Back to Reality! (or so I thought)

The GREAT thing about jet lag, when you travel east to west, is the ease of waking early!  Sometimes a little too early, but early just the same.  It was GOOD to be HOME!

While we had been away, some disturbing news broke out.  A young man, Edward Snowden, risked everything to blow the whistle on the National Security Agency. Many had suspected the government of sticking its nose in unwelcome places...but now there was more proof than anyone really wanted. There's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube.

As usual, it was a JOY to return to the cheerful buzz of the Oasis!  A new customer stood at the counter, challenged with choosing from so many varieties of Blue Moon Tea. She selected at last, and ordered a freshly baked cinnamon roll. As I set the cinnamon roll next to her tea, I noticed that she was looking around.

"I LOVE this place!" she exclaimed. "My friends always told me about the Oasis, but I never came...and now we don't live here anymore," she was wistful.  We're just here visiting family." 

"Well I'm glad you finally made it in!  Where are you living now?" I asked

"Costa Rica," she answered.

"That's a BIG change," I remarked.  "Why Costa Rica???"

"Well," she said, (glancing at the painting of the 'Woman at the Well' which hung on the wall)..."We are Christians.  God impressed on us that we were living in 'Babylon' and has told us to leave...to go and prepare a place."

I froze, my heart racing!  I laid my hand on her shoulder and said, "I think I know EXACTLY  what you mean!  Do you have time to talk?"

I learned her name was Gloria.  She called her husband Jim, who was on his way to pick her up.  I called Henry.  We ordered lunch and the four of us sat outside on the patio for two and a half hours, absolutely entranced! Comparing notes, we were staggered by the similarities of our journey.  These were kindred spirits who, until today, had been complete strangers. 

There was such comfort in knowing that Henry was not the only one sensing the call to leave...A search on Amazon revealed a number of books written by people who had either left, or were in the process of leaving.  We ordered several.  One in particular, 'Reaping the Whirlwind' by A.P. Watchman, was replete with an exhaustive study of related Scripture passages.  The author does not give specific instruction, but presents the information, encouraging the reader to prayerfully seek the Lord's direction.

If we had to leave,
WHERE ON EARTH WOULD WE GO??? 
The turmoil was almost uncontrollable!

We ordered four books on Chile...