bible teachers, and missionaries.  We were warned by local friends that we must be very careful in the jungle.  After all, some of the human inhabitants had tails!  (Yes, this myth about jungle dwellers was actually believed by folks on the civilized island.)

To my amazement, my dear friend offered to accompany us to our assignment and help us get settled there.  My heart leaped!  I wouldn’t have to face the challenges of jungle living alone, at least not immediately.  Husband would be immersed in the demands of his job, but I would have a friend to support me.  We gladly accepted her offer.  What a sacrifice for her as a newly engaged young woman getting ready for her wedding to leave her beloved and civilized life for an isolated and primitive place!

To be continued.

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