Let me tell you about Stacie

My friend Stacie C. is a missionary. She is one of the coolest girls I know and I just had a great time hanging out with her tonight. I went to see her, because she called me early this week saying she wanted to hang out this week. I called her back today and asked her if she was in town and what was she doing, and after a few minutes talking with her on the phone it casually came up that she's been in town for about 3 weeks now. Yes, that's THREE weeks. Why did I hear from her till this week? Well, that's what I wanted to know.

So I went to see her tonight after getting back from a photo assignment I'm getting ready for the weekend. After finding the place and her, I gave her a big hug. It had been too long since we last saw each other. So we talked about a lot of things, where she's been, what she's been doing, who she's been talking to, the Bible, church, boys, email... and well, you get the idea. She is so great. I looked at some of her photos from her time in my Central America and well, my heart just shrunk a bit. What do I mean by that? I don't know, that's just how it felt, like my heart shrunk a bit. Because I wanted to be there, in those pictures, instead of the other side of the image. She listened about parts of my life I don't talk about that often, at least not here. I even told her about Job 26 and why I love that chapter so much. And of course, we goofed around too... she got this crazy, not so pleasant image in my mind and now I can't get rid of it. I hope, if I one day read this post again, I don't remember what that image was.

I love this girl. Her heart is so focused and her vision is so wonderful. She's what I once dreamed about becoming...some time ago. I'm going to help her out putting up her website. If I can't help her out financially at the moment, then this will be my contribution. I know one day I'll be able to do more.

Stacie's heart is in Latin America. She loves God and she wants, and is, making a difference in this world. I saw the pictures she takes of those she's met and love, there are some many faces stored in those photos. People she might never see again, or whose names she doesn't know, and still she can tell you how she met the person and how that person marked her life. I heard some stories... about the girl who has the cute 2 year old, about the guy with the tribal tattoo who played basketball under the rain and smeared the tattoo away, about the tall French guy, about the Canadian girl, the photographer, and the Tica bus driver that took her through Central America by chance (he happened to be the driver every time she took the bus to the next country) and who ended up exchanging her currencies for dollars at the end of the journey. Pictures of sweet strangers. Amazing stories. She has a story behind each bracelet she wears. And I now there's a story behind each ring she wears... she told me years ago. She wants to make people's lives easier and better and put a bit more love in their lives, and then she wants to tell their stories.

If you pray, pray for Stacie. You'd love her just as much as I do if you got the chance to meet her. Well, actually, maybe you will get the chance to meet her. Only God knows where she'll be next. Really.