All legal documents, as with some financial ones we received not long ago, have the same protocol, it seems. No blank pages allowed. And so, it evoked a chuckle when I pulled out the page you see above this text, and read the rather self-evident description:
“This page intentionally left blank.”
Being prone to finding deep symbolic meaning in, umm, pretty much anything, I latched onto this quirky item with gusto. At one point I found myself pulling this paper out during prayer ministry, encouraging someone to trust that God is there, even when we feel like our life is a blank page. He enjoys the suspense, I argued. He delights in our delight, covering our eyes with his hand, hearing our gasp of wonder when we come to the Big Reveal. Isn’t this fun? Well…
COVID-19 left us all on a blank page for over two years. How could we plan anything, let alone mission trips, with so much global uncertainty? Now, with restrictions finally lifted, we are daring to scribble in our itineraries once again. Our denomination has an international agency, called ICOMB (International Community of Mennonite Brethren), which every two years gathers together leaders and delegates from churches all over the world for mutual edification, leadership development, and relationship building. They tell me that there is a need for writers to attend these events, to gather stories, do interviews, help resource reporting. The next summit is due to take place in Curitiba, Brazil, next month. Was I interested?
It is a tight deadline, but the clincher was including an excursion to connect with several small indigenous villages along the Amazon River. I was hooked. My husband - born in Bolivia and having lived among various indigenous groups, including the Yanomami - likewise feels a heart tug. Could we both go? We could. Together we will gather stories, take photos, and build relationships with the River People of the Rio Negro. We think this is also a great way to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our children think we are nuts. (Nothing new there.)
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