Knoxville Friendships

I've been alone in a house that usually holds 7 for the last 3 weeks, and though it's been nice and quiet I am now eagerly awaiting their return!

Knowing that I would not be here for long when I came, I was resistant to the effort it would take to build real friendships outside of my housefull and co-workers, but God has blessed me with a recent change of heart.

Last night I attended the tiny church of a Houston friend's friend. Got it?...a Houston-friend's friend. Yeah, it was awesome. It was an evening of intercession for people who have yet to put their trust in Jesus for LIFE and it was a glorious evening.

Afterwards I met Asha, my Houston friend's friend, and prayed for quite some time with her and her mentor who, with her husband, planted this church in Knoxville. Asha, her roommate, and I went to Chili's for some molten lava and several hours of exchanging life stories. As I talked about my journey, joys, and several struggles Asha's roommate kept saying..."So are yall the SAME person or what?" and "Yep, yall are the same person." Our sweet, young waitress ended up sitting down and telling us all about her recent divorce and we got to pray with her and exchange phone numbers. It's definate that I will hangout with these gals again soon and I can't wait!

Today another gal, from my church, invited me to join her, and her friends, at the drive-in this weekend!! Sunday we hope to go tubing down "Little River" a beautiful place that I have hiked but not yet tubed! I've been dying to do more outdoorsy things while living here in the mountains so I'm so thankful that God has provided some new friends and fun as of late!

God has blessed me tremedously by taking me out of the packed schedule that I called life in Houston, and showing me another way to live. Brazil was slow and unpredictable at nearly every step, TN has been filled with learning how much I love the "family life", selling, and spending lots of time with friends whose beliefs differ greatly from mine. Both have taught me not to take deep Christian fellowship for granted, nor the friends who love me enough to have kept up though I've been away.

All for now...

love,

Sarah