While I was packing on Sunday morning to leave Nepal, I had this urge to pray over our squad. We have a Facebook Group Message we are all in, so I wrote out a prayer over our squad:
Lord, please give our squad safe travels today and tomorrow. We ask that You protect all our belongings, help us get through security and customs smoothly and quickly, and let this be stress-free travel days for everyone. Please let us have fun in LA, whatever each person’s plans are and help us arrive on time for our flights. We ask for encounters to share Your love with other travelers and staff and for You to restore our souls as we go. We love You and praise You, Amen!
I typically don’t send written prayers to our squad, but I’ve seen how comforting and encouraging they can be when I receive them, so I thought, “Why not?”
Everything was going great for our layover in China and LA. Though it was a little hectic at times, I think everyone handled small frustrations well and keep a good attitude.
On our longest flight (13 hours), was from China to LA. I was really hoping for a window seat, but was disappointed to find I had an aisle seat instead. However, one of the guys on our team said I could have his window seat because he knows I love them (Thanks Nat!). It was so nice y’all.
We were in line to check in our luggage in Nepal, and I looked over to see 2 of our squad mates praying a lady with an injured foot. I was so excited to see them being bold, and asked the girls around me to join in interceding for them.
Once we landed in LA, I was in line for customs and an older gentleman asked where I was from. In our conversation I learned that he just finished teaching to believers in China about Christ and he introduced me to some of his friends that traveled with them. I told him about our group on our mission trip, and it was so cool to encourage each other and I was excited that my first conversation in LA was about Christ!
I also contacted one of my friends who lives in LA to pick me up at the airport. Our leaders wanted us to go out in pairs, and unfortunately my teammate who was supposed to go with me was sick, so she didn’t want to leave the airport. I was stressed about leaving because I didn’t want to disobey our leadership, but my friend had already been waiting for me at the airport for an hour. One of my new teammates, Wanzie, had a friend fly into the LAX airport to see her, and I asked them if they would want to come with my friend and I to get dinner. Thankfully, they said yes! So I was able to spend time with my friend and also have peace about abiding by World Race rules.
Before we left the airport, we were waiting in line to check in my luggage. There was a family in front of us who had missed their flight and seemed really stressed trying to catch a late flight out of LA with two little boys, ages one and two. We talked for a few minutes, and I felt prompted to pray for them. They said yes and it was so cool to encourage them and ask God to bless them with favor to get home quickly and safely.
We left the airport and went to a restaurant to eat crepes. It was obvious our server was really frustrated. He seemed to be having a really bad night and it was clear he didn’t want to be there. I asked his name, told him thank you for taking care of us, and again felt prompted to ask him if he’d like to pray with us over our meal. He said yes and I was able to pray for him specifically for stress and frustrations to be gone, financial blessings, and for his family and friends. His attitude was definitely changed after that and he didn’t mind us staying a little after they closed to finish our meals. I also had some left over food money from Nepal, so I was able to pay for all our meals!
Then Wanzie wanted cheesecake, so we went to the Cheesecake Factory, but unfortunately they were closed. However, the host told us to wait around and he would get us a slice if he could. We waited outside on a bench. He asked us for money up front, and all we had was a $100 bill. We handed it to him and hoped and prayed he return. After waiting for about 15 minutes, he returned and gave us the $100 back and a free slice of cheesecake for Wanzie!
The rest of the night included us singing “How Great Thou Art,” while walking in a sketchy tunnel underneath the boardwalk at night, blessing another server with a generous tip at IHOP and overhearing a conversation on the plane between a squad mate and a passenger.
Truly, the gospel is simple. One of our coaches, Mrs. Karen, reminded us during debrief that if we each had a resume, it should say on there our job is to love. That is what the Lord calls us to do. To love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. So often we overcomplicate things, when God is simply asking us to love the person in front of us. Who has God placed in front of you to love today?
