Travel Challenges and Travel Joys

Our trip this January was an answer to prayer. Air tickets and hotel reservations were made trying to take all factors of uncertainty in hand. After a lot of prayer, it was finally time for the e-visa application. And the positive replies came about 24 hours later! God was validating the request!

But difficulties did pop up, which could have taken some of the impact out of the trip.

One flight from Vancouver was delayed by three and a half hours due to a mechanical situation. That meant our final flight time could not be met. There was a lot of anxiety. Sorting out the problem took several hours on two phones at once, just feet from the two managers put at a separate gate. Finally, someone with the airline found a flight that saved the day.

But changing our tickets needed authorization from a higher authority with the airline, and it took time to resolve some technical difficulties before the next steps could be taken. Our final tickets with a second airline were now unusable because our new scheduled flight came in after the time to leave.  The travel representative who was still on the phone after all this, had to cancel those and give us the partial credit, and then new tickets were purchased.

God supplied the wisdom to choose a flight late enough for the unexpected two hours of simply going through lines at the second last airport before boarding our final flight. This one was early enough to get us to bed shortly after midnight at our final destination, so that we could start the seminar on time the next morning.

THANK YOU LORD … It seemed so impossible a few times during the process, and looked like days on an airplane would cause huge hiccups in our plans.

At the first seminar, we had about 75 students, along with about 70 other Christian workers. Following a grad event on Saturday, there were two church services on Sunday, and an afternoon celebration. The following week we continued the seminar for another day and a half. It went better than could be planned.

The evenings were rich as we spent them with our host and partner. There we met some very special people, including the church planter from M*n, and several others from that region.

Testimonies revealed that they had found a “secret” path out of their hometown in order to come visit us. Three of them came by motorcycle to the seminar. They also confirmed the reports we had heard earlier: there are 10 new believers in the last months at M*n! And it was great to get to know the church planter better as he talked, sang, and even played guitar during our times together.

Travel from the remote areas is very difficult at present, with independent armies pressing in on the national army for control of the region. One of them was also at risk of being conscripted by any of these groups. A pastor stayed at their church which is a haven for two families that live in unsafe places. It is commonplace at present to hear regular gunfire and see missiles flying overhead.

While we were having travel adventures, they were having their own adventure. While we were proceeding on in our return travel, they returned to their respective churches safely. Others who came also faced checkpoints and danger on the roads. We only saw one checkpoint in our travels where we were.

Our host took us on an afternoon visit to the new location where we prayed for the land that had been chosen for the next church plant. A new Bible School graduate was appointed to begin the work of evangelism/church planting at this key location.

Thus, God allowed us to have input into the lives of at least two young church planters, both in seminars and in personal testimony, encouragement, singing together and in prayer. Those were very rich days with students and other believers, and what seemed like even richer evenings with our beloved hosts! You may understand how our emotions were torn as we had to leave.

We continue to pray for our friends as they minister in so many places and circumstances! Will you join us?