[TEAMspinella] Waiting on the father and the father's tables (spoiler near the end)

Turkey was a great place to visit. The friends we spent time with were very gracious, welcoming us into their lives and communities. We even had opportunities to visit with a few local people and enjoyed those conversations, too. Still, after all the travel, we're also glad to be back in Colorado. We should stay here more often ;-)! We're looking forward to spending Christmas here with Sarah, Joey, and Robby, and whoever else shows up!

First, the waiting on the father: Going to a place we hadn't ever visited and meeting friends that we knew little or not at all, I was impressed that I needed to take an attitude of waiting to see what opportunities presented themselves instead of trying to make things happen. You know, I got a lot of chances to do that--and wouldn't you know it, I also got to watch a lot of things happen without being in a position of engineering them--but rather in a very dependent position most of the time! It was perhaps one of my greatest takeaways from the trip, other than the meaningful relationships with precious people.

Next, the waiting on tables: Laura was investing herself in a passel of precious kids, for many hours a day, during the training event we joined. And among other things, I got to recruit and lead a team in putting breakfast on the table every morning and then also clearing breakfast away. You know, that turned out to be a great small group experience as we did some early morning rising, kitchen bussing, and then ended up with our own group to commit the day back to the father before breakfast started. There were other great opportunities to serve and some of them even involved holding babies! Personally, we think we have great potential as grandparents, but we're willing to be patient.

In the midst of these life adventures we got to hear stories from people living in historic cities like Damascus, Istanbul (previously Constantinople), Cairo, and Izmir (once known as Smyrna). We wait for opportunities like these, and as best we can, we come alongside in the journeys of people crossing language and cultural boundaries with an attitude of compassionate love and sincere respect.

Oh, yeah, and we got at least one more opportunity to wait tables, when we "happened" to be in Houston last Saturday. That was the day our son Joey proposed to Laura G and she said "yes!" Since we were there, we got to run out and buy food for a little reception with some of their college friends at the end of their most exciting day. They're looking to late July in Colorado :-)

I plan to write one more email update before Christmas inviting you to partner in our ministry. This has been a year of learning and adjustment for us, but we are thankful and happy to do the ministry of love and care that the father has placed before us at this time. Each year has its share of challenges and delights, how will you be finishing your year? Do you have something to celebrate?

With love in the one who keeps us! Steve and Laura

PS Just a note to say that we delight in walking with the father of the universe is and certainly love to call him by name. At the same time, we are aware that the emails we write may not only be read by anybody in the world and get posted or forwarded different places, but also get searched by automated processes looking for certain words. That's why I try to avoid some of the most special words we use in the family when I write these email updates. I hope you understand and won't be frustrated by that. In the international community there are a bazillion ways people approach these issues, and we try to respect all of them. This was especially true on this latest trip.

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

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