(Lisa is writing this:)
Last night was the Easter Pageant, and we enjoy going every year. Something fun happened, I guess I should use the word "coincidence" or "tender mercy" instead of the word "miracle". Still...it's amazing how small this world is!
John went ahead to get good seats, along with Carla and Addie. I came about an hour or so later with A.J. and Jeri. As we sat down, a good hour and a half before the pageant was to start, Carla asked if we could go see the animals they keep behind the stage, and also go get a picture taken with a member of the cast, over at the visitors center. So we did. We went to see the animals first...but no such luck. They weren't there...had been moved. It's ok. We decide to go into the visitors center and wait in the VERY long line to get a picture taken with the cast. As we waited in the line, sister missionaries were there to take down your information, so that they could mail the picture to us. A sister missionary came up to us, and started to take down our info, and then stopped, and said "wait a second...let me make sure I'm doing this right." She left, and another sister came up and asked if we'd been helped yet. I told her not yet, and so she started to take down our information. She looked at Carla, and asked how she was doing. Carla smiled big, said "Good". Then I, being the proud mom-of-a-missionary that I am, said "Actually, she has a sister who just left on her mission." This sister missionary smiled big, and asked Carla "Really!!? Where did she go?" Carla beamed, and said "Texas". This startled the sister, and she looked at me, and back at Carla, and said "Where in Texas? I'm from Texas!" I told her "Houston". Then her eyes got bigger, and said "Which mission? I'm from Houston!" I then said "Well, the Texas Houston East mission". As soon as I said "East", this sister got so excited. "I live in that mission! In fact, my mom works in the mission office!" We couldn't believe the connection. Right then it was our turn to get our pictures taken, so we had to say goodbye. We got our pictures taken with the cast, and as we left the visitors center, and as we were leaving, Carla said "Mom, you really need to take a picture of her and send it to Jonna!" I didn't want to bother this sister, she was so busy, but Carla and her persistance won out, and we went back. I approached her and asked if we could take a picture to send to our daughter. "Of course!" she said, and then she got very excited, and asked if we could also send it to her mom. So I took a picture of Carla and this cute sister, and she wrote down her mom's cell phone number. She was so excited, and so were we! As soon as we went outside, I texted her mom. I told her who I was, and that I had just seen her daughter. She texted back and was excited, and thanked me for the text. Then I texted back, and said "the irony is, is that my daughter is serving in Texas Houston East mission. Sis. Jackson!" I got a text back that said "I LOVE Sister Jackson! I have met her several times!!" She asked me if I could please go back and tell her daughter that she loves her and to give her a hug for her, and that she would do the same for Jonna. So I went back in. As I approached her, I said "I'm not trying to be an obsessive missionary mom..." and before I could say anything else, she gave me a huge hug. Then I told this sweet sister missionary that I'd just texted her mom, and that she wanted me to give her a hug...and she just beamed and smiled and we hugged one more time, and I left. I texted her mom back, and her mom was ecstatic. She sent me her email and asked me to send the picture I took. What a fun event. Our daughters have traded places. Jonna is there, her daughter is here. And we're a couple of sappy moms, who miss our daughters, but are so happy they are serving the Lord. What a small world. Literally.
