A monsoon of grace, aka "into the unknown"

By the grace of God we have survived our first week in Asia.

 

We departed Abbeville, Louisiana on the morning of June 21st and landed in Asia on the morning of June 23rd. Every single step of the journey we felt carried by a multitude of graces. Thanks be to God for the Body of Christ and the truly powerful prayers of so many.

All anxiety and fear was replaced with an abiding peace in my soul. It was not a momentary peace but a peace that permeated all our preparations, the days of traveling and remained upon our arrival in a foreign place. Yes, we were embarking on a difficult journey. Yet we believe God was calling us to this, and He would provide. Here's how:

As we drove westward in our van we began our first day of travel with praying a family rosary. Gwendolyn fell asleep in her carseat after the first decade. Four hours later, Matt dropped the seven of us and all our luggage at the international airport terminal in Houston. The airport was congested and the parking garage nearly full. But Matt found one of the last parking spaces on the roof. 

(Miraculous side note: God had ordered perfectly the logistics for our van. Another missionary family was flying into Houston that same day and needed a vehicle to return to Abbeville.)  

The lines were lengthy to check our luggage, get our boarding passes and pass thru security. But again, God's grace poured out upon us. The children didn't complain while we waited and waited and waited. Once we got to our gate, there were hundreds of people waiting to board our flight. We ate some food and let the kids walk and play a bit before we boarded our first flight.

15 hours. 

That was the expected duration for our first of two flights. We settled into our seats on the aircraft. Gwen was happy to sit down and get buckled into her carseat - one familiar thing in the throng of so many unfamiliar faces. The plane took off and Gwen fell asleep. The other kids were content sampling the movie and game options provided by the airline. The flight attendant served dinner and I was amazed and grateful to eat the entire meal without tending to one of our children. 

Then Gwen woke up. We were maybe 90 minutes into the flight. Within a matter of minutes she went from fussing to full out screaming. Matt and I both tried to calm her down but she was inconsolable. I started praying a Memorare, asking Mary's intercession to help us calm Gwendolyn. 

First, a flight attendant came to ask how she would help us. But we were at a loss of what could soothe our toddler. Then, a female passenger came over and asked if she could try holding Gwen. She paced up and down the aisle with her, but Gwen became more upset and agitated. The woman passed Gwendolyn back to me and then sat down in our row. As I held Gwendolyn, the woman extended her hand in blessing over Gwen and began to pray out loud. She prayed Peace in the Name of Jesus over our daughter.  Gwen quieted down and soon fell asleep in my arms. She slept for 10 hours and woke up cheerful and content. The rest of the plane ride was uneventful. 

The next leg of the journey was a 7 hour layover in the Qatar airport. By the hand of God we found a quiet and dark corner in our terminal. While Matt and I went to look for food, the older girls tended to their younger siblings. By the time we came back with pizza Daniel was curled up in a chair and fast asleep. The kids alternated sleeping, snacking and exploring the airport. The younger ones played on indoor playgrounds. 

At 1am we boarded our second flight. A flight attendant asked if Gwen and I would like to move to the first row where there was more legroom. The two of us moved up and Gwen spent the entire 5 hour flight playing peek-a-boo with the flight attendants. She didn't sleep or cry once.

When we disembarked at our final destination, we were relieved. The airport staff directed us to the various counters for paying visa fees and getting our passports stamped. We were missing paperwork for Gloria, Daniel and Gwendolyn. Once again, God sent us an angel. A young man who spoke perfect English calmly helped us fill in all the paperwork swiftly. Everything was approved in record time.

Next it was time to collect our luggage. Every piece had already been pulled off the carousel and set aside for us. Not one piece of luggage was missing. Two men expertly loaded all our luggage onto two carts and guided us to the exit. Our friends were waiting for us and had hired two drivers and two "micro machine" vans to bring us to our new home.  

Our friends had the house all set up and ready for us. They arranged for a married couple from church to prepare a delicious feast for dinner. We ate with our friends and still had food for days. 

Our first days here have been a bit of a blur. We've been unpacking and recovering from jetlag. When its not raining we venture out into our neighborhood, finding where to get cash, buy produce and other household items. Daniel's favorite snack is a carrot and we can find them here on nearly every block.  

Even now as we are settling into life in a foreign land, we are reminded of God's steady, unchanging love. It is like the daily rain spells, gentle and life-giving.