Finally & Forever by Robin Jones Gunn Page B

Corona University.”
    “I’ve heard of that school. I have a friend who went there.”
    “Really? Who? I might know them.”
    “Sierra Jensen.”
    “Are you kidding me? I know Sierra. How do you know her?”
    “I met her in Brazil a few years ago. I was on a short-term mission project, and she worked for the same mission organization. I knew she went to Rancho Corona because she was always wearing her university sweatshirt.”
    Katie nodded. “I’ve been wearing mine a lot since I got here. Have you kept up with Sierra? I haven’t talked to her for a long time.”
    “No, I haven’t.”
    “I need to check in on her. I’ll tell her I met you.” Katie paused. “Wait. What was your name again? I’m bad with remembering names lately.”
    “Kara Hawthorne.”
    “Kara from Kansas. Got it.”
    “Tell Sierra hi for me.”
    “I will. See you later.”
    Katie hoped Eli had his laptop with him at the Lion’s Den. She could hang out at the Coffee Bar and email both Christy and Sierra. The three of them had met years ago when Katie and Christy had gone to England to serve on a short-term mission trip.
    Katie’s involvement at Brockhurst didn’t feel like it was going to be a mission trip. This wasn’t a “go play with the kids in a foreign country and tell them a Bible story” sort of one-week experience. This was the next season in her life. Not that she was exactly sure what that meant. But for now, this was it. This was her life. Now that the fear had lifted, she felt like she had more space to breathe and pay attention to what was going on around her. If only she felt better.
    Katie sauntered upstairs to the Coffee Bar, and the first thing she heard was the rumble of deep male voices coming from the pastors gathered at nearly every table as they were caught up in important conversations. It sounded like she had indeed stepped into a lion’s den, and, though these lions were quite tame, each had something to roar about.
    Katie saw Eli before he saw her. He was in full swing as a barista boy. His hair was flipping every which way, and his white apron looked like a shield that had taken a few hits on the coffee grounds battlefield. But, as ever, he looked steady and content.
    The customer he happened to be helping at the moment was the man from the Congo. Katie sidled up to the counter. “And add a side of flying peanuts to that, if you will.”
    Both Eli and the pastor looked at her in surprise. “You don’t put them in coffee,” the pastor said.
    “I know. I was just making a joke. Never mind.” Katie was becoming aware of how often her humor wasn’t working here. Perhaps it was because the things that she thought were odd and worth poking fun at were commonplace for everyone else.
    “Katie, this is Ben,” Eli said. “We just met this evening.”
    “Ben!” Oh,
his name is Ben! Not Bin
. Katie kept the name mistake to herself and swallowed her smile. “Yes, we met earlier. Ben taught me about the flying peanuts.”
    “Did you try one?” Eli looked serious.
    “No.”
    “They’re a great source of protein.”
    “I’m sure they are.”
    “How are you feeling?” Eli called over his shoulder as he poured a cup of coffee for Ben.
    “Better.”
    “Have you been ill?” the pastor asked.
    “I have a small infection.”
    “May I pray for you?” Ben didn’t wait for an answer. He bowed his head and asked God to put his great and powerful healing hand on Katie, to remove from her body the sickness and poison, and to deliver her from evil.
    It was an unexpected prayer that felt natural in the roomful of pastors.
    “Thank you,” Katie said when he finished the prayer.
    Pastor Ben looked at her. His eyes narrowed behind his wire-rimmed glasses, and he tilted his head slightly to the side. He looked as if he were listening for something. With a compassionate expression, he said her name in a rumbling sort of way. “Katie.”
    “Yes?”
    “You have to remember the peace. The past will find you