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             Well, the first meeting date came and I was very excited..I actually couldn’t wait to meet women who really wanted to do things to support foreign missionaries.  Mrs. Merhalski came right over to me as I entered the meeting room, making me feel very welcome.  I really can’t remember who I sat with or what was discussed, but what I was impressed with most was this leaders zeal, warmth and concern for the missionaries they supported.  It seemed like a fairly large group of missionaries and an equally large group of women were involved in this effort and it was something I couldn’t wait to be involved with.

             During the meeting, they passed around a sheet asking for circle callers.  These were people who were set up to call a smaller group of ladies within the circle whenever something happened.  I thought, I can do that, talk on the phone..(my husband says I am a professional), so I signed the sheet.

            A few days later, I got the nicest note in the mail, and on the envelope were stickers of butterflies and flowers.  What a nice touch, I thought.  In it was the list of ladies I would be calling as a circle caller, and a thank you note from Mrs. Merhalski.  I was raised to be very proper, although my husband says he wants to slap my mama every time he sees her, since I seem to have forgotten my up bringin’, (I haven’t really, I just forget sometimes), and I was very impressed with this touch of decorum and propriety in a casual world.

            I called Mrs. Merhalski a few days later, to confirm the names on my list, and we just chatted for a while, sort of got to know each other at that time.  Well, that was almost 4 years ago.  I really can’t remember when Mrs. Merhalski, whom I call Sharon NOW, became such an important part of my life.  Propriety and respect was bred into me to such an extent, that it was several months of almost daily phone calls and involvement in each others lives, before I could call her Sharon.  My husband STILL calls her Mrs. Merhalski, to which she jokingly refuses to respond until he calls her Sharon.

             Our relationship has grown and grown.  Sharon is an integral part of my life, both spiritually and emotionally.  Sharon is my spiritual mother.  My own mother was a very spiritual, very important part of my life.  My own mother taught me many, MANY Christian principals, many of which I quote on this site.  Sharon came into my life at a time when God knew I really needed her.  She taught me much about God, his grace and his timing.

My own mother taught me the most useful, wonderful, feminine, domestic things any woman would need to know.  My husband has stated several times, that I am very fortunate to have had a mother that would take the time to teach me these things, that there are not many women today who know how to do the things my mother taught me.    One of the desires of my heart is to mentor women who were not taught these home arts.  Then Sharon came along and reminded me that women need other women to help meet the emotional needs that their husbands cannot.  Over the months, and now the years, we have talked many, many times about the need for Women’s Bible studies, Women’s Prayer groups, Women’s Mentor groups, basically anything that has to do with women teaching, mentoring and counseling other women.

 Much has transpired in both our lives in these past four years.  Personal illnesses, family members illnesses, financial difficulties, problems with family members, career changes and challenges, just about anything you could imagine, it has happened to us these past four years.

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