across the years, across the sea, His spirit hovers

I just spoke with my friend on the phone across 5 time zones and a big chunk of Pacific Ocean. Fresh back from a mission trip to the Philippines, you could feel the excitement sizzle the cell towers. Seems that she had visited many places where her parents had worked over 30 years ago. Everywhere she went there were people whose lives had been changed, whose courses had been altered through the work of her parents all those years ago. In a village where her mother had instituted a preschool, many of the alumni (now professionals) of her program had returned for a sort of surprise reunion to say thanks. After a service in which her father spoke, my friend had a 5 hour car ride back to where they were staying. Riding along was a man with whom she started talking. She asked him how he’d come to know Christ. He said that it was through her father who used to walk into the mountains and preach. People would walk hours to hear him bring the message. After several hours in the car, my friend asked him if they could take him home. He said no, there are no roads to my house. They dropped him off at night at a bus station. He would ride another 3 hours and then walk the last 3 hours into the mountains to his home. He had traveled 11 hours to hear the messenger that had brought him to Christ over 30 years earlier. What’s more, he now walks and preaches in the manner in which he was won. My friend met many interesting people in the Philippines, including a part of her parents that quiet, servant, humility had kept hidden all those years. In fact, they were surprised at the mark they had left.
I rejoice with them that God let them see the fruits of His work through them. I rejoice with my friend to have discovered a spiritual legacy that is so humble and effective.
I pray for the walking man that God would give him strong hobbit feet to continue his calling.
Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.