Standing By

We were set to leave about a week ago for Omaha, Nebraska. Little did we know that God had other plans.

Seats on Delta Airlines have been oversold in the past week. Since we got our tickets from a Delta employee, we were pretty much the first to get bumped off the flight.

We tried getting into 6 different flights for 4 consecutive days and still no success. There were a couple of really crazy close calls but it still didn't work out.

The volcanic cloud of ash from Iceland closed pretty much the entire European airspace; which added to the volume of passengers trying to reroute their itineraries.

I cannot even begin to describe the complex emotions Robert and I have experienced in these past few days. I have been able to cope with this matter fairly well (despite the occasional tears of fatigue and frustration) but it does break my heart to see my husband make that daily telephone call to his parents to let them know we didn't make the flight again. It is so difficult to add stress to them when our very intention of going to the States is to serve them and make their life easier.

However, I just needed to share with you what God has been doing in me and what He has been teaching me as we wait on His perfectly-timed flight. The one thing that made me realize through this time is that Jesus is all I really need when He is all I've got. My dependency on Him has a reached a level that I have never been on before.

I have had moments of faithlessness and feeling like I am unable to hear His will. I had to battle this weakness every second and rely on the truth that He is able and that His reasons are always perfect.

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

Having spent so much time with Him and seeing how everything unfolded, God gave us this assurance that He is protecting us from something that will harm us. I am convinced of this 100%.

I have absolutely no idea what it is that can possibly cause us pain but He sure does know! I am so comforted knowing this. He will reveal what it is in time.

There are two things that I am so thankful for on this experience.

1) This is really making our marriage stronger. I am amazed on how God filled our character with so much grace during this time. During moments when we thought we would lose our cool, we chose to be patient, understanding and gracious. Only our Father can make our weaknesses perfect through Him! There was no way we could have been this kind to each other if it weren't for His power.

2) You really know who your true friends are during this time. I am so touched by the hospitality, phone calls, text messages, e-mails and comments that we have received these past few days. You know who you are! I just want you to know that every kind word put a smile on my face. God really showed Himself through you.


Please continue to pray for us as we patiently wait for God's plans to unfold. We are still looking forward to fly at the soonest possible time; but we are open to change our plans if that is His will (although at this time, I still feel like He wants us to go). I am fervently praying for supernatural favor as we try to get on a flight again.

Please stand with us as we "cast the whole of our care [all of our anxieties, all of our worries] on Him, for He cares for us affectionately and cares about us watchfully." (1 Peter 5:7)


Thank you for reading this. You are a blessing to us.