Visiting friends in Atlanta

This past Friday, we drove to Atlanta and visited some good friends of the family. In fact, John Bell, pictured left with his new grand-daughter, Zoe, is my best friend from our childhood together in Japan, where both his parents and mine were missionaries. We've known each other from as far back as the second grade, if my memory serves me. Only, unlike me, he did not attend Japanese public school. Still, we were both fluent in Japanese, and to this day when we're dining in a restaurant together, we may switch to Japanese if we don't want anyone to know what we're saying to each other.

John is a sort of Renaissance Man, having served as a Methodist minister for some 15 years, before becoming a Catholic. He's also practically omniscient when it comes to history, and could probably make a bundle of money if he was ever willing to go on a show like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." A couple of times he's come in first in the nation in National Trivia Network competitions, but he has many other fish to fry besides trivia games.

Pictured right is his brilliant son, Joshua, who graduated at the top of his class from high school this summer and is beginning his tenure as a college student at the University of Georgia in Athens. Pictured with him is his beautiful sister, Emily, who is works as a manager of an apartment complex in Stockbridge. John also has another beautiful and artistic daughter, Megan, who is just starting high school and is planning to begin RCIA classes this September. Please keep her and all of John's family in your prayers.