Sister Anna Marie is a kindred spirit and thankfully, her English is great. Although, she doesn't believe that is true. I'm grateful for her leadership and her hospitality. She loves the Lord and has a whole lot of fun!
Christine Pohl writes in "Making Room", “in the economy of God, the host was both obliged and blessed in giving hospitality.”
Right before I was dropped off at the train station after a week with the sisters, I thanked the Sister Anna Marie who drove me. I told her that this week was by far the best week I have experienced in all of my time in Korea. I thanked her for welcoming me and valuing my presence with them. She said I was welcome and then proceeded to thank me. What? Why thank me? You are the one who did all the welcoming. You are the one who worked so hard to make sure I was cared for and valued. You created the space for me to be productive with my work. You then even invited me to take part in your most important holiday of the year. (Foreingers are not often invited to share in Korean Thanksgiving) She said it was wonderful having me and that she and the others really appreciated my staying with them. Her comments mean that I had somehow gifted them. Wow. She said I was bright! Ha, I think she was referring to my being intuitive and understanding more than language.There was mutuality through their welcoming and making room for me. I had thought there was but it was nice to hear it voiced (in English) so that I knew for sure what intuitively I felt. The host was blessed this week probably just as much as the guest. I was very aware this week that I might be Jesus to them because of how they welcomed in the stranger—the foreigner. And it the last minutes with them I found out that in some ways that was exactly how it was, they experienced the presence of Christ somehow through me. Who would have thought.....
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