Writing today's blog in Frankfurt airport

Journal Entry for Thursday, March 19

 It’s about 4:00 a.m. in British Columbia; 12:00 noon in Germany. We’re safely on the ground in Frankfurt, sitting in an airport lounge and waiting for our next flight. Only five hours to go. We’ve been awake for 22 hours so far. By the time we reach our final destination, we will have been up for about 32 hours. Thankfully it will be evening by then, and we’ll be able to go to bed for a good night’s sleep.

The night before we left on this trip, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of young women – students at Trinity Western University. That came about as a result of a divine appointment on a flight in February. On that trip, I engaged in a conversation with the young woman sitting beside me. She told me that she was a student at TWU and was taking the TESOL course so she could use it in missions someday. Well, well. Give the dog a bone.

I told her about opportunities with International Messengers where she could use those skills at evangelistic family camps. Our common interest gave us an immediate connection, and this led to the best talk about spiritual matters. She was headed home for surgery, but upon her return to school a couple weeks later, she immediately contacted the powers-that-be and got permission for me to speak to these young women who all have a passion for missions.

 I truly felt like the “older woman.” Thirty years ago, I was in their position – in college, with my whole adult future ahead of me. Where has the time gone? It struck me that my life has been very full since then, and that God has orchestrated every detail to bring me to where I am today.

How fun it was to encourage these gals to wholly follow God, even if means stepping beyond their comfort zone. I spoke about how we often struggle with the fear of inadequacy when God gives us assignments. And then I reminded them that God equips us to do His will…to not let fear stop them…to understand that following God into seemingly impossible situations will give them the opportunity to know Him more intimately.

“Thank You, God, for the privilege of speaking with these young women. Direct their paths. Grant them obedient hearts to follow You no matter what. May You grant them joy, courage, and strength as they seek to do Your will. Amen.”

At the airport we navigated security and were pointed upstairs toward our departure gate. Within 20 minutes we boarded our plane and I was seated next to a sari-clad Indian woman who appeared to be several years older than me. We made small talk until I told her that I was interested in hearing about the lives of Indian women, specifically the challenges they face. That topic grabbed her interest. She immediately began telling me about her past (“I’m the only one in my family who attended university”), her arranged marriage (“compatibility doesn’t exist”) and how she has financially supported numerous extended family members. Then she told me how her husband grew jealous of her business success and began beating her. “Daily abuse is the greatest challenge Indian women face,” she said.

When she finished telling me her story, I asked her if she had a dream for her life. She smiled. “Oh yes,” she said. “I want to make a difference in the lives of other people.” I smiled in return. “I share your dream,” I said. She extended her right hand toward me and said, “We are friends. If you ever come to Hyderabad again, please visit me.”

Several hours and another flight later, we landed in Bagdogra where a pre-arranged driver met us. Then we began a four-hour Jeep journey to Gangtok, Sikkim. The road wound through tea plantations (the home of Darjeeling tea), and a wildlife sanctuary where homes stood on stilts. “This keeps people safe from elephants,” explained the driver. Eventually it began its upward climb around hairpin curves.

Higher, higher, higher we climbed until we could barely see the bottom of the ravines below. And then darkness fell. And boy, did I pray! “God, there’s no safer place than in the center of Your will. Please…keep us on the road!” We had to stop at a police checkpoint and get special permits to enter this part of India, enjoying a 10-minute respite from the bumps and turns. But a half hour later, poor Gene, physically exhausted from the travel of the past few days, got sick to his stomach.
As the drive continued, we were surprised to find electricity everywhere. Teeny lights twinkled from hillside huts and tiny bazaar shops. And when we finally reached Gangtok, a city built on a mountainside, everything was lit up. Much different from our past experience in rural Nepal, when the brightest lights outside came from fires or flashlights.