HT: The Return Trip
Phi 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Dear Ones,
The Lord’s blessings continued as we met with G.’s family and shared in funeral proceedings. On our way home the Lord still blessed, and we began the perhaps most memorable trip that we had ever made- it definitely is one for the record books. Here goes with yet another G.&M. adventures with Jesus!
We ... left for Dullas airport in Washington DC where we had an 8:10 pm flight, the trip went well (uneventful) and we got there after 2 hours.
The check-in counter was not open yet, so we waited for a half an hour, and then checked in with no problems. We watched CNN and saw film of tornados in the center of the USA and soon heard our flight was delayed for an hour. Somehow we knew that things probably weren’t going to go well, but we were eager to see just what the Lord had planned for us.
The plane was not able to make up any of our delay and we reached Paris an hour late and since we had only had had 1 ½ hours to catch the next flight, we knew we were in trouble. But when we reached our bay where the plane by then should have been leaving. We found that it was delayed, a nationwide strike was in effect in France and the passengers had not yet begun to load the plane.
We flew on to DBX where we were surprised to find our luggage, figuring surely that the strike would have messed up the baggage. The time being Tuesday, midnight by then, bed was not calling, it was shouting. We slept for 6 hours then up on Wednesday morning to find out if and when the airline was flying. No one answered the phone at their office, so we were off to the airport to find out. Word was the plane was on the way and we would fly at 12:30. We "lined-up" with the rest in front of one desk at 8:30am ...
Picture the most crowded airport line that you can, now, take away all but one person at the service counter. Now, take away those dividers that make us form lines, and give each person 3-4 buggies PILED with baggage, suitcases, and boxes, to add flavor, give some people windshields for cars (4), add some cue sticks, and add tempers to the crowd and the one ticket agent as well ... and you have a picture of us!
We stood in that mess for 4 hours before we checked through-at 12:30. Surely the struggle was over now, and we passed through passport control to see that our flight had not yet been assigned a gate. After 2 more hours our flight received a gate assignment and we were checked through security, where we waited for another two hours, no drinks available, or bathrooms. After arguing with the guards the passengers were granted bathroom rights, one at a time.
4:30pm we all were herded to the bus and next to the plane we were surprised to see extra plane seats on the tarmac. We loaded the plane and saw several sections of seats had been removed so as to have room to pile more baggage. One passenger at least sat where the steward usually does, the steward squatted in a corner as we took off-that is after another half hour. We had loaded the plane in half an hour, so another hour had passed in the desert heat with no air conditioning and at - 5:30pm we took off.
The trip normally takes 3 hours, and after just over 3 hours, at 11pm local time we landed, not in our desired destination, but in the northern part of the country. Our destination was having a thunderstorm and our plane was too heavy to land safely on wet pavement.
We sat on the plane while rumors flew as to what we would/could do,
“deplane or not,”
“unload baggage or not”,
“the steps to fit our plane (Tajik Air's largest TU 154 – seating 135) had been lost,”
as the landing had been rough, that “we had damaged the plane and we would have to emergency exit”,
“that we could not deplane since we had no visas" -- that was protested since we are still in TJ, ”no, a new law had come in effect since we left...”
I did have opportunities to witness for the Lord, with my seat mates!
We did deplane, by then it was 11:45pm on Wednesday and we were now in an open vault of a room, with seats for most of us, and the promise is a 9:30am flight on Thursday ...
We elected to stay in the airport for the night.
1. Neither one of else felt easy about going to a motel
2. We definitely don't trust the airline to leave when they say they plan to.
3. We did finally manage to switch over to stateside time, just in time to leave-so we're not sleepy.
I was wondering how I was going to deal with the chill of the night, when a friend of ours from the USA appeared. She is trying to travel as well and her flight had been grounded for the night. Unlike us, she had possession of her luggage and made me a loan of a jacket.
I’m sitting here thinking: Remembering our travels of 2 weeks ago and thinking of unknown miracles that surround us. While in the USA I talked to a prayer intercessor of ours, and she told me that she had already put our travels on her church’s prayer line. I'm sure others of you do as well, but she happened to mention it. Then while in DBX I checked email and found friends in country also in prayer for us. Couple that with the information that our crew knew our plane was too heavily loaded to land during a thunderstorm. God is watching over us, ya'll. I can’t help but wonder what would have been, had not prayers been lifted? Bless you for your prayers. Don't ever say or think, “I can't do much, I can just pray”!
Thursday morning dawned clear and beautiful and we find out that all the rooms at the inn had been taken and those there spent the night in a common room on couches trying to sleep.
The flight to the capital only took an half an hour and we landed safely, though with a minor mishap to G. – he was seated behind the pile of baggage at the rear of the plane, and as we landed, a box with a microwave stove fell on his leg, bruising it. Now all we had to do was to get through passport control and retrieve our baggage. Bag after bag was unloaded but ours did not appear. After 2 hours a man came and told us that the rest of the bags were sent to another area. So we walked to the other building and we told to come back after lunch. G. went back after lunch as told and got a run around, “The man is not here yet who has the key; he’s having a late lunch, come back tomorrow.”
G. finally was befriended by a diplomat who also was hunting a lost bag. They joined forces and finally found the man in charge who told them that our luggage was still in the capital-there had not been enough room on the plane. We are not the only ones missing bags, a BUNCH of stuff was checked in and supposedly it’s down there waiting on next week’s flight. Well maybe, we know that some bags were unloaded in the other city during the night, because we saw them go out the door, but that didn’t happen we were told.
I’m trying not to remember the new clothes that replaced my ragged clothes that are in those bags… the Lord IS in control, not the airline, and He will provide.
Our Trip ended at noon on Thursday, G. was back from baggage hunting by 5. Now all we have to do is figure the best way to get to the Mountains.
We have decided since there have been some rainy days with no possibility of travel, that we will go ahead and wait for our luggage this week, and then take the road home, probably on Thursday. Your prayers will be thoroughly appreciated! We’ll be stopping and checking out projects on the way, so prayers for the Lord’s guidance to open hearts will be welcome as well.
Now as I close, I need to refer to the verses that I opened with. I don’t think that we, as Paul was able to, can say that we are content in every situation, but we are much further along the road than we used to be, we are learning, and trusting Him. When I look back on our trip, and I remember the peace that enfolded us throughout it all, I realize that yes, we have learned much! Also, I see how much your prayers have helped us.
Blessings,
G&M
Dear Ones,
The Lord’s blessings continued as we met with G.’s family and shared in funeral proceedings. On our way home the Lord still blessed, and we began the perhaps most memorable trip that we had ever made- it definitely is one for the record books. Here goes with yet another G.&M. adventures with Jesus!
We ... left for Dullas airport in Washington DC where we had an 8:10 pm flight, the trip went well (uneventful) and we got there after 2 hours.
The check-in counter was not open yet, so we waited for a half an hour, and then checked in with no problems. We watched CNN and saw film of tornados in the center of the USA and soon heard our flight was delayed for an hour. Somehow we knew that things probably weren’t going to go well, but we were eager to see just what the Lord had planned for us.
The plane was not able to make up any of our delay and we reached Paris an hour late and since we had only had had 1 ½ hours to catch the next flight, we knew we were in trouble. But when we reached our bay where the plane by then should have been leaving. We found that it was delayed, a nationwide strike was in effect in France and the passengers had not yet begun to load the plane.
We flew on to DBX where we were surprised to find our luggage, figuring surely that the strike would have messed up the baggage. The time being Tuesday, midnight by then, bed was not calling, it was shouting. We slept for 6 hours then up on Wednesday morning to find out if and when the airline was flying. No one answered the phone at their office, so we were off to the airport to find out. Word was the plane was on the way and we would fly at 12:30. We "lined-up" with the rest in front of one desk at 8:30am ...
Picture the most crowded airport line that you can, now, take away all but one person at the service counter. Now, take away those dividers that make us form lines, and give each person 3-4 buggies PILED with baggage, suitcases, and boxes, to add flavor, give some people windshields for cars (4), add some cue sticks, and add tempers to the crowd and the one ticket agent as well ... and you have a picture of us!
We stood in that mess for 4 hours before we checked through-at 12:30. Surely the struggle was over now, and we passed through passport control to see that our flight had not yet been assigned a gate. After 2 more hours our flight received a gate assignment and we were checked through security, where we waited for another two hours, no drinks available, or bathrooms. After arguing with the guards the passengers were granted bathroom rights, one at a time.
4:30pm we all were herded to the bus and next to the plane we were surprised to see extra plane seats on the tarmac. We loaded the plane and saw several sections of seats had been removed so as to have room to pile more baggage. One passenger at least sat where the steward usually does, the steward squatted in a corner as we took off-that is after another half hour. We had loaded the plane in half an hour, so another hour had passed in the desert heat with no air conditioning and at - 5:30pm we took off.
The trip normally takes 3 hours, and after just over 3 hours, at 11pm local time we landed, not in our desired destination, but in the northern part of the country. Our destination was having a thunderstorm and our plane was too heavy to land safely on wet pavement.
We sat on the plane while rumors flew as to what we would/could do,
“deplane or not,”
“unload baggage or not”,
“the steps to fit our plane (Tajik Air's largest TU 154 – seating 135) had been lost,”
as the landing had been rough, that “we had damaged the plane and we would have to emergency exit”,
“that we could not deplane since we had no visas" -- that was protested since we are still in TJ, ”no, a new law had come in effect since we left...”
I did have opportunities to witness for the Lord, with my seat mates!
We did deplane, by then it was 11:45pm on Wednesday and we were now in an open vault of a room, with seats for most of us, and the promise is a 9:30am flight on Thursday ...
We elected to stay in the airport for the night.
1. Neither one of else felt easy about going to a motel
2. We definitely don't trust the airline to leave when they say they plan to.
3. We did finally manage to switch over to stateside time, just in time to leave-so we're not sleepy.
I was wondering how I was going to deal with the chill of the night, when a friend of ours from the USA appeared. She is trying to travel as well and her flight had been grounded for the night. Unlike us, she had possession of her luggage and made me a loan of a jacket.
I’m sitting here thinking: Remembering our travels of 2 weeks ago and thinking of unknown miracles that surround us. While in the USA I talked to a prayer intercessor of ours, and she told me that she had already put our travels on her church’s prayer line. I'm sure others of you do as well, but she happened to mention it. Then while in DBX I checked email and found friends in country also in prayer for us. Couple that with the information that our crew knew our plane was too heavily loaded to land during a thunderstorm. God is watching over us, ya'll. I can’t help but wonder what would have been, had not prayers been lifted? Bless you for your prayers. Don't ever say or think, “I can't do much, I can just pray”!
Thursday morning dawned clear and beautiful and we find out that all the rooms at the inn had been taken and those there spent the night in a common room on couches trying to sleep.
The flight to the capital only took an half an hour and we landed safely, though with a minor mishap to G. – he was seated behind the pile of baggage at the rear of the plane, and as we landed, a box with a microwave stove fell on his leg, bruising it. Now all we had to do was to get through passport control and retrieve our baggage. Bag after bag was unloaded but ours did not appear. After 2 hours a man came and told us that the rest of the bags were sent to another area. So we walked to the other building and we told to come back after lunch. G. went back after lunch as told and got a run around, “The man is not here yet who has the key; he’s having a late lunch, come back tomorrow.”
G. finally was befriended by a diplomat who also was hunting a lost bag. They joined forces and finally found the man in charge who told them that our luggage was still in the capital-there had not been enough room on the plane. We are not the only ones missing bags, a BUNCH of stuff was checked in and supposedly it’s down there waiting on next week’s flight. Well maybe, we know that some bags were unloaded in the other city during the night, because we saw them go out the door, but that didn’t happen we were told.
I’m trying not to remember the new clothes that replaced my ragged clothes that are in those bags… the Lord IS in control, not the airline, and He will provide.
Our Trip ended at noon on Thursday, G. was back from baggage hunting by 5. Now all we have to do is figure the best way to get to the Mountains.
We have decided since there have been some rainy days with no possibility of travel, that we will go ahead and wait for our luggage this week, and then take the road home, probably on Thursday. Your prayers will be thoroughly appreciated! We’ll be stopping and checking out projects on the way, so prayers for the Lord’s guidance to open hearts will be welcome as well.
Now as I close, I need to refer to the verses that I opened with. I don’t think that we, as Paul was able to, can say that we are content in every situation, but we are much further along the road than we used to be, we are learning, and trusting Him. When I look back on our trip, and I remember the peace that enfolded us throughout it all, I realize that yes, we have learned much! Also, I see how much your prayers have helped us.
Blessings,
G&M
