a story

Once there was a young girl about 10 years old who rode a church bus to Calvary Baptist Sunday School every week. Her mom and dad didn't attend because they were always busy with other things but they let her go and she loved it.

Her Sunday School teacher was Mrs Pribble. She was a very kind woman, probably in her early 40s, married with children of her own. The girl doesn't remember exactly what she looked like but she kind of recalls high, rouged cheekbones, button earrings, chunky necklaces on flowery dresses and tightly curled dark brown hair.

One Sunday Mrs Pribble said there would be no regular lesson that morning. Everyone was going into the auditorium to hear a missionary speak. Her name was Millie Kiuna and she was from Japan. She was a beautiful young Asian woman dressed in her silk kimono. She spoke lovingly of sharing Jesus with the Japanese children. She told of their eagerness to ask Him into their hearts and how happy they were when they did. After sharing her missionary stories about life in Japan and of the happy, saved children, Millie Kiuna asked if anyone there would like to ask Jesus into his or her heart that morning. The little girl in Mrs Pribble's class was one of many to go forward so Millie Kiuna would pray with her to be saved. She asked Jesus into her heart and from that moment on she knew it was in her heart to be a missionary.

Many years passed and even though sometimes she strayed from Jesus, she never truly lost sight of her love for Him, of missions, and telling the world about the Lord. She married, had babies and tried to do the best she could on her home mission field by teaching Sunday School and children's church, helping her husband on his own bus route, and working at the food pantry at her church. She even encouraged her husband to go on construction missions trips with their former church. If she couldn't go, at least he could enjoy her dream. She did all she knew to do, but it was just never enough for her.

Then it happened. There was to be a co-ed missions trip to Macedonia at their new church and she was getting to go there with her husband. The planning and preparation for the trip stirred many memories of Calvary Baptist Church, Mrs Pribble, Millie Kiuna and a little girl praying at the altar. She wondered about the women, especially her kind teacher, and wanted to share her new adventure with her.

The girl, now a grandmother, wanted to try to find her Mrs Pribble. She knew she would be elderly if she was even still living but she tried. Searching on the internet she tried "Pribble and Calvary Baptist Church." The first page gave her a link to an article about a young man by that name who was ordained in the very same church and where he was currently located. She contacted him and asked about Mrs Ruby Pribble and if she could be the same one she had known so many years earlier. Pastor Pribble assured the woman that Mrs Ruby Pribble was indeed his mother and most definitely alive, well and still serving the Lord at 80 years of age. He encouraged her to call his mother and gave the woman her number.

What a perfect story this would make if Mrs Pribble remembered the girl who'd been in her class so long ago, but she didn't. It mattered little, however. She was excited to get to know the woman now and wanted to hear all about the trip and what was done. They've kept communicating over the years since then.

The now-grandmother has been on several missions trips, she loves them as much as she thought she would, and, if the Lord allows it, has plans to go on more. Her small-circle view of the world and her love for the Lord's people in it has widened and her love of the Lord has flourished and deepened. It hasn't turned out exactly as she thought it would but it's where she is and she loves it.

I love you all.
Suzanne

PS
Mrs Pribble said Millie Kiuna is still alive and well, ministering to children in her native Japan.