My possibly unbeatable story

So there I was, buying a few odds and ends. I was on the second floor of a big store here that’s kind of like Wal-Mart, big and full of both groceries and other things. So I was just walking along, still getting my bearings and learning my way around as it was one of the first few weeks here. This floor has several shelves full of books. I walked by a big shelf, glanced to the side (not even stopping to look, just glancing), and I stopped dead in my tracks. No, it can’t be...can it? IS IT? It IS!!! I thought, astonished, to myself, as I recognized a woman on the cover of one the books.

It was Kristin and Madeleine. My roommate from my senior year of college, my dear friend, and her baby. Kristin and Madeleine. Together. ON THE COVER OF A BOOK. The cover! On a book! In East Asia! Amidst many other books with pregnant people on the cover, or moms and their babies...there was my friend, and hers. I still can’t believe it.

My mind still does not have categories for this. I could not stop praising my Father for being so Awesome to have me see this! Of all the things, of all the places... I bought the book immediately (later went back for every copy they had) and tried to express in my broken East Asian to the cashier that this was my friend on the cover! I don’t think she believed me. The walk home, still, just praising Him and freaking out... got back and said, “Dave, I have something to tell you...but I can’t tell you, I just have to show you.” And I pulled the above picture out of my backpack.

There they are! He freaked out too. I finally got the books to Kristin and so now I can finally share this story with you all. She and Madeleine had gotten some pictures taken with a photographer, so no need to worry that their privacy was violated.... she of course screamed when she opened the package and probably still can’t believe it. I know we still can’t. As it was in a store that is all over East Asia, our guess is that they’ve made it all over the country. And that, ladies and gentleman, is a story that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to beat, for your reading pleasure.