2021 Tuesday — Friends Forever

John & Gail have been our friends since sometime around 1975 when we started attending the church that they belonged to. They were in Zambia, Africa, at that time, so it was sometime later that we actually met them. Our lives were changing subtly, silently, and significantly during that season.

We were experiencing the difference between celebrating and partying. We were learning that Jesus was a person and not a concept. That He was more than a good teacher; He was God. Our world was literally being set right side up. For me, verse 16 of John chapter 3 became personal. I learned to remove the word “world” in that verse and put my name in its place. I had never learned that in all the years of growing up in the Lutheran Church.

So John & Gail have watched much of our journey. After 19 years of missionary service in Zambia, they transitioned permanently to Southern California. After 2 years of serving at our Southern California church, John became the senior pastor at a church in Anacortes, WA. Two years ago John retired from that position and they moved to Clovis, CA, which is the town John grew-up in and his family is still there.

Clovis is in the Central Valley of California and is a couple hour drive to the Central Coast. Yesterday they drove here with their grown son Matt and his daughter, Ambriah. John & Gail stayed in a motel and Matt & Ambriah had a tent site at the campground. We joined them this evening for dinner. We walked from Morro Dunes Campground to Tognazzini’s Dockside restaurant right on the bay to enjoy fish & chips. On our walk back to our car at the campground, we had Matt capture this photo of the four of us.

We had so much fun with all the Douglases this evening. Tomorrow they will head back to the Central Valley and we’re hoping that on their way out of town, they will have a moment to stop to see our little beach house.

Good night from
California’s Central Coast,
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol
and Chloe & Mitzi too.