Small World...BIG God

Joy and I went to a really small college in Portland, Oregon. There were maybe 800 students at Multnomah School of the Bible (now Multnomah University) in the 70's. Our class size was all of 150-175 students. We have a handful of close friends from those days we keep up with, but they all live in the Pacific Northwest. The last thing in the world we expected while getting some work done on our RV and checking out the sights in and around Orlando, Florida was to run into a friend from college.
While here we didn't just want to do the Disney tourist thing, but also to check out a couple ministries we have supported over the years. Campus Crusade for Christ and Wycliffe Bible Translators both have their headquarters here in Orlando. We have a friend who is a Bible translator and I have always been fascinated by the work and challenge of Bible translation, so we went there first (they are actually right next door to each other). Wycliffe has put together a fantastic hand's on display and interactive experience called WordSpring Discovery Center. There you learn about the long history of Bible translation as well as the relatively young history of the Wycliffe organization and ministry itself. We timed it to get there for the one time a day they have a face-to-face time with a missionary, before going on the self-guided tour. We arrived a little late and the missionary had already started. It was a small group and he was asking all of us where we were from, we said, "Virginia, but moving to Oregon". He made a comment about having gone to college in Oregon and having fond memories of it. Initially we didn't think anything of it and settled in for the fascinating presentation about the work of Bible translation around the world. As the guy got going we realized we knew him. "That's Gary Peterson", Joy elbowed and whispered to me (not in that order). The "Gary" on his nametag helped, but his expressions, mannerisms and look (though the years have been kind to him) was familiar. When the session finished up we had to wait while others cornered Gary to get their own questions answered. We finally got him aside and asked him if he had gone to Multnomah. He said he had and then looked at us with a closer knowing look. When I re-introduced myself after 35 years, he said, "I thought when you guys came in that you looked familiar". We had a great time that day catching up and sharing about our spiritual pilgrimage since Bible college days. We went back again the next day and had lunch with him, shared family pictures and did the "who's who" update of who we have kept up with since college days. It was a special and unexpected blessing and just like God to give us this gift of blessing as a token of what is to come on our Oregon Journey.