^1 [a] Cast your bread upon the face of the waters;
after a long time you may find it again.
² Make seven, or even eight portions;
you know not what misfortune may come upon the earth.

Ecclesiastes 11: 1-2

My late mother-in-law Marie Denner wholeheartedly lived “casting bread upon the water.” In the final chapter of her life lines to Blessman International intersected by her sewing over 400 quilts and 100 little girl pillow case dresses for Blessman International.  She was a proud volunteer that traveled over 3 hours every two weeks to our home for severe wound care on her leg. She proudly wore a Blessman Volunteer T-shirt it seemed all the time!! Little did we know, she was threading us to Blessman International with the many trips Keith and I made with her to drop the quilts off in person to the BI, Urbandale, IA office.

She died at 82 in July 2013 and her threads have continued “sewing” in our lives.  Within a year of her death, Keith and I answered the kindly persistent invitation of Dr. Blessman to visit Beth and him in South Africa. We said YES!!

We very carefully put Marie’s final quilts and little girls dresses in our suitcases and we carried her bread – actually in the form of thread – across the water. Little did we know how her thread, God’s thread would weave so deeply within us on this trip in March 2014.

We returned and approached Father Ray (after Doc had been preparing the way by his kind persistent invitations – you get the idea of Doc’s love for inviting people as guests).  Father Ray agreed to go on Team 1 St. Francis and now Team 3 is here.  No doubt we are “Casting bread upon the water”.

The Team is being sent forth at our final mass before travel to “Cast our Bread upon the water.” (Jan 9, photo by Randy Jensen, Team 2)

Today I was reminded of  “thread across the water” when all of those many suitcases we traveled with got unloaded. The team cannot wait to see how all of this will be used to help and build relationship with the people of South Africa:

Taking a moment in unpacking from let to right: Pat, Sharon M., Juliana and her mom, Sharon D., Beth Blessman and her daughter-in-law, Rene Blessman.

St. Francis crosses that the team members are wearing – gifts from Father Ray blessed by Pope Francis on his recent 25th St. Francis Parish trip to Italy.

Below: our team sharing lunch together. And  two beautiful father-daughter duos of high school seniors:  Todd and Sydney & Sarah and Dan (the girls are rock star busy babysitters at home and are great biscuit makers as we tasted at our dinner tonight) – I cannot wait to see how the kids love them and vice-versa!!

Well, tomorrow we arise very early to drive an hour  where we will continue to “cast bread upon the water” to a small and special Catholic church that does not have a priest.  Team 2 happened upon the church last year and Team 3 is returning. Father Ray celebrates the Mass. Stay tuned….