A Busy, Fun-filled, First Day

I landed in Dhaka, Bangladesh at 8:30 AM Saturday.  I cleared customs and immigration but not without a near fight.  Two businessmen had just approached the customs desk and I was next in line.  The wait had been a long one and I needed to use the restroom.  I was not very happy when a couple broke the line (which is very typical, by the way) and approached the customs desk ahead of me.  I was fighting mad!  The two men behind me encouraged my fighting spirit by saying, "Ma'am, go ahead.  You're next."  I boldly approached the customs desk and situated myself between the businessmen and the couple, determined I was going to be the next person served.  Then I got to thinking, THIS side of the customs desk is NOT the place to stage a fight.  I needed to enter the country as peacefully as possible.  So, I eased my way back to the waiting line and waited my turn.  I cleared customs without any problem.

After a quick visit to the restroom, I stood at the baggage belt waiting for my luggage.  It never arrived.  The baggage staff people had me running in circles looking for it.  Most of them could not understand English and I could not understand Bangla.  (My Bangla phrasebook was inside one of the lost pieces of luggage).  Finally, someone told me to file a complaint at the baggage claims desk.  When I arrived at the desk and saw the number of people in line, I almost cried.  There was NO WAY I was standing in yet another line!  Matthew (my airport pickup person) was outside waiting and must surely be getting worried about me.  I sweet-talked the security  guard into allowing me to exit the area, find Matthew to inform him of my situation, and then re-enter the baggage area to file my complaint.

My room at hostel

The ride to the hostel was a relatively short one.  The traffic was not too bad, but still chaotic.  I loved the sound of the honking horns.  Oh how I had missed those sounds!  Matthew was a great escort, taking care of the small details.  Matthew is the oldest son of the Miller family, missionaries to Bangladesh; he has a twin brother, John.  We arrived at the hostel, where I met the Chinese owner, Sabrina.  She showed me my room and then we transacted  business.  Matthew mentioned the church service to her and invited her to come that night.  She was unsure because it would be her first time to visit.  I told her she was my first friend in Bangladesh and asked her if she would come as my guest.  She agreed.

The view from my room

In the meantime, Matthew's mom, Sandy Miller, called and invited me to their house for lunch of Indian food.  I accepted her invitation.  They lived one block away, so Matthew offered to take his motorbike home and then come back to walk me there.  I said, "Why?"  He looked surprised and asked, "You like to ride motorbikes?!?"  I told him I grew up on motorbikes.  So, I hopped on Indian-style (side saddle) and we took off.

At 5:30 PM, Sabrina and I went with the Miller family to the church service, which was being held at the Corbins' home.  Turns out, Sabrina had visited the church a long time ago. For me, it was so good to finally meet the Corbins in person after months of communication by phone and email.  The living room was packed with people from all nationalities.  I loved the intimate setting and the wonderful spirit of worship during the service.

The bride and the groom

Afterwards, there was a wedding.  The groom was from South Africa and the bride was from South Korea getting married in Bangladesh.  It was a sweet precious wedding.  I just know this young couple is destined to do great things for the kingdom of God.  On the humorous side, it was the first wedding I'd attended where the bride was barefoot and the groom wore socks.  All the ministers and guests were also barefoot or wore socks.  (Upon arrival, I had to quickly learn the Eastern custom of shedding my shoes at the front door).

My mosquito bed

Afterwards, I went back to the hostel and climbed into my mosquito bed for some much needed sleep.  It's been a very busy, fun-filled, first day in Bangladesh!  

The Journey Begins (Again)

The journey to Bangladesh began early as I awoke Thursday morning before the 3:00 AM alarm went off.  I awoke with tears and a spirit of brokenness as the presence of God interrupted my sleep.  I repented before God because I had been unkind the last few days under the pressure to accomplish the many tasks prior to the trip.  I am so thankful we serve a merciful, loving God who quickly forgives us when we ask.  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  I John 1:9.

The flight from Birmingham to Dallas was a quiet one with no seatmates.  I appreciated this quiet time alone as the tears began to fall.  I felt sad leaving behind loved ones, yet I felt glad because my heart will soon be united with a land and people I love.  A love that God gave me.

The flight from Dallas to Dubai was a LONG one at 14 hours.  My window view was the airplane wing, the seats were tiny and I felt claustrophobic (imagine my complaining about something being too little, lol!)  My two seatmates, both female, were not very friendly, although they were certainly not rude.  I slept most of the flight, that is, when I was not eating.  The disorientation began to set in as I ate dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner while crossing time zones in the air.

As we started to land in Dubai, I looked out the window (it was mostly wing, but I could see a small portion of the earth) and was quite surprised to see flat land with desert sand everywhere.  Yes, I know the Middle East is mostly desert.  It's just that I live in an area surrounded by mountains, green grass and lush trees.  It was a new and different view to see dry, brown sand instead.

The Dubai International Airport has to be one of the most beautiful and wealthy airports in the world.  There were people from all nationalities in the airport, but it was interesting to see the Arabs in their traditional dress, especially the men.  I wanted to take pictures, but photographs were forbidden.  (I found this photo on the internet).

Upon arrival to Dubai, I got a free 30-day United Arab Emirates visa, hotel room at Copthorne Hotel, and two meals as part of my airline ticket.  The hotel was nice, clean and modern; the middle eastern and Indian food was great.  The staff (predominately Indian people) were helpful, but I felt a little out of place in this middle eastern culture.  I said a prayer for those who are called to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to this region of the world.

In Dubai, I was completely disoriented regarding the time.  My computer said it was 5:53 AM Friday. My phone said it was 6:53 AM Friday.  The time in Dubai was 3:53 PM Friday.  The time in Dhaka was 5:53 PM Friday.  In my mind, it was Thursday afternoon.  What time is it?!? LOL.  Seriously, I became so confused, I did not sleep well.  I was afraid I would set the alarm to the wrong time zone, oversleep and miss my flight.  After a short nap, I went to the airport early so I could have free unlimited internet service (internet was NOT part of the free hotel deal; it was costly).

The flight from Dubai to Dhaka was a short and pleasant one.  My lone seatmate was a male who did not speak English.  There were two women in front of me dressed in India/Bangladesh saris.  They both peeked through the crack in the seats and peered at me.  I smiled.  They quickly turned back around and started chattering, chiding each other for being seen by me.  However, one of the women peeked again at me.  This time I smiled and waved.  Again, she quickly turned around. Yet, she dared to look at me once more, this time with a slight smile and brief hand wave.  My heart was completely overwhelmed with God's love for these precious people.  The journey to Bangladesh is off to a good start!

A Friend for the Journey

My pastor asked everyone to pray for my protection while in Bangladesh when DeVonn volunteered to go with me and protect me. He’s 9 years old. It was such a sweet, endearing gesture.

No, DeVonn will not be going with me to Bangladesh.  However, God saw fit to send me a friend for the journey. Fran is a single lady, same age as me, from Wisconsin. She will be going to Bangladesh the same time period as me; we will be rooming together. This will be the first AIM assignment for both of us.

I've lived alone most of my life, but living alone in an unfamiliar country is an altogether different experience.  I trusted the missionaries and knew they had my safety and security in mind when choosing the apartment.  If they thought it was safe for me to live alone, then I simply had to tough it out.  My only concern was the extreme loneliness I would experience.  I had already envisioned ways to deal with the loneliness, but God had a better plan: a friend.

Here we are, two single women, both willing to go to a different country alone because God called us to do so. Yet, God, in His amazing kindness, put us together for the journey. I am so thankful for my new friend!

The High Dive

As a teenager growing up, my friends and I spent many hours during the summer at Willow Springs, a public swimming pool. I loved the water and felt so free inside of it. I had fun turning flips and doing all kinds of crazy antics in the pool. Things I didn't dare attempt outside of the water. I loved the water slides (Willow Springs did not have a slide, but the other public pool had one) and the diving boards. The low diving board, that is. I dived, flipped, cannon-balled and even belly-flopped from the low diving board.

Then there was the high diving board. You know, the place where all the brave kids hung out. I was afraid of heights and wouldn't go near it. No amount of peer pressure could coax me up those steps to "the high dive." However, I was determined to conquer my fear so I decided to check out the high dive. I climbed up those metal steps very slowly, much to the displeasure of those behind me. When I got to the top, I clung to the side rails of the platform, far away from the actual diving board itself.  It was all I could do to open my eyes and merely look around. The height was overwhelming and dizzying, so I scampered back down the steps, again to the displeasure of those trying to climb up the ladder.

On another sunny day, still determined to conquer my fear and the high dive, I climbed up the ladder again. This time when I arrived at the top, I still clung to the side rails, but managed to keep my eyes open. I slowly eased my way over to the diving board and peeked over it. Still frightened out of my mind, with my heart beating rapidly, I tiptoed out to the edge of the diving board. There was no turning back now. It's either jump or die of fear or both. So, holding my nose and my breath, I took the plunge feet first. (This was NOT the time for fancy diving or cannon-balling or belly-flopping.) The trip through the air was both frightening and exhilarating. I loved the moment of hitting the water (thankfully feet-first), swooshing underwater, touching the bottom of the pool and shooting back up to the surface. I DID IT! I jumped off the high dive!!  I felt so victorious!

My upcoming trip to Bangladesh triggered these childhood memories of the high dive.  I feel like I am about to take the plunge of my lifetime.  Yes, the thought is overwhelming, dizzying and my heart beats rapidly at times.  I am about to leave behind the familiar low heights.  Two years ago, I took a three-week trip to India and got a peek of a different spiritual realm.  The short-lived trip made me desire to go again to those heights.  Right now, I am spiritually out on a high diving board and there is no turning back.  It's jump or die or both.  It will be a straight-forward, feet-first jump.  It is not the time to attempt any fancy tricks or risk a belly-flop.  If I will take the leap of faith, I already know the Spirit of God will envelop me, plunging me to new depths and then great heights.  I will be victorious, because my God is victorious!!

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.  Psalm 42:7

A Busy Month

January has been a busy and productive month!

First, my Bangladesh visa was approved.  The process was a rather easy one and the turnaround time was two weeks.  However, the visa expires 30 days after my arrival.  I will travel to India for two weeks in April  to visit the cities of Kolkata and Varanasi.  While in India, I will renew my Bangladesh visa.

Next, my India visa was approved.  The online application was a nightmare that took several hours to complete.  I thought the application would be easy since I was familiar with the process of two years ago.  But, no, the outsourcing company changed the online procedures, supposedly simplifying the process.  NOT!  When I went to the Fed-Ex office to mail it, the clerk commented, "It only took you 45 minutes to process the India visa.  I had someone in here the other day and it took them 3-4 hours to complete it."  I explained to him that I had already spent 3-4 hours on the application prior to coming to his office.  Once the application was mailed, the entire process took less than a week.

Next, I bought my airline ticket to Bangladesh.  This, too, was quite a challenge as I had talked with three different travel agents, none of whom could resolve the complications regarding my Bangladesh visa which expires 30 days after my arrival.  Finally, after my frustration level had reached its limit, two people advised me, "Call Anna."  As it turns out, Anna is a pastor's wife in Missouri and an independent travel consultant specializing in missionary travels.  I simply explained my dilemma to her and she expertly took it from there.  It was such a relief to have someone who knew what to do that I could trust.  Merely 48 hours after talking with her, I purchased the airline ticket.  The best part?  Anna saved me $800 over the other travel agents' prices.

Last, I paid a security deposit on a brand new two-bedroom apartment located one block from the Bible school.  The monthly rent?  $160.  This good deal cut my monthly expenses drastically, which will help me to raise the total budget more quickly.

Like I said, it's been a busy and productive month!  It's been amazing to watch God put all the pieces into place in a timely and beautiful manner.

Accepting The Call

I am so happy to attend Because of the Times conference in Alexandria, Louisiana, the theme being "Hear the Voice."  It's so wonderful to be among dear friends again who share my passion for missions.  Today, the speaker asked all the minister's wives, missionary wives, and ministerial women to come to the front for prayer.  I haven't quite adjusted to the thought that I'm no longer laity but a leader, so I stayed in my seat.  That is, until I saw I was the only woman remaining behind.  Suddenly, I realized who I was and who God had called me to be: a missionary.  I quickly made my way to the front to join the other women.  As I raised my hands towards Heaven, I accepted God's call upon my life.

Maybe you're thinking, "Wait, I thought you accepted the call when you applied for the Associate in Missions (AIM) program?"  Yes, indeed I had responded to God's call as an AIMer when I applied, but I viewed it as a temporary calling, one that I was to do for six months.  Today, I accepted the permanent call of God upon my life, the call of a missionary.  I know what I am commissioned to do: to go into all the world, teaching all nations and baptizing them in Jesus Name.  I will gladly carry out His Great Commission and accept the new responsibility that was placed upon my shoulders today.

I don't know how God will fulfill His Call upon my life as a missionary.  I only know that I "heard the Voice" and agreed to follow Him through life's journey from earth to Heaven.

Looking Forward to 2013

It is a new year, a time of reflecting over the past year and looking ahead into a future year.  As I ponder my goals for 2013, I realize no matter which goals I set, it will be a challenge this year.  How do I set goals when in two short months, I will step out in faith into the unknown world of Bangladesh?

One goal is definite: to win souls for God's kingdom.  I've always had a desire to win souls, and I have been actively involved through outreach, van ministry and teaching Bible studies.  But I decided to step it up a notch in 2013 by signing up for Matt Maddix's Soul Winners Training Center.  This program will provide me with invaluable training in this area.

I love it when God confirms my direction.  I read this Facebook post from Bro Corbin, missionary to Bangladesh: "Our target for each church in Bangladesh for 2013 is 50 new souls saved in 2013 for every church. Vision health for 2013 is over 5,000 new souls in Jesus name." This is a man of God with a vision!  I am so excited as I will be a part of the Bangladesh church in 2013!  I cannot wait to see what God will do as a result of the soul winners training AND serving under a man with a vision for souls.

I am expectantly looking forward to 2013!!