Professor Plum you have stolen my heart…

“Professor Plum you have stolen my heart…” A neat twist to a missions conference and a letter received after from a former student will help you get a “clue” about our ministry….

Recently, I was asked to attend a missions conference at one of our supporting churches. The format was a mystery dinner theater, and the stage was set (literally) to be an enactment of the board game, “Clue.” Each missionary attending played the role of one of the charac- ters from the famous board game. There was a detective asking ques- tions to each missionary to deter- mine, “Who stole my heart?” The idea was for missionaries to share their passion and call in a format that was informing and fun. We all dressed in costume, and I wore a graduation robe for my role as “Pro- fessor Plum.” The entire room was turned into a ballroom atmosphere complete with candles, white linen table cloths, spooky mystery music and great food! After dinner, without warning, the lights went out and someone screamed! When the lights were turned back on, “someone’s heart was missing…” and the game was underway! I answered many questions that gave people clues and insights about the ministry that An- nie and I have been called to. At the end of the evening, everyone was asked to write a note of encourage- ment, with the option of providing contact information, for the mission- aries that “Stole their heart,” They were then asked to drop their cards

into individually decorated boxes, made for each missionary to take home with them. I really could not wait to sit down with Annie and go through the box of cards, especially because attending this church and the evening’s event were two former students that I love so much, and I wanted to read what they might say. As we were leaving with our boxes, Colleen told me that she did not wright a note to me because I had already stolen her heart when she was a student. I jokingly told her

Clue

Professor Plum

that didn’t matter, and I was looking forward to reading her card. I thought she was kidding… When we got out to the car, Annie drove, so I could impatiently look through the box and read the notes. And sure enough, there was no card in it from Colleen. She was not kidding… There were a lot of great cards, though! The evening certainly made

Dec 2007

an impact on those attending. Some did not know the reality of the chal- lenges students face, or the envi- ronment they live in. Some had chil- dren in college and could relate to the urgency of providing a safe place for Christian students to grow. Some were students. One person even re- vealed that it was time to get back into ministry at their church. And one card had written on it , “Joe Shea, you stole my heart 27 years ago. I love you more now. I thank God for sending you my way.” (Annie slipped a card into the box too!) A few days later I received an email from Colleen, and with her permission, I once again share with you something from my inbox…

From: Colleen
Subject: Professor Plum you have

Stolen my Heart Date: September 11, 2007

11:04:55 PM

Professor Plum, you have certainly stolen my heart. All the events and all the details are not perfectly clear, but it may have begun one Thursday night when I sat on a stage and shared with a whole group at CA that I had decided to turn away from a relationship that was leading to sin and confusion in my life and turn towards God to guide my path. That night there was a song that I played, a song that meant so much to me at that time and still does today…. Holiness – Its a great song isn’t it, Professor Plum? From that point on there is a memory and a connection between that song and you and I. Or maybe it was the countless Tuesday night worship practices, where you and your wife and family opened up your home, fed so many, prayed so many prayers and sung so many songs. Even the good old, “It’s time to go to bed, Its time to go to bed…” for your boys before we began practice. Your home, a place that I now bring my family to and the door is still open wide and the love is immense. Or maybe it was the night when you passed by as I sat on a bench by a lake with the man that I am now married to and have a family with, and you said, “I am proud of you both.” You continued to steal my heart when you took your time to prepare us for a marriage that will last a lifetime and then marry us, one very icy cold November day. Or maybe, just maybe it was when you supported me with prayers and love when my own father passed away. Then there are goodbye hugs in your driveway where you look at me and say with all sincerity and love… “I love you, and I am proud of you.” I can at those moments, each time they are said, hear my heavenly Father echoing those same words so needed in my life. Once I even received a note on my hospital bedside table from you with your love and support as I was in surgery for the very first time in my life. Professor Plum, it is not one but so so so many things that you have done that has stolen my heart and I am forever and eternally grateful.