I was a stranger until I walked in their door.
Aaron had invited Kendra, Colin, and I to dinner with him at the home of his friend, Sally, whom he had randomly met at a hostel in Central America while on his first World race over a year ago. It just so happened that our ministry in Northern Israel was a short drive from her parents’ house, and they had invited us to dinner that Friday night with the expectancy of serving our two teams for lunch Saturday afternoon. (To hear the entire, incredible story of Aaron and Sally’s friendship, go to Aaron Bruner’s blog.)
Sally picked us up, and on the way to her house, I was feeling a little nervous about going to eat dinner with her and her family because I did not know what to expect. I didn’t know their names or how to speak their language. However, I was eased in knowing that they could speak a little bit of mine.
The moment I walked in the door, I realized that all the differences I was so concerned about did not matter to them or to me. I was greeted by Sara and Paul, Sally’s parents, with smiles on their faces. (names have been changed) Sally’s two brothers were in the living room playing guitar and banjo, but stopped to introduce themselves to us. We were also greeted by the family dog. I felt like I was at home again. This is exactly how my family (dogs included) would greet dinner guests.
The dinner table was set, and the smells from the kitchen were amazing. We all sat down in the living room to talk. We sat around the coffee table and chatted about our trip, where we had been so far and where we will be going. Sally and her family are travelers as well and have been to places all over the world. Sally even shared that out of all the places she had been, New Orleans is her favorite so far.
Every Friday, the family has their traditional Shabbat meal. I was really excited about joining them for this, and it was an 
amazing feast. We started by eating salads, which you don’t put on your plate, but eat right out of the bowls on the tables. Then Sara served us some fresh, home-made bread. She is such a fabulous cook. Then she served us a piece of fish. Just when I thought we were done, she brought out beef and noodles. This was probably the biggest meal I’ve had on this trip so far, and I know it was easily the best!
We sat around the table, talking and laughing. I never once felt like I was a guest, but rather, they treated me like I was family. Aaron and Colin started talking to Paul about Jesus. Kendra and I were talking to Sally’s oldest brother and his girlfriend about the difference in believing in a God and having a relationship with Him. I will never forget him telling me that they never talk about this type of stuff at the dinner table. This made me smile. I now understood why I was there.
They invited Kendra and I to stay the night, so we did. It was a nice treat to sleep in a real bed. The funny thing is there were two full-sized beds, and we decided to sleep together. It was so much more fun that way!
We woke up the next morning, and Sara served us breakfast. Sally, Kendra, and I went for a walk around the neighborhood they lived in. It was a beautiful view, and Kendra and I got to share why we are on this 11-month journey around the world. We got to share with her about God and what He is doing in our lives.
Soon, the rest of our group showed up for lunch. Sara cooked another amazing meal for us, and we all ate and ate. Different conversations were going on, but I noticed several of my squad mates talking about Jesus. Once again, Jesus was being discussed around their table.
I don’t know if they realize it yet, but I believe a seed was planted, and something is stirring inside of that family. I believe that God desires a relationship with this family and He is pursuing them.
