Arrived

I knew flexibility was going to be important in India; however, I needed it much sooner than expected.

My flight from Omaha to Chicago was supposed to leave at 10:39am. First the flight was delayed an hour. At 11:39 the entire plane was boarded and waiting for take-off when the pilot said they had found something wrong with two tires during inspection. They needed replaced and the parts had to be flown in. The repair would take hours, so the flight was canceled. We de-boarded and I spent over an hour in a line back at the ticket counter getting rerouted. Despite the frustration of so many people around me, I found my spirit curiously calm. As I worshipped and waited, I pray for God to make a way for me. An hour later I had changed airlines and flight plans.

The result was, despite the fact that I had already boarded a plane for the second time and had been “traveling” for 8 hours, I was still sitting at the Omaha airport waiting for take-off at 2 in the afternoon. But the flight did leave, and I had the last available seat. God had made a way.

Originally I was supposed to fly from Chicago to Frankfurt and then connect directly to Hyderabad. Now, I was taking a direct flight from Chicago to Delhi, but then had a ten=hour layover waiting for my domestic flight to Hyderabad. I was blessed by an American Indian family with the same two flights. We spent the layover together and it was nice to not feel so alone.

So now, 42 hours later, I find myself in Hyderabad. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the hour and half car ride from the airport.

Slums. Flats. Camels. Dogs. Babies cradled on the backs motorcycles. Muslim women shrouded in black veils. Cows in the road. Four lanes of cars squeezing into two. Brightly colored saris. A woman in veils driving a motorcycle with an ipod nano strapped to her hip. Temples. Our car stopping an inch from collision; the driver says, “that happens around here.” Advertisements. One reads, “Happiness for sale. Up to 51% off.”

India. I have so many questions for you, but for now I am content just to be here, knowing God has made a way. My goal this evening—to stay awake a few hours longer so that hopefully I will sleep through the night.