This, however, is different.
Joe led the praise singing at our wedding, 27 years ago on this coming Friday, September 21st.
Later, he was heavily involved in a local Bible school. At one point, he brought a Ugandan pastor to our house for a pizza dinner. Joe intended to go to Uganda. Dave and I intended to go to China through an international computer company he worked for in those days. [I had studied Chinese missions for about 25 years by then and had a real heart to go over there and serve God however it could be worked out. Dave, obviously, was more than willing, too.]
Well, life went opposite. In 1991, we ended up in Uganda to make our first short-term checking-things-out-stretch. The main reason: Because the Ugandan pastor, when visiting in '89, was used by the Lord to plant that into our hearts. About the same time, after Joe had joined YWAM, thinking Uganda was his direction, he ended up in Hong Kong. He and another worker created YWAM - FEET. [Far East Evangelism Teams.]
Even though Joe comes to town once every couple years or so, because of various schedule issues on our plates we rarely see each other. We miss him a lot. If nothing else, we have much of the same spiritual warfare on our hearts.
After he had been there for about three years, he came home with gifts for his friends and family. He came to our house and gave us this cup.
We have had it ever since. I used it for tea for a while, but then I set it aside, because I don't want to crack or break it.
It was Made in China, and brought personally from Hong Kong...
And it always makes me smile. Because of Joe.
