No Distance Too Far Read Free

everywhere.” Her chuckle made Astrid smile. “You are now free until suppertime. I’d suggest you unpack and get settled in, because you have a tight schedule ahead.”
    “Thank you. And thank you for the tour. What a lovely campus, and the flowers, well, my mor would be absolutely thrilled to see all these lovely flower beds and bushes. The magnolia trees—I’d read about them but to see them growing like this . . . This most certainly is a different world than home.”
    “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask one of us.” Mrs. Abercrombie turned to leave. “You can find your way to the dining room, can you not?”
    “If I get lost, I’m sure someone will show me the way. Thank you again.”
    Astrid watched her hostess smile and float away. How did she walk like that, so gracefully? Maydell would be green with envy. Astrid slipped into her room and, after closing the door, leaned against it to survey her new home. The walls were painted a lovely yellow and framed with white woodwork. Lace curtains graced the window, and French doors opened onto a peaceful courtyard. While the day was much like the cold and damp of Chicago, here a tiny breeze kissed the tree leaves. There was no such thing as a breeze on that northern lake; there was only wind or no wind.
    She had a desk, bed, and chest of drawers, and a closet with shelves and sliding doors. A yellow rug brightened an aged hardwood floor, and a yellow print cushion softened the desk chair. The glass door showed a wicker chair and table that invited her to sit in the shade and enjoy the courtyard—when it warmed up, that is.
    Within an hour she’d emptied her trunk, hung her clothes, and found homes for all that could be folded. Her books lined the shelves above the desk, and her writing kit now lived in the central desk drawer. She pulled her trunk out into the hall, where someone was supposed to pick it up for storage. It was not hard to believe that this had been someone’s home at one time, before it was donated to the school.
    She sat down at the desk and dashed off a letter to her mother.
    Dear Mor and Far,
    I have arrived safely and already had my incoming interview with Dean Highsmith, dean of the missionary school here at Cardin College. He is a pleasant gentleman and easy to talk with. He was not pleased when I said again that I am signing up for two years and no more. While they do accept some people for two years, they prefer a much longer commitment. He said that the missionary board may not accept my application for that reason and also because I am young and single. If they turn me down, then I shall know that I have done my best and, as always, the outcome is in God’s hands.
    I cannot tell you how close I came to changing trains and heading west. I wish that I were more certain that what I am doing is God’s will. One step at a time. Right now the staff thinks I have a tight schedule, but they have no idea what my life was like in Chicago. This will seem like a vacation. I do hope I can find something medical to do to keep my hands in tune.
    I’ve enclosed my address. Please give it to everyone who wants it, as I would so love news from home. Here I will have time to answer them. I will write to Elizabeth immediately. I’m afraid she might be furious with me, but I hope not.
    Love from your daughter,
Astrid
    As she read it over, she thought through the day’s conversations. Even though she had been homesick and overwhelmed in Chicago, she’d still had the sense that she belonged there, if only for a time. But here she felt nothing fit. Where was that peace Mor and Pastor Solberg said came when in God’s will? How long did one need to wait for it?
    So sleepy she could hardly finish addressing the envelope, she unpinned the coil of wheaten hair at the base of her skull and lay down on the bed for a nap. When she woke it was dark outside and her clock said ten o’clock. Ignoring the