Just after Christmas we attended the Mid-Winter Rally in Germany. This annual missionary convention is one of my favorite events to attend. One of the best parts (in my opinion) happens when the items on the schedule are done for the day, and all that is left to do is hang out with other missionaries who know better than anyone what you are going through.

My good buddy Randy was there this year. He and I arrived on the mission field about the same time, and so it’s been great to have a sounding board in another country. One night after all the other convention attendees had gone to bed, Randy, Josh, Cory, and I stayed up to talk. Randy shared some of the struggles of missionary work in a closed country. He told us about how hard the culture was, and how he struggled to fit into it. We mostly sat and listened, and then prayed with him. We asked God to break through the culture and work through Randy. When we were finished, we played another round of Spades, and headed for bed.

I think one reason the church exists is for this very reason: we need each other. I need friends like Randy to sharpen the rough spots off of me. I need people who notice subtle imperfections that I can’t see. And somehow in the process both people become a little more like the One we seek to imitate: Jesus.