Out of the Blue

My phone doesn't usually ring in the evenings, unless it's my mother. So, last night when my phone began its version of Pachebel's Canon in D, I assumed it was her. Without looking at the screen, I answered it. Only to be greeted by the voice of someone I have not heard from in several years. I receive her and her husband's monthly newsletter, but to say that I have actually spoken to her I think it's been at least 3 years. Gabi Tiessen is her name. She was Gabi Deckinga when we lived together our senior year at Hope College and when she was a bridesmaid in my wedding. I have a deep admiration for this woman. She is the only one out of the four of us roommates who actually did exactly what she said she was going to do when she graduated. The summer after graduation she left her family and friends behind and went to Azerbaijan to translate bibles. She is a wiz with language, speaking Spanish, French, and Russian fluently, and an extremely committed Christian. She's not the kind of Christian who tries to save your soul by pounding the word of God into your head. Rather, she shows you how to live a good life through her soft voice and generous actions. She is a deeply spiritual individual, and I admire that.

She's moved around a lot over the last few years, from Azerbaijan to Central Asia (Tajikistan, to be exact) to Russia to many smaller towns and villages in between. And what she's learned from all of that traveling and interacting with other cultures is apparent in everything she says. She's much more worldly and grounded in reality than I think most Americans are in their late 20s. She's seen what the world has to offer and has already figured out what's really important. She reminded me how much more I have to learn about life and what really matters.

She's been in the states now since Thanskgiving, catching up with her family and getting to know her husband Calvin's family a little better. They were here in Chicago for some training, which is why she called me. I would have loved the opportunity to have actually seen her, but a phone call was a great substitute. I got to hear about her new position with the organization she's been working with, what Calvin will be doing, and that they are returning to Azerbaijan on Thursday for the next 5 years at least. I filled her in on what's been going on in my life, which paled by comparison to what she's been doing with hers. It somehow felt selfish to talk about making money and doing theatre and singing in bars when she has devoted her life to serving others. Without even trying, she made me realize that I need to use the gifts I have to help others whenever I can.

We were on the phone for almost an hour, and it was a bittersweet good-bye when it came time to hang up. I never realized how much I missed her positive influence in my life until I knew I wouldn't see her again. I doubt that she will ever really return to the States again, and that makes me very sad. After we hung up I realized that I've never told her how proud I am of what she's doing or how much I admire her. I hope that she knows it anyway.