After over 48 hours of travel we finally made it to Mongolia!! WHOOP!
Our whole squad is stoked to be our first country (and maybe more exited about being off the airplane). After we all get off the plane, it’s time to get our big packs and split up for the last leg of our travels to our ministry hosts for the month. We get down to the baggage claim and everyone starts grabbing their big packs. I haven’t seen mine yet, but I keep looking around. Then I realize that the luggage carousel is no longer moving and it seems that all the bags have been claimed.
My stomach drops…my bag is no where to be seen.
Come to find out, mine and 4 other of my squad-mates do not have our bags. We try to get help at the counter, but all we got was a phone number to call at 5 pm. It was only 11 am at the time, and we had to leave the airport to catch a bus to our ministry host, which was 6 hours away. So that meant, I was going without my bag…
Off we went to the bus stop! All I had was my day pack with only one other set of clothes other than what I was wearing, my bible & journal, pillow, and travel toiletries. I didn’t know how long I would be without my bag, and as unsettled as I was, I was trusting the Lord to provide exactly what I needed.
And guess what? He did just that.
For the next 5 days, I lived out my day pack. But I had everything I needed. I also had the help of my amazing teammates, who were more than willing to lend me anything of theirs from a blanket, shampoo, pants, shoes, and most of all love. Their willingness to give to, even when they don’t have much, was such a sweet way to see the love of Jesus through them.
If you would have asked me a week ago if I would have wanted to start the race without my big pack, I would have said absolutely not. However, the days without my belongings showed me how little I actually need, and how MUCH the Lord will provide. There is so much JOY to be had in ways I wouldn’t have experienced if I had my bag. So I choose to REJOICE!
Mine and my teammate’s bags finally made it on day 5. THANK YOU JESUS! I am so thankful that our bags made it safely, and for the sweet locals who helped deliver them to us. But bag or no bag, our first week in Mongolia was incredible. I am so excited to see what else the Lord has in store for us!
