Kristina

I remember when the McFeeters joined our homeschool choir, with their two lively little boys and an older shy one. I quickly got to know the two younger ones, and what fun we had together! One day, as my brother and I were talking, the realization hit me: "I have gotten to know everyone in the choir except Danny. He's so shy and quiet, he hardly talks to anyone! I'm going to have to get to know him."

Kristina

I'll never forget that walk, or that Sabbath at the McFeeters' house. I'd done most of the talking, and that, coupled with our argument, left me wondering, Will Danny ever want to see me again? But I realized we were still friends by the end of the evening when Daniel gave me a sprig from his Charlie plant. Although Daniel soon forgot about the incident, that little plant was the beginning of our friendship. There was no special attraction between us during those years, and we never dreamed of what would come... But God knew. When Daniel's family moved away, and the memories faded into the past, a glance at that Creeping Charlie in my bedroom window would bring the memories fresh to life once again.

The coming years were filled with a flood of happy activity. Homeschooling through high school, building a house, gardening, backpacking, camping, hiking in nature, caring for my grandfather, and working at my parents' optometry office—all these served as a preparation for other avenues of service. As a family we did cooking classes and door-to-door evangelism in our local community. This grew into opportunities to learn colporteuring and even to give Bible studies. Yet we weren't so busy that I couldn't do other things I enjoyed. Every spare moment was spent on the computer or at the piano. Finally, the day came for me to leave the nest. In the summer of 2002, I had the joy of colporteuring for ten weeks in New Jersey for the second time. From there I went to a college in Oklahoma, which moved to Arkansas a year later and became Ouachita Hills College.

Kristina

During the summer of 2003, I volunteered for SonLight Education Ministry, a local homeschool ministry. We put on a week of meetings each month in different cities around the country. A seminar in Virginia was scheduled only a week before classes started, so I decided to drive. I stayed with friends and relatives on the way to Virginia, but I needed a place to stop in Kentucky. Whom do we know in Kentucky? Then I saw the Charlie plant. I knew the McFeeters lived somewhere in Kentucky, so I gave them a call. Mrs. McFeeters seemed delighted at my request and gave me directions to meet them at prayer meeting, since that's where they would be.

Kristina

Turn around? Yes—in an emergency vehicle turn-around! That was the first and last time I've ever done such a thing, and if it weren't for Daniel's insistence that we had to because the next exit was ten miles down the freeway, I wouldn't have even thought of it! But it gave us all a good laugh.

Spending time with the McFeeters was a real blessing. We had so much to catch up on! I hardly recognized the three boys, but once I got adjusted to their deep bass voices, we had a lot of fun. Daniel and his dad were at work and the others were busy with homeschool most of the day, so I spent the time on my computer. In the evening we were all together again, and I showed a nature presentation and poem: Reflections from Kokanee. The highlight of my stay came when Daniel wanted me to tell him about the different evangelism opportunities. There is nothing I enjoy more than recruiting young people for God's work! When I headed off to school the next morning, it was with a happy heart, more friends, and five new email addresses in my Knock Knock Reports mailing list.