What a great team of women! We concurr with the flight attendant who said she could not imagine life without a pen, lipstick and laughter! Delayed on take-off from KCI, we later learned because the USA President was flying somewhere over the vicinity, the entire air space was closed!
Vicki Orcutt met us there from Casper and joined RaeAnn Middleton, Dana Hogan and me. We were anticipating meeting fifth team member, Paula French in Newark. Time for a prayer circle with pep talk from Gary and prayer with Indian Creek's Global Director, Eric Rochester. It also gave us opportunity to have a "last supper" or lunch with Geroge Middleton and my dedicated husband, Gary Kendall who drove up to spend some time after preaching the message at Indian Creek Community.
It always amazes me as to how God forms a team! Before the formation of the team none of the women had met each other. Although RaeAnn and Dana both attend Indian Creek, RaeAnn was a part of the group of pioneers who launched Indian Creek Gardner campus and Dana was involved in Alpha on the Olathe campus. Vicki, Director of Missions at Highland Park Community Church in Casper, Wyoming met both girls for the first time at the airport. I know all of the women individually and was the connector God used to form the team. Eric had prayed for unity and oneness of our group, the same prayer Jesus prayed for His disciples and we began to experience it nearly immediately!
The trip to Newark was uneventful enough and connecting to the International terminal was smooth with only a shuttle bus ride from one terminal to the next. Upon landing in Neward we were grateful to learn that Paula was there and already at the gate. We arrived just in time for a water break! I think I sleot more on this 15 hour flight than any in a long time! (Some people use medication/herbs to sleep on the plane. I just stay up the night or two prior to leaving--that will make you sleep like a baby, well maybe not a baby as some babies do NOT sleep on an international flight at all! Paula can testify to that fact as her seat was strategically located in the "nursery" section!)An uneventful flight brought us to a brand new incredible humongous (as my precious grandson would say!) New Delhi airport! After gathering our mountain of lugggage (we were taking part of our country to India!) we made our way out of the terminal to meet our driver assigned to us from IGL to take us to the airport. Easy to find since he held up a sign, "Mrs. Belinda Kendall"A very kind but overwhelmed man when he saw our luggage and counted the 15 pieces! Too much for the one car he had brought to fetch us.
So we split up into two taxis, always an adventure! And although we left at different times we arrived at the hotel at the same time! Oh, to experience the busy streets of India, there is nothing to compare with the variety, traffic, excitement and congested chaos that is strangely commonly navigated! We arrived safely at our hotel and were pleased to know that of course the hotel restaurant was still open to accomondate us! And we were the only ones there! Private dining! We ordered quickly as the waiter warned us the restaurant would not be taking orders after 11:00 p.m. and it was alrday 10;45! We were able to get soup, butter chicken, and nan! Topped off with bottled water we were ready for our rooms!Wake up call at 6:30 with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and departure for Delhi's domestic airport to fly to Combitore and then a few hours ride by car to Salem! We are off! We so apprectiate your prayers and are so grateful to God for His constant presence and provision for His beloved daugthers far from home but strangely at home with His people half a world away!
Vicki! and team!
So thankful for God's traveling mercies! I've been thinking of you often. Know Wyoming your sisters are honored to have you covered in prayer. SHINE!! 2 Cor. 9:8
Big love~
Juli Banks
Posted by: Juli Banks | September 06, 2011 at 07:53 AM
oops* "Know your Wyoming sisters have you covered" :)
Posted by: Juli Banks | September 06, 2011 at 07:54 AM