I believe that at some point in everyone's life they dream of finding lost treasure.  Well today I did, or should I say it found me.  A few days ago I went to my computer to check my email, as I usually do each morning. To my delight I had an email inquiring about my Allenville Missouri website. The email was from Mrs. Teresa Mathis an unknown distant relative. She was about to share a family inheritance of great wealth, a priceless treasure of family jewels.  In this Treasure there were no gold coins, diamonds, or pearls for they are much more common than what she shared with me. Teresa Mathis informed me that she had my great, great, great grandmother's family bible and what seemed to be an endless list of family records that I never dreamed would still exist. My mind races thinking about the family members that had held, and read that bible. I wonder how many family member were lead to Christ from the living word of that bible. When I try to wrap my mind around the journey that that bible must have made, it's mind blowing. I believe that Teresa told me that the bible was recovered from a family barn in Texas and then for a while after that it was stored in a pumphouse before it found it's way into the caring hands of Teresa Mathis.  I find it almost ironic that the word of God survived so long in such humble quarters as a barn and a pumphouse when the very topic of the bible itself started off in a manger.

Teresa also informed me that she had three report cards from Allenville school from the late 1800's belonging to members of my Courtway family, one belonging to my great,great grandfather Charles Alexander Courtway.

What were the odds?  I probably shouldn't use the word odds because that would suggest a game of chance, and I don't believe this happened by chance.  I believe ordained is a better word.  I believe they were looking for me as much as I was looking for them.

Thank you, Teresa.

CRH