for a wrap-up.
The saga of challenge for my trip personally never stopped. Yesterday I
accompanied the rest of the team to the airport and left them at
check-in at the Delta counter, while I went on to find American. My
flight was an hour after theirs, so I had plenty of time, and went
through check-in- security, passport control, emigration, and finally
looked for my gate. On my way to the gate, I saw an earlier flight to
Miami.
I approached the lady at the desk, and asked her if by any chance I
could get on an earlier flight to Miami. She shook her head, explaining
that a traveler must travel with his bags. I was disappointed, but
understood. I walked away and wanted the entire length of the airport,
looking for a way to connect with the rest of the team. But I could not
get back over to them, as they were in a separate terminal and travelers
were prevented from doing so.
As I was at that far end, the very lady I approached at the gate ran up
to me. "Are you the man who wanted to go to Miami earlier"? she wanted
to know. I was. She said I had to come quick because they canceled my
flight (again!) and if I wanted to get to Miami at all, I had to make
the earlier one.
It was a 20 minute run back! We got to the counter sweaty, tired, and
glad to have made it by about 10 seconds. I was in the air immediately.
In Miami, I had about 5 hours until the next flight to BWI. I got out my
laptop and finished this weekends sermon, and dozens of emails. When I
got up from that to find dinner, I suddenly noticed that the zipper on
my bag was open were I kept my cell phone, and it was GONE! Of course I
am being presumptuous at this point because I have not yet proven it,
but I think it was stolen. The hardest things to part with is all the
numbers that I really need off of it.
The next airplane took off an hour late.
All in all, this trip was disastrous for me in many ways. Yet it feels
to me that it was very much a God thing, and that He is orchestrating it
all in some unusual ways. Satan has to be really intimidated to have
worked this hard to take us down. SO many things went wrong, it was like
5 minutes could not pass without needing to adjust our stance against
the devil, and adjusting our plan. We must have changed out plan 10 or
more times! The main upside is that Frank Thomas is an amazing trip
leader with amazing faith and just kept coming back with more plans!
For example(s) my first flights canceled, and my computer barely worked
(to be used for printing outreach materials) right when I needed it
most. Our evening services got canceled twice, and our plan to bless
people with some items we took along, turned into a mess. By the final
night, we had hundreds waiting to get into the meeting place hours
ahead, and the power in the whole town went out, forcing another
cancellation! Another flight was canceled, my phone got stolen, I got a
stomach virus, and so much more!
Yet I have rarely felt so squarely in the center of God's plan and doing
what He called me to do. I was born for adversity, and get energized by
certain setbacks. Thanks to the overwhelming, kind, amazing grace of
God, I get to be in this Kingdom and doing this job.
I believe that what the enemy meant for evil, will turn into good! I
believe dozens of churches will be planted and the DR transformed by
Jesus (and pretty much in spite of me!) I believe God's amazing urging
to "ask me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance" means
me, and in my little way I am asking Him for one more little nation. I
cannot wait to see what He will do with me, in spite of me, and most
times totally without me.
Take that, devil.
Gerry
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