More Precious than Gold

I wrote this post yesterday, but forgot to post it. We were too busy with our marathon of Favorite "Office" Episodes! =)

Today I spent with one of my life-long friends, Katie, who graciously journeyed to Vtown just so we could hang! Katie and I got to know each other through church in high school and have been living life together ever since. We've peed in frog-filled toilets in Ensenada, shoveled dirt in Poland, watched lightning hit the ground 20 feet from us in Germany, re-enacted "Mission Impossible" in Prague, and climbed walls in Wisconsin. Whether together or apart, we always have fun with each other, which is good because today all we could add to the list was going to the post office in Vtown.

I told Katie once that I was sure that God was going to send me to Africa with nothing but a first aid kit and a bible (which at that time felt like it was akin to God pressing the "smite" button on my life). We laughed about it then and we laugh even more now as Katie prepares for her sixth trip to Africa to work with the youth of Kayamandi in South Africa. This next trip will be the longest yet as she grows her Africa Film Project from her six months in 2008 into the Kuyasa Film School. The goal is to give impoverished high school aged kids the opportunity to learn the skills of film making and giving them the chance to work in the large and thriving South African film industry. Are you as amazed as I am by this vision?!

I smile as I reflect on Katie. I close my eyes and I see us hiding mustard in people's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, giving "camuchis" (Spanish slang for piggyback rides) to our kids in Colonia 89 month after month, cruising down the 101 rapping with Tupac, standing together on my wedding day. I remember the excitement of seeing her name in the credits at the movies, and I imagine her in Africa again with her students and her friends. I'm tempted to be sad that it could be years before we see each other again. But who am I to be selfish with such a treasure as she?

Katie Taylor, I love you. You're crazy. Go crazy. Ahi Ahi.



Follow along with Katie at
www.kuyasafilmschool.org
www.threadsafrica.org