The Trip

The past week has been a whirlwind, with packing my life, saying good bye, traveling and then unpacking again. What surprised me most has been my calm state. Maybe it was my body protecting itself and detaching from the wave of emotions lying underneath, or maybe it was a peace given from God. Whatever it was, it was grace from God that this transition has gone smoothly so far…at least for the most part.

There was one point when my defenses were down. I was sitting in the airport in Frankfurt, in this back corner, when I looked up a realized that I was the only American in the waiting area. Panic suddenly struck me and my mind started racing. “What if my luggage doesn’t make it? What if something important is taken from my luggage? What if I can’t get it all onto the trolly? What happens if they decide not to let me in the country, or give me my living permit? What if there is no one to greet me at the airport? And worst of all, if anything goes wrong, my ticket is only one way!” This momentary panic was short-lived however. I was soon distracted by the semi-inebriated Moldovan trying to chat me up, despite my trying to read, and the new American addition to the terminal: a girl video taping everything. And when I got off that flight and made it smoothly through customs and a nice guy helped me organize my luggage, my calm had returned. Soon delight set in, as I walked into the greeting area and there was the entire team, flowers in tow! We went to a great new restaurant, talked about the plans for the next week and then went home to my apartment. The thought that is dominating my mind right now, despite the lack of sleep, is awe of what my God can do! He got me here.