"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

At RVA, we like to eat. More importantly, we like to eat together. That’s why, not surprisingly, I have shared meals with various individuals and families for the past three evenings.

On Monday night, I got to share Chicken Curry with Mango Chutney with my dear, British single lady friend named Lauri Seymour. Lauri is a saint. She has a wonderfully cheerful loud voice and is an amazing cook and baker. She teaches up at “Titchie” with the elementary kids, and has spent her life doing mission work with Native American tribes, Russian orphans, Africans, and now at RVA with MK’s. She has lived all over the world and has experienced great loss in her life multiple times. Despite trials, she is bright, cheery, and joyful. Her home is full of paisley patterns and rose tablecloths and blue British china.

On Tuesday night, I was invited up to the Saums’ house for Chipotle Chicken Burrito’s. The Saums and I share a great love for eating, and little Jonah challenges me to Wii Tennis, while Savvy begs me to dance like a ballerina all over the family room as soon as I come in the door. When I told Savvy where I was going for Midterm Break, she made an “ooooo” sound and said, “Can you take me with you?” The Saums are a dear family who loves to dance and sing, and Mike and I are even working on “I Need You, Jesus” by Kristian Stanfill together for an upcoming Sunday service or possibly the AIM Misisonary Conference that is held at RVA at the end of November after Term 1 is over. Mike works in Nairobi doing Videography and Graphic Design for a Christian Media and Film organization, while Kim teaches 2nd grade at Titchie. Kim and I have become fast friends, organizing the Choreography for “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” together and spending lots of time just hanging out and drinking ice tea, serving together, and watching chick-flicks like “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” I may go on December vacation with them, which would be a blast! Mike has also welcomed me to come into his studio sometime in December, so that I can meet some fellow photographers and creative tech’s…

Last night, the Stocksdales invited me up (and I mean UP…they live at the top of the RVA campus way up the hill…) to eat Thai Chicken with their family. Jon and Susan know my relatives, the Konings, who were at RVA two years ago, and Susan stays close to a past RVA graduate that is currently in D.C. for college and a girl that I have developed a friendship with in the past year or so. The Stocksdales and I host 7th grade “Caring Community” together about once a month, and Susan is the head Student Counselor here. She attended Wheaton College back in the day, and has her Masters in Biblical Counseling. Their kids, Caroline and Ben, attend school at RVA and have tons of energy and like to chitchat with me whenever we hang out. Jon is a computer tech gu-ru and has a vision to equip every RVA student with a safe and useful school computer in the years to come, so that they don’t have to only write papers in the Computer Lab on campus. Jon and Susan both came to RVA as singles many years ago, and met here, and got married, and have been here ever since. Susan is a great source of encouragement to me, as she also served as a single dorm mom when she was in her early twenties. Susan and I also like to meet at the gym every Tuesday and Thursday morning to work out and do weights. It’s a good thing, too, because Jon and Susan’s “thing” is to make homemade ice-cream and biscotti when I come and to drink decaf coffee together ☺ Last night was Mocha Chip Ice Cream and Chocolate Almond Biscotti. Yumm….

Well, I’m off to Malindi tomorrow with Annie and Melise…pictures to come by next week, and pray for safe travels!