By Rod and Sherry Boyd

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:10, 12

Friends are wonderful! Close friends even better. As we conclude our year of deputation in the States we have come to value these friendships even more. Most people have a handful of friends, maybe a dozen. For many these are lifelong friends, close friends. Years of church, bowling or PTA contribute to dependability like that spoken of by the preacher in Ecclesiastes.

Missionaries don’t have the luxury of fostering the same kind of friendships. At least four years of separation from friends in the States makes in difficult to maintain close friendships. And the rigors of travel during the year of deputation take away from the time necessary to rekindle friendships. Most of our friends understand these limitations. We are the ones who are frustrated because we don’t feel like we are being the kind of friends we should.

What the missionary lacks in depth of friendship he makes up for in breadth! We have so many friends in so many towns. Rushing in for a day or two, or at times just a few hours, we tell our friends "it’s good to see you again, wish we could stay longer." It’s as if a missionary has special rules for friendship. We can be friends just as long as you understand that we won’t see you again for five years.

Yet there is a closeness in our friendships that transcends, even contradicts the time we spend together. Recently we had dinner with friends after a Sunday night service. They had driven several miles to visit the church where we were speaking. After a lovely dinner and time of fellowship we said good-bye in the parking lot, each heading in opposite directions. We’ll never forget what this couple said:

"We really don’t know you well. In fact, this is only the second time we’ve ever had a chance to visit with you. But we love you all the same. We’ve prayed for you every day. How could we not love you?"

Thank you to our friends. Thank you for understanding these special rules of missionary friendship. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you to the many friends who faithfully support us financially. Although you may not feel a closeness of friendship, we feel the constancy of your friendship and the confidence that you are there to pick us up if we fall. We have a cord with many more than three "strings"!