Last Sunday evening about 9:15 p.m. our phone rang. Who could it be? Lo and behold, it was Gina Randall. She was in Salt Lake picking up Thalia from her mission on Temple Square, and they had a three hour layover in Cincinnati. Wow! Ellie and I headed down into Kentucky to the airport to sit with Gina and Thalia for awhile and catch up. You meet your international friends in the oddest places. Kudos to Cincinnati for being a truly international airport.
All our South African friends are doing well. Joey and Emil are considering leaving Swazi for a job in . . . I can't remember, but not South Africa. I'll email Gina and ask her to remind me. Sam and Paul are expecting their third baby (which I think they sent me an email about, Jose, but I forgot). Luke is on mission in Zimbabwe and finds it surprisingly safe. He's been out about a year. Everything else is about the same. We reminisced about old times, introduced them to Ellie, and then sadly parted ways. It's somewhat amazing that in the time since I left South Africa, I've seen Gina twice - both times in Ohio. She has a daughter, Kirsty, who married an American named Aaron and moved to Bowling Green, Ohio. Gina and Thalia were headed up there for a visit directly from Cincinnati - the first time Thalia and Kirsty will see each other in EIGHT years. Can you imagine going eight years without seeing your sister? Thalia doesn't know any of their children. She met their oldest when he was eight months old, and now he's eight years. Gina last saw them when the last baby was born two years ago. Gina's other married daughter, Shona, lives in Australia. Shona and her husband Mark headed to Bowling Green to see Thalia as well as Kirsty and Aaron, so it was going to be quite the reunion. Imagine Bowling Green playing backdrop to a South African family reunion. Wow, don't you miss South Africa? Let's go back someday.
In other news, Ellie helped Rob take down the Christmas lights this afternoon, and I thought you all might enjoy a picture.
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