Guest Post from Maddy and Molly!

My two very best friends were here for Christmas, so without further ado or introduction (these are the type of girls who just don't need one)...










































Some things never change. Dance parties. Watching Gilmore Girls. Dreaming about future hopes and aspirations. Creating dinners and baked goodies together. Worship with Maddy on piano and Beth on voice. Speed Scrabble. Early bedtimes for Molly. Lots of snacking. Reliving memories from university, Ohana, and trips to the beach, Atlanta and Spain.

And yet, many things do change. Instead of the typical Virginia white Christmas, a sunny, Zambian Christmas by the poolside. Locked gates, security systems, and guard dogs in lieu of the relative safety and openness of Charlottesville homes. Slashing grass replaces the ease of a lawn mower. And, most significantly, the babbling of a baby and the presence of a crib, cloth diapers, and sippy cups have entered into the equation.

Little Joab certainly earned center stage for our latest rendezvous together in Zambia. How could he not? His wispy eyelashes, puckered lips, and dimples are hard to dismiss. He is absolutely precious. And, beyond the physical, his arbitrary spurts of laughter, propensity for snuggling, and fascination with trees only add to his charm. Even his perpetual spitting up has become rather endearing (we know, we aren’t the ones who clean it up 90% of the time!), but it necessitates his wearing a large cloth as a cape and thus creating a backwards superman-esque appearance. In the past ten days, we have already witnessed dramatic growth: increased smiling, ability to follow objects with his eyes, walk with assistance, and even added vegetables and fruit to his previously very Zambian, bland diet.

We have learned that in the local language, Nyanja, there is no word for toy. Most children in Zambia do not play with toys, so why would there be a word to define them? Rocks and discarded trash form the main means of child entertainment. And so, I think the next milestone for this little fellow shall be his playing with toys. This certainly is a concept we rarely, if ever, face in America-teaching a child how to play. But, after he progresses past some of the initial wonders of what we consider "ordinary living", who knows what little Joab will be able to do!

Beyond sharing in Joab's first couple weeks at home, we had the privilege to catch a glimpse into Beth's current life. We've of course been able to keep in touch and hear consistent updates from her, but it was incredibly sweet to take part in it firsthand. We were so encouraged to see the way she is faithfully following Christ and being transformed more and more into His likeness. She is learning every day to give of herself and sacrifice her own desires and needs in order to serve Him, and it is beautiful. If we may say this--we are so PROUD of her and honored to be her friends!!

The three of us also had some time to step back and evaluate our friendships with one other. Sure, four years as college undergraduates living together and invested in similar activities brought us together, but what, if anything, will sustain our friendships? One and half years later we are each in different countries with various responsibilities and relationships. Each of us would be quick to confess that our friendships with one another have not been void of trial and challenge, and yet, the Lord has continued to draw us together as a source of companionship and refinement for each other. To continually ask the questions: What does it look like to live in obedience and faithfulness to the Word? Are there areas of my life I need to alter in accordance to Jesus’ commands? Am I becoming comfortable or always seeking more?

During these last developing years, we have each continually reshaped our responses to these simple though pivotal questions, and so this seems to have become the anthem of our friendships:

Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works
Hebrews 10:24

For, while some things may never change in our friendships with each other-that which provides the very foundation and impetus for our relationships-it is that which has eternally made us sisters.