Travel days, aka the days we never blog about, though in reality they will make up more than two weeks of my Race. For me, they’re sources of more stress than any ministry day we’ve had. It’s interesting, because at training camp, they prepared us for pretty much anything that could happen on the field, but travel days were hardly mentioned (except for sleeping at an airport… which has never been too difficult for me).
Over the past eight months, our squad’s travel days have consisted of
- a 2-day-long bus ride while communicating with our driver via a translator on the phone
- “inconspicuously” arriving in India with 48 tall, white people and their massive packs, because it’s technically illegal to be a missionary there
- frantically buying bus tickets while in line at the airport, in order to check into our flight
- a lost passport during a four hour layover
- motion sickness, lots of motion sickness (mostly due to unpaved roads and cramped vehicles)
- prying and scary questions at customs, not to mention language barriers
I could go on and on, and I don’t mean to complain. Because despite some of the hardest and most uncomfortable days, God has always remained faithful. We continue to walk in favor every single month.
- We have had ONE delayed flight so far, and it occurred prior to an eleven hour layover, leaving us plenty of time to make our next flight.
- We somehow find an English speaker, or a way to communicate in each place we go.
- We have never (to my knowledge) missed a plane, train, bus, or car.
- We’ve never had to leave someone behind; every member has made it to each country.
- That lost passport was found, just minutes before our plane began to board.
- We have never lost a bag.
And when I think about travel days, they still don’t fill me with nostalgia or joyful anticipation, but they do remind me of how present God is. He doesn’t prevent every single mishap or accident. But he does continue to bless us and confirm that we are going places he wants us to go. Despite my pessimism, he continues to provide.
If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:13
PSA: We are now in El Salvador! More updates on this month to come.
