Yesterday I posted about the coincidence of seeing a friend after more than a year (https://europeanfaithmissions.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/coincidence-is-spelled-g-o-d/).  We’re both English-speakers, we’ve both moved, we wanted to get together for a Bible study in English, and we find out that now we’re neighbors.

Yesterday I also put a bunch of my old posts on the blog because my old blogsite was accidentally closed down.  One of these old posts was “The Train God” (https://europeanfaithmissions.wordpress.com/about/ancient-blog-posts/), about a ride in the cab of the train with the engineer.

This morning I went to morning prayer at church.  When I’m home, I go to prayer meetings, cell groups, church services, and events.  This is how I fuel-up my spirit for ministry when I go visit missionaries and pastors in other places.  Usually I take Milan’s city transportation (trams, buses, subway), and since the church is clear across town from my apartment, it takes a combination of means to get there, and can be accomplished in several different ways.

Today on a whim I took the passante train to return home afterward.  The passante is the best-kept secret in Milan.  Most of the people who take the passante train are entering or leaving the city, but the same bus pass that works with all the other city transportation also works for the passante, provided you are traveling within the city.  During the morning and evening rush hours the trains are packed.  But during the day, they are practically empty.  Since I live not far from a passante station, it’s not so strange that I took the train.

I got onto the train and was talking on the phone when I heard a gasping intake of breath.  I turned and saw Alfredo, the engineer from “The Train God” post.  Clearly he had remembered me.  I finished my phone call just as he was entering the cab to drive the train.  I was only going two stops, so at my stop, I got off the train and knocked on his window.  He opened the little side door and said, “My Texan friend!  You’re back!”  I told him that I had thought of him just yesterday.  And he said, “And here I am!”  Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time to talk because he had a schedule to keep, and I had to meet the electrician at the house.

I believe we will meet again sometime.  Maybe I’ll ride in the cab of the train again—who knows?  Maybe he’ll even let me drive!