Chapter 10: Teams of Friendships

This trip to Santiago has been a special opportunity to minister to missionary kids (mks) and their families—albeit in a behind-the-scenes type of way. Libraries in Christian schools around the world are just one of many amenities these schools offer as they serve their population in so many academic, spiritual and emotional areas.

Dr. Beverly Monroe enjoys and shares her love of books by taking small teams to English-speaking Christian seminaries, schools and churches in non-English-speaking countries to help get their libraries organized and online. These endeavors increase the efficiency of and access to the myriad of adventures and resources available through the written word.

Dr. Bev Monroe retired from Cedarville University in the 1990's; however, neither she nor her husband, Dr. Allen Monroe, has truly retired. Both keep active, Dr. Allen teaches and preaches, and Dr. Beverly brings libraries into the 21st century by way of the computer; plus, they both conduct workshops, wherever needed around the world. According to Bev, they love it and pray that God gives them many more years of such service.

Each of Bev’s teams includes folks from all walks of life. Back in 2005, when she came to our school in Costa Rica, she brought her daughter, Deb Haas and another mutual friend from Cedarville, Ruth Ager. The last five trips have included Ginger Kirk, a friend from Brevard, NC (where the Monroes now reside). Ginger has come along with a drive to get the job done and a great sense of just-at-the-right-time humor. Ginger is a retired NCIS special agent—yep, the whole investigative thing, and she says it’s not totally unlike the television show, except that they don’t get a case done in an hour—ever—and they do not brandish guns to the degree shown at the hourly climax. She loved her job, and she is not done with round-the-world travel; however, now her investigations deal now mostly with Dewey Decimal numbers and authorship.

This trip to Santiago included Bev, Ginger, and me. One of the frequent questions posed by those we met was how we all knew each other. I have known Bev since 1982-83 when I had her as a professor for Children’s Literature at CU—and let me tell you, I was not calling her Bev at that point. :) Bev and Ginger know each other from their church, Cornerstone Presbyterian, in Brevard, NC.

This was the team. But also incredibly special on this trip were the many new friendships made, and for me, the old ones revisited. I cannot speak to every conversation, every hug, every game time, every dinner, every city tour, and every dessert—but we enjoyed getting to know so many fantastic people serving in Santiago. Not everyone was with ABWE, but the ABWE missionaries and the families at SCA (Santiago Christian Academy) were our hosts, and they provided everything we needed. Very thorough and very hospitable. Thank you all, so very much.