I’m still working my way through this Elisabeth Elliot biography. There are two. The one I’m reading is about her early adult life, particularly the time leading up to her preparation for and earliest work as a missionary, her brief marriage to Jim and the grief, longing, and uncertainty following that loss, and her time as a widow living among the Waodini tribe which is the same tribe that her husband and his fellow missionaries had loved so much and longed to befriend.

By the end of the book she ends up back in the states. I haven’t quite gotten there yet. There are other things to do besides read, like today when we went to church. Dad had to preach in Jacksonville to help out with their vacancy. There are 34 vacancies in the Central Illinois District and I do feel bad for that. Not that this is directly related but I really think every church needs to have at least 1-2 elders who are able to fill in on a Sunday morning for the pastor. They could be trained, their sermon could be approved ahead of time or if it’s too much they could just leave it out.

There wouldn’t have to be communion if that would bother somebody to not have a pastor doing it. After Sunday School the kids and I stopped by County Market to pick up a few items for lunch today and school lunches. They had corned beef and cabbage all made for St. Patrick’s Day. We enjoyed that yesterday when a family whose baby Josh was baptizing invited us for lunch in the CGC. It was good to see them. I am very grateful for the meals we’ve had along the way.