Crazy...

It's a crazy idea.  It started in a crazy way.

This past summer, while at General Conference (a world-wide denominational meeting), I heard someone yell "Pastor Pam!"  A man ran up to me, grinning.  "It is so good to see you!"  I had NO idea who he was.  Seeing my confusion, he said:  "It's Bern!"  Still nothing.  "We met at General Conference 8 years ago!"  It began coming back to me.  Bern is a pastor from Malawi.  He and I had kept bumping into each other 8 years before.  Since I have so many African connections, he and I talked often about Africa.  He'd left General Conference, and I had no way of staying in touch... and I'd forgotten about him.  Until he was standing in front of me with his big grin.

THIS time we exchanged emails.  I want to stay in touch!

A few weeks later I got an email from Bern.  He'd just been voted in as Superintendent of his Conference!

I don't believe in "coincidences".... and I wondered what invitation from God there was in me reconnecting with Bern.  He invited me to come and speak... but with all that's going on in my life right now, that didn't seem to be "it."

I began to wonder how I could get our church group connected to Malawi... and over the past few months, this idea has come:

Our small church group is working to make handmade items to sell... so that we can raise $7,000 to dig a well in Malawi.

I was SO excited about this when we first hit upon the idea... until I started thinking about HOW MANY "handcrafted items" we'll need to make in order to raise $7,000.  It's... ALOT.  In fact, it's a crazy idea!

But... I'm one of those people who find that crazy ideas someone gives me wind in my sails.  Crazy, here we come...