Looking For You All My Life Part 40

Maggie looked into Leah's eyes and smiled. "Thanks,

Leah, I needed that."

No one mentioned the development plans again. But

Maggie felt sad when Buckie and Kate excused themselves

early before having any dessert. They said they wanted to

catch a new movie in Byron, but she hoped it wasn't because

of the earlier disagreement. Before long dessert was served,

and after that the teenagers went out to the barn t9 play

some music; then the Hendersons and Elizabeth and Abigail

all said their goodbyes. The rest of the party settled into the

library to relax and visit.

''So, tell me, Michael,'' began Clyde as he leaned com-

fortably back into a club chair next to the fireplace, "what

exactly brings you to Pine Mountain?"

Michael smiled broadly, then stood up next to the fire-

place as if he was about to deliver a formal speech. "Thank

you for asking, Mr. Barnes. It is very good to be here. I do

not know if you ever knew my good friend Steven Harris,

but he lived in Pine Mountain a long time ago."

L.

68Melody Carlson

Clyde thought for a moment. "Yes, I believe I do

remember Steven. His family was quite prominent in town,

and I think Steven was about the age of my nephew. Very

good in sports as I recall. Then he got all religious and went

off to be some sort of missionary, I think I heard. His folks

had several businesses in town, but they moved away some

years ago, and I haven't really heard anything about any of

them since."

"Steven died on the mission field," injected Jed. "He was

also a good friend of mine. In fact, it was letters from Steven

that first helped me to realize how much I needed G.o.d in my

life." He looked down at the floor. "I never really got to

thank him for that."

*"This is all true," said Michael. "My friend Steven came

to live in my country, a tiny island of Papua New Guinea

4.

called Beni-Beni, when I was just a boy. After my mother

died, my father went to the copper mine to work. But he

never came back to get me; later I learned he had died in a

tragic mining accident. It was Steven who took me in. Steven

taught me to speak English. He also taught me about G.o.d.

Then he sent me to college to learn to be a pastor. Not long

after I came back to my village, Steven became very sick with

cancer. He wanted to get well so he could return to Pine

Mountain and tell the people there about G.o.d too. But he

did not get well. Before Steven died, I promised him that I

would come to his village to be a missionary in the same way

that he had come to my village. And for seven years I have