Fresh Salmon & Smores

I was walking home today after choir practice (you should hear me slaughter the native language) when I heard my name being called from the back of a pick-up. As I turned around I saw our good friends barreling down the road hollering "we're picking you up to take you upriver...your family is waiting!"

So I hopped in the back with their two youngest children and their dog Scrappy (a golden lab with 6 inch legs) and off we flew to pick up the rest of my family. Once we were all loaded in the back of the truck ("grab extra sweatshirts! grab the camera! grab the lifejacket!") we headed to two boats with outboard motors and headed upriver to have a picnic.

Beautiful.

And did I say peaceful? And quiet? Oh my. Other than the mosquitoes (really bad) it was sheer bliss. We gathered driftwood and our friend chopped it up and built a campfire. Hot dogs and marshmallows soon followed. Some of the best tasting food I've ever eaten. We sat in peace sharing funny stories and learning about the river. Salmon would jump every so often in front of us. Water crystal clear to the bottom.

Fishing poles were assembled and before we knew what was happening, a 10 pound salmon was being wrapped in tin foil and placed on the hot coals. Children ran to tell us about "the one that got away!" A little while later we all gathered around the foil pack and picked and ate our way through that delicious fish. Yes, I (who normally doesn't care for salmon) am saying that this fish was delicious!

We had to come back for church (conducted in a different language) as we had to make announcements about Vacation Bible School (in English). We let our friends off the hook (pun intended) and insisted they stay and worship in "God's Church by the River". Our friend who boated us back was going to buzz to his house and bring his Bible back to the campfire so that they could do just that.

We are so thankful to the people here, once strangers, who welcome us gladly each year and make our visits extra memorable. Not many people can say they dined on one of the greatest salmon rivers in the world. And we have the extra bonus of having done so with wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ.

As the fish was cooking on the open flame and we were laughing and chatting around the fire, I thought of Jesus and his disciples and all the times they must have dined the same way. And then I realized that He sat with us, too. Today. And I'm guessing He enjoyed the afternoon on the river, and with us, just as much as we did.

Different cultures. Different languages. Different customs. Different people. One body of Christ.

Incredible.