I’m in a book club! How? A chance run-in with two ladies on a mission to make friends at a farmers market over an hour away from RVA. An out of sight, out of mind kind of person, I forgot about our connection until one of the ladies reached out in July with the invitation. Three ladies from RVA, two from Naivasha and about five more from Nairobi, we are a motley crew at best. Some are married, some are moms, some are single like me, but we all are missionaries in some capacity of the word.

Our first club met here in Kijabe, our second meeting was in Nairobi… we’ll be back to Kijabe for our local coffee shop’s fall celebration in October, then meet in Naivasha in November at the very farmers market that brought about the initial connection.

Let me tell you, these ladies are an answer to prayer and a breath of fresh air! I LOVE RVA… but sometimes it is nice to have people that don’t live, work, and go to church with you on the same 90 acre campus. You talk about different things… babies, husbands, travels, and of course; books!

We spent this past weekend discussing a book called The Art of Gathering. It was an insightful read about how to host well.

As I’ve been getting ready for and hosting different events, I’ve begun to think about a few things differently. What is the purpose of the gathering? Is this a gathering meant to be inclusive to all people, or a gathering designed to be an intimate small group? That purpose drives how you organize your night, how many people you invite, who you invite, where you invite and more!

When does the event begin? Not at the bell, but actually as soon as the invitation is extended. When the email for my waffle bar game night went out, I primed the pump for an evening of ridiculousness by sharing a story about my college years when I would waffle everything. Cinnamon rolls, bacon, eggs, toast… it all was heated up in the waffle iron since it was one of the few small appliances not explicitly banned in the dorm.

Ten seniors entered the home of my co-host about 7pm that Friday, unsure of their footing as they were forming a group of people who will convene three times per term all year. I knew everyone, one of my co-hosts didn’t as she spends lots of time home with the small kiddos while her husband has full time roles in the academic world. The students didn’t know what to do until one finally said, “Did you really use your waffle iron for bacon!?” The email had begun the event, even before the event began.

How will the event run? Are there very specific social cues everyone must follow? Does everyone know what it means to come over for dinner? The host provides the road map. One of those ways is by creating “pop-up rules.” Maybe tonight, we’re not allowed to talk about students. Students are our lives! What else are we supposed to talk about?! Not sure, but at this game night, it won’t be students…

In a place where hosting and event planning is a weekly occurrence, it was fascinating to think about the components that go into it.

The first and last minutes of an event- crucial. Nobody remembers every second of an event, but most people remember the first and last moments. When beginning our first class night of the year with the class of 2026, the new student leaders and sponsors needed to be introduced. It was decided that “sharing interesting facts is always boring” so instead, we told completely fake stories about each other!

We heard and shared stories about riding camels pulling cars, shooting baboons to save banana trees, giant spiders running after students, gangs designed to protect cats and dogs, arm wrestling matches being won, walking through Russian tundra and more. The greatest part is, because EVERYONE knows some crazy missionary story, the most outlandish things we could possibly think of were still believable. Memorable. Fun. Students sat enraptured for twenty minutes on a cold basketball court wind whipping around them with the sun setting behind them, unblinking as tales were regaled.

Did we end well? Nope. I screamed “It’s time- go home!!!” But hey, one step at a time. The art of gathering cannot be perfected in one evening.

We’ve decided to choose a fiction book for our next book club where we’ll sit sipping pumpkin spice lattes and pretending it is fall, even as the sun heats up for our below-the-equator warm months. I cherish the days ahead learning with, laughing with and loving these new friends.

Prayer Points

Would you pray for my gatherings? That I would host and love my students well?

Would you pray for my book club? Praising God for the sweet friendships he is creating in that time, and praying for refreshing times of connection with these women?