Without a doubt Rachelle Blake is the friend I have known the longest on this blog. Ironically she is quite possibly the friend I see the least. Rachelle and I have been friends since 6th grade. That was the year when her family became missionaries and they began to travel the states and around the world ministering to the world as part of Wesleyan World Missions. In every way that was so foreign to me, I grew up with little religious/spiritual influence. The end of the road or across town seemed far away. I couldn’t even compute why anyone would move to Germany. Over the years we would exchange postcards and notes on an infrequent base, as trips would bring them to Oregon we would meet up.In 2001 I was able to pack my bags and go to Czech Republic where Rachelle has started the mission and school. I met the students she was working with, went grocery shopping in her store, we watched black light theater, and the symphony in the square. Rachelle took a week vacation and we took the Czech tour of Paris & Vienna by bus. Always the hostess with most-ess Rachelle was translating the Czech tour into English for me. We both still laugh to this day about her translation of the L’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Our most recent time together was just earlier this year. Now the Neal family Rachelle, her husband Josh, and their daughter Kayla stayed in my home. We took her husband on his first Oregon coast beach adventure. Again, always wanting to make a memory we woke up to the sound of the Tsunami warning signs the day after the big Japan Earthquake.
What every woman can learn by having a friend like Rachelle is.; conviction to God over self, commitment to love in all that you do, commitment to family no matter what that looks like, friendship can cross all time zones, all countries and every age.
God bless you Rachelle for the gift you are in my life today, tomorrow, for always.
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