The Mac's!

Can I say that I love these guys?

The Mac's (shortened rendition of their name - we call them Mama Mac and Big Daddy Mac) have two daughters who both left home a few years ago. Having the girls out of the house, they said, "Well, what can we do next?"

I love these guys, because this completely falls under the category of "ministry", but isn't shoving anything down anybody's throat.

Friday nights, they have kind of a hangout time for a bunch of the Christian Sailors and anybody else who wants to come get real food down in the basement of the chapel. Mama Mac makes food - good food, not galley, not McD's - and it's okay to relax a little bit and be with friends. Sometimes we do a Bible study, sometimes we watch movies, it's cool.

Every other Sunday (I love this one), they take the same party over to their house. Mama Mac makes more food, we get way too into board games, the yard is beautiful and completely un-military. Adam and I spent about an hour kicking a soccer ball around with a three-year-old and his sister. Beautiful sunny day. Best day I've had down here in weeks, and my life down here is not that bad.

People can actually hug each other there! It's amazing!

I'm failing at describing how lovely this is. Being invited to take off your shoes when you come in. Sitting on the deck drinking from a cold can of pop. Watching one of the dads with his kids. Helping a little girl get a huge moth out of her insect trap (not entirely sure how she got it in there in the first place). Irises blooming. Adam earning the name "Irisbane" for taking out an iris with the soccer ball. Full green grass that you could run on. Getting to wear civvies and connect with people who weren't military (some people from their church show up, too. Feeling the sun on your bare arms. Beautiful, beautiful day. Making friends with the family cat (er, sort of - turns out he doesn't like people, and it was a freak event that he let me pet him). The touch on your shoulder when someone needs to get around you. Salad that was actually fresh. Getting to help make food - this sounds weird, but not getting to make food when you eat all the time just messes with you. Listening to people's stories. Playing the piano. Running up under the trees after the ball (I apparently had it in for the hostas).

It was so, so...good!

And then Adam and I got back to base and spent the rest of the day hanging out on the beach. So that was cool, too.