Meet, then Greet

Even if they (the title verbs) happen nine years apart. 

I drove Rev. David Mommens, LAC's first intensive Spanish for pastors candidate, to the seminary today, to experience a day of student life but more so to preach at chapel (in Spanish after just over a week here, so the program obviously works - ha!). Milling around before the start of the service, I "met" the newest residential seminary student, Francisco, who arrived in the Dominican from Chile on Saturday with his wife and three kids. 

Seated, L to R: Francisco, Jesús (Venezuela), and Fernando (Cuba).  

"Met" should have been "greeted," because as he shook my hand, Francisco enthusiastically told me we'd met in Constitución (Chile, when I led a Lutheran Hour Ministries mission trip there in 2015). 

***Inserts foot in mouth and scours Chile trip photos***

Could it be? My captions testified to the fact that one of the individuals we saw baptized and confirmed was named Francisco (2nd from right)...

It's him! Internalizing this bit of interconnectedness made my day. He remembered that I'd been working for Concordia Publishing House at time, and we proceeded to reminisce about some of the other team members. Francisco confessed he'd intended to come to seminary seven years ago but instead met his wife and started a family. God's timing is perfect, and I'm now even more eager to meet Macarena, Dante (7), Trinidad (4), and Isabel (2).  

Until next time, blessings in Christ!